Thread: Orange shellac on Walnut

Quote: Originally Posted by Larry Fox BLO, couple of coats of Orange shellac, topcoat is my favorite schedule for walnut. I use a lot of water-based topcoats and the shellac (orange in particular) really warms things up nicely. Larry - What specific top coats (brands)? Thanks for the input, Dan

Shellac is color fast it does not darken with age; many varnishes will darken.

Scott, do you have walnut pieces you have done with Garnet that have some years on them? I would like to know how the color is after 5-10 years with the Garnet vs. clear/amber.

I use mostly Target Coatings products. On Walnut I have used EM6000 and Hybrvar. The Hybrvar I found to be a little warmer than the EM6000 but they are both wonderful products. The Hybrvar is no longer called that but I forget what the new name is. A quick call to Target should get you what you need.

Quote: Originally Posted by John S. Genzer QUESTION: I am going to finish a walnut plant stand and would like to do this also, BLO, then orange shellac wipped on. I'm a nubie at all this. John Someone jump in here if I am wrong, but I believe that as long as you use dewaxed shellac, you can pretty much put anything on top of it. For dewaxed orange, garnet, etc, you may need to go to flakes and mix your own. Flakes keep a long time (esp...

I used it on a small jewerly box several years ago. I thought it looked good. Don't go more than 2 coats. (I brushed on.) Finishing many times comes down to personal preference. FYI, I used Bulls Eye premixed orange shellac. You can also mix your own combining blonde and orange flakes to customize color. Good luck. Ed

Test on scrap first.

My 2cents after having done a walnut coffee table: A coat of amber shellac will warm up the piece, but too much, and it starts to look unnatural. I've since done a couple walnut pieces completely unstained and undyed. I much prefer it. My favorite finish is an oil/varnish blend. Wet sanded in for the first couple coats to partially fill the grain. I personally have experienced BLO to muddy the grain a little compared to tung oil, but...

Don't think about your finish as how many coats you put on. Think about how much finish you leave on. Whether you rub, brush or spray your finish, a good job of rubbing out the finish will level and smooth the surface. As long as you are using a finish that will "melt" into the previous coat create a soft and smooth surface while removing quite a bit of the previous coat. It's best to apply at least two coats before...

I happen to like the look of shellac on walnut as it gets you to that rich, amber/gold glow that walnut eventually oxidizes to faster. (Walnut gets lighter over time unlike most other woods)