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Hi All, I decided to attempt to stain and shellac another Bones pipe, this time in Strawberry wood. I'd appreciate any feedback on my application--it looks pretty shiny but I wonder if that's b/c of the Strawberry wood, and if it will go down over time. These pics were taken about a week after the shellac-ing job. Also, any idea on how long to let the shellac cure?Thanks for any comments!

David

Shellac will be shiny. It will wear down some with handling. If it’s not old and gummy, it should dry overnight in most places. Maybe 2-3 days if it’s a thick coat. If it’s too thick, you can thin it out with denatured alcohol.


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Thanks for the advice @sandahlpipe. How do you know if you've applied too much? It's been drying for about 3 weeks or so now, and it is a little gummy to the touch. But it hasn't been smoked or handled yet. I'm thinking quick alcohol bath?

3 WEEKS? You have bad/old shellac. Or something.

Yeah, 3 weeks means bad shellac. Wipe it all off with denatured alcohol and get fresh shellac and start over. I like to replace or use up my shellac within a year or so from the time it’s opened.


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I use pre-mixed french polish, it never goes bad as far as I can tell.

Thanks for the responses. Just to make sure I understand: the shellac is bad because the pipe is still a tiny bit tacky to the touch? Is it not possible that I just applied too heavy a cut?

Yes, it should be dry in a day, no matter what, with any kind of reasonable application.