I have enjoyed your classes and am still learning on my own. I have started using aniline dyes, water based, under shellac. The only issue I have is that I tend to get darker areas where my application has doubled up.
Any tips for eliminating this?
Also, does it add much in protection or looks to apply more than 2 or 3 coats of Shellac? I love the look and feel of the shellac finish, so find it tough to stop after just a few coats.
Finally, is there any other finish that will hold up to the oils from aromatic cedar (other than shellac)?
-Mark
Cedar City,UT
Our Expert
When applying water-based dye, more of the dye is absorbed by end-grain surfaces than the adjacent long-grain surfaces. To even out the absorption rate I apply clean water to the end-grain surfaces first. Then I immediately apply the dye while the end grain is still wet.
As you have discovered, shellac is a beautiful finish. It's also easy to apply and will stick to most any surface including oily aromatic cedar. So I suggest that you continue to use shellac for that purpose. The only real shortcoming of shellac is that it does not wear well and it is not resistant alcohol. If you'd like additional resistance to wear and alcohol you can seal the surface with one or two coats of shellac and then coat the surface with a tougher finish such as a high quality oil-based varnish.
As a rule-of-thumb, any film finish provides greater protection as the thickness of the film is increased. In other words, four coats will provide greater protection than two. However, the tradeoff is that finishes appear unattractive when they are thick.
