Unpopular opinion: I wasted a full day trying to fix a bad shellac mix

I was finishing a walnut dresser and mixed a 2-pound cut of shellac, but it kept going cloudy and gummy on me. I thought it was the alcohol, so I tried three different brands over about six hours. Turns out my shellac flakes were just old and had gone bad sitting in my garage. Had to strip the whole piece and start over, which added another day to the job. Anyone else had shellac go bad on them like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

coleman.avery7d agoMost Upvoted

Always thought shellac was basically bulletproof until a bad batch ruined a table for me too.

the_lucas7d ago

Bad batch or bad prep? I've seen shellac get blamed for a lot of problems that started with the wood. A little moisture in the air when you apply it, or some old wax left on the surface, and you get a cloudy finish that won't cure right. It's a fussy material. Calling it bulletproof was always a stretch.