Shellac is a traditional wood finish that is hard, durable, easy to apply and repair, non-yellowing and non-toxic. Shellac has been a preferred finish for high quality furniture because its fast drying time minimizes dust in the finish, and permits the building up of many thin coats in a short time. Since each application dissolves part of the last coat, scratches or surface blemishes can be repaired invisibly. Shellac is easy to mix and you should only make up what you need at any one time. Mixing 1 lb. of flakes into a gallon of denatured alcohol results in a 1 lb. cut, add 2 lb. to a gallon for a 2 lb. cut. If you only need a small amount, scale down those proportions to a pint. Blonde flakes produce a pale amber color for touch up, light wood, or where orange color is unwanted. Orange flakes impart a brownish orange color, ideal for most applications. Garnet flakes have a dark brown character, which brings out the figure in lighter wood such as curly maple, and leaves a rich color on dark woods.
