Shellac application on Strawberry Wood

[tmgaus51]

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

[sandahlpipe]

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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[tmgaus51]

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?

[Sasquatch]

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

[sandahlpipe]

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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[caskwith]

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

[tmgaus51]

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?

[Sasquatch]

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