Shellac

[Whitlock]

I was browsing the web looking at oils and stains.I never relized shellac was so interesting.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shellac

[glenn kangiser]

I knew it came from a bug but didn't know I was eating bug poop on my Skittles.

[Ernest T. Bass]

I've been using it on my rustic furniture, as it is the least toxic finish I can find locally. It's pretty harmless, easy to repair and can be applied in real cold weather, which is a plus around here. Only problem is it doesn't take alcoholic beverages or standing water too good...

I've been trying to figure out what to coat our spruce t&g floor in the cabin with.. We really want to avoid poly, but an oil finish doesn't do much more than enhance the color, and it costs just as much. Some of the solvents in finishes like boiled linseed oil are probably just as toxic to breath as the poly anyway..

I came across this wax finish, anybody heard of it?
http://www.ecowise.com/product_info.php?products_id=463

They say it's as durably as poly and much easier to repair. Kinda pricey though..

[Redoverfarm]

Andrew you might look at gymseal. It is tounge oil.

http://www.valsparglobal.com/val/resident/gymseal.jsp

[Ernest T. Bass]

Thanks Red, looks like a good alternative to poly if we were going to go a more conventional route. We'd prefer to avoid the toxic chemicals and solvents if possible, but it's always a balance between cost vs. toxicity vs. effectiveness.

[gandalfthegrey]

There you go Glenn,  Your supposed to seal your tongue so you don't taste the bug poop.  

[glenn kangiser]

Would I use tongue oil for that?

Then I suppose I would be tricked and tongue oil comes from some tongue bug or something...

[PEG688]

Then I suppose I would be tricked and tongue oil comes from some tongue bug or something...

It comes from nuts , tung nuts , that is ,

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tung_oil

  Pure , or Polymerized.

[PEG688]

Some  woodworkers use Boiled linseed oil,  then Unwaxed shellac over that , then  they apply water borne finishes of various brand names for endurance/ toughness and sheen.


 Most water borne's add no color , the oil in most finishes is what imparts the 'color' or depth of a oil finish. The Un-waxed or de-waxed shellac provides for a barrier between the oil and the water borne finish. So you get the best of both worlds with the assistance of the Lac bug

 
 

[glenn kangiser]

Uhmmmm, Nuts huh.  Thanks PEG.

[Redoverfarm]

Andrew Mimwax also came out with a waterbased floor finish.  I haven't tried the newer product but I do like the polycrylic line but it is not durable enough for traffic area.

http://www.minwax.com/products/hardwood_floor_finishing/

[Don_P]

Waterlox is/was my favorite finish. True Value just dropped it (please complain next time you are in one of their stores) It is a catalyzed tung oil varnish type finish that is easy to apply, dries well, holds up well and is easy to repair. It is solvent based and makes my wife sick to apply it so not real user friendly in that regard. I've noticed women seem to be much more sensitive to mineral spirit solvent than guys seem to be. Kinda like "siliconized" caulk most finishes that say tung oil have precisely 2 molecules of tung oil in them 

Boiled linseed oil can be truly just boiled oil or it can have heavy metal driers, so it's toxicity depends. Can't say I'm a real fan though.

Land Ark is a low/no tox finish, I've only used a little of the exterior which does have some toxics, it was ok, smells good, citrus solvent, pine resin and a few other natural resins.

I came across an ancient violin finish one time when doing a repair, Terps, Frankincense, Dragons Blood and a couple of others I can't recall. Frankincense and Dragon's Blood are resins exuded by middle eastern trees. There's another biblical resin that escapes me right now, it was so precious I believe the tree is now extinct.

OT but on the bug poo front,  Ford's 1912-16 logo was a "winged pyramid" an egyptian pyramid with scarab's wings, from the nile scarab beetle, he had seen it in egyptian art and thought it looked cool. Till someone told him it was a dung beetle  . He abolished the logo then and there  

[Ernest T. Bass]

Interesting stuff. The Land Ark finishes appear to be reasonably priced, but shipping would probably getcha'.