shellac

Sanding, rusticating, sandblasting, buffing, etc. All here.
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abbeypipes
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shellac

Post by abbeypipes »

hallo
I know most of the pros and cons of shellacing pipes, but does anyone know of an 'acceptable' way of doing it?how many coats are required and is the shellac left as applied or is it buffed/polished in any way
thanks
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Nick
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Post by Nick »

Additionally, what sort of cut should be used? The last batch I mixed up was too thick, and I got those nasty bubles as I smoked the pipe.
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ToddJohnson
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Re: shellac

Post by ToddJohnson »

abbeypipes wrote:hallo
I know most of the pros and cons of shellacing pipes, but does anyone know of an 'acceptable' way of doing it?how many coats are required and is the shellac left as applied or is it buffed/polished in any way
thanks
I don't know of any artisan makers who shellaq pipes as the finish. Shellaq is best used as somewhat of a sealer, ensuring that you don't buff off stain or ruin the smooth-as-glass finish you've worked so hard to achieve. The way most makers do it is to mix up a very thin spit coat (I doubt anybody mixes it to precise measurements, but it should be about the consistency of 1% milk maybe). With a pipecleaner, apply the shellaq to the entire pipe and immediattely wipe it all off. You've got about 5 seconds working time so don't dally. What you're left with is essentially a film that allows you to polish and shine the pipe instead of actually continuing to remove material (be it ever so slight). There was a discussion of this earlier somewhere, but I don't know precisely where.

Best,

Todd
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Nick
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Post by Nick »

You actually wipe the shellac off? D'OOH! OK, I can do that. So, you apply the shellac and then wipe it off right away. Does that mean I'd be hitting the pipe with whatever I'm putting the shellac on with, wiping that spot and then moving to the next spot? Or do you do the whole pipe and then wipe down?

I think its the spot to spot technique, but I just want to make sure.

Additionally, does the bubbling that I saw on one of my previous pipes mean my shellac is too thick or heavy? Or is it a result of not whiping it down? Or I suppose it could be both.
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ToddJohnson
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Post by ToddJohnson »

Nick wrote:You actually wipe the shellac off? D'OOH! OK, I can do that. So, you apply the shellac and then wipe it off right away. Does that mean I'd be hitting the pipe with whatever I'm putting the shellac on with, wiping that spot and then moving to the next spot? Or do you do the whole pipe and then wipe down?
Apply to the whole pipe and then immediattely wipe it all off with a rag, paper towel, shop towel, etc.
I think its the spot to spot technique, but I just want to make sure.
Nope :)
Additionally, does the bubbling that I saw on one of my previous pipes mean my shellac is too thick or heavy? Or is it a result of not whiping it down? Or I suppose it could be both.
Yep, yep, and yep. :)
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Nick
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Post by Nick »

Thanks bud!

:)
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