Applying shellac in a cold room.

[Packard]

It is 9 degrees F. Outside right now and my unheated basement is just 44 degrees.

I have applied (brush) SealCoat shellac in 58 degree F temperature. Will the 44 F temp be an issue?  It is not likely to warm up for another week and I would like to get this project done.

 

[onocoffee]

[member=74278]Packard[/member] - Just wondering what happened with this? I don't have experience with either shellac or those temperature ranges. However, I did do a search and it says that you should be okay down to -17C.

I'm curious to learn how this turned out.

 

[Packard]

Well…

I decided to put it off until today.  I have a separate room protected from dust that I use for my picture framing.  That room has heat.  I cranked the heat up to 70 degrees and I am letting the shellac sit in that room warming up. 

So you won’t get an answer on this question from me today.  Sorry.

The deciding factor was that my creaky finger joints objected to working in that room.

I was 9 degrees in the morning when I typed the original request for information.

It was -2 degrees (minus 2 degrees) this morning and the shop dropped below 40 degrees—I think it said 36 degrees. 

Half of my basement is below ground, but the rear wall is a full walk out.  So the temperatures are not as stable as a basement that was fully below ground. 

 

[onocoffee]

Understood. Good luck to you!

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Shellac dries through the evaporation of the alcohol into which it is dissolved. So, while it might take longer than usual, it should work fine. Not ideal, but workable.

 

[Packard]

Shellac dries through the evaporation of the alcohol into which it is dissolved. So, while it might take longer than usual, it should work fine. Not ideal, but workable.

Thanks for that information.  It was outside my range of experience and I did not want a Challenger moment.

But does shellac continue to cure after the alcohol evaporates?

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Not really. It is simply "melted" (dissolved) in the alcohol. It is somewhat of a resin, which is why it sticks, once the alcohol is gone. The wood absorbs some of it, while in solution, which gives the initial grab. Subsequent coats "melt into" the previous one.
Like lacquer, it is never "multiple coats", they become one.
Unlike the polyurethanes and other types of finishes, Shellac can be "washed off", since it we re-dissolve, in the same solvent as it was applied. You can't get 100% of it, since some goes into the wood fibers, but most of it can be removed easily.

 

[Packard]

I knew about the “layers” becoming one layer. I apply shellac as a wipe-on finish, and if I seen an imperfection I’m able to wipe it away with the next application.

What I did not know was if the cold temperatures would prevent curing.  And I was surprised to learn that it does not get harder as it ages.

From an application point of view, I really like shellac.  But it does not like to be handled excessively and it does not like getting wet with almost any type of liquid. So I rarely use it for a top coat.

I do like SealCoat as a primer as it does not raise the grain and won’t allow subsequent coats of water-based paints to do so either.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Yeah, it's a great "sealer", but as you mentioned, it's not the greatest as a topcoat, for furniture and such.
The other issue, for me at least, is the shine. I'm just not a fan of shiny wood, satin at most, but prefer matte or totally flat. (IMHO, shiny is for pianos)

 

[Packard]

Yeah, it's a great "sealer", but as you mentioned, it's not the greatest as a topcoat, for furniture and such.
The other issue, for me at least, is the shine. I'm just not a fan of shiny wood, satin at most, but prefer matte or totally flat. (IMHO, shiny is for pianos)

I generally knock down the shine by applying wax (carnauba/bees wax blend) with 0000 grade steel wool.  It knocks down the shine on shellac and on oil based poly.