Comments | acalculatedname: sprayin' it everywhere, practically soaked myself in alcohol... yet it's gettin' hard again

acalculatedname

sprayin' it everywhere, practically soaked myself in alcohol... yet it's gettin' hard again

Jul 15, 2013 16:17

I'm here to tell you about nature's miracle wood-finishing product. It's called shellac. (No, I'm not talking about the band of the same name, which also just happens to be one of my favorite bands ever.) And like so many of the best things in life, shellac comes out of a bug's ass.
( FINISH HIM )

Comments 37

tatdatcm July 16 2013, 03:20:16 UTC

It's beautiful. I like the accidental dark brown.

I remember shellac. My dad used it on everything he ever built with wood. So much so that every stain, paint, etc. that went on wood in our house was referred to as "shellac".

acalculatedname July 16 2013, 18:55:10 UTC

Yeah, it's funny... there was definitely a mid-century period when any kind of final-coat finishing work was referred to as "shellac(k)ing." I have some books on woodworking from the 50s / and 60s that confusingly insist on using said makeshift gerund throughout, even though they're clearly simul-aware of the various polys, varnishes, spray enamels, etc. that were just beginning to take over in the home workshop at that point in time. Your dad wasn't alone!

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acalculatedname July 16 2013, 18:51:09 UTC

Pretty punk rock, really. :)

kajel July 16 2013, 15:01:06 UTC

I think the guitar looks really nice! You gotta start your DIY somewhere.

acalculatedname July 16 2013, 18:57:30 UTC

Yep. I've been divided for a year on whether to try building a neck or a body first. If good hardwood weren't so difficult / pricey to get around here I probably would have already begun ruining perfectly good trees attempting one or the other.

roina_arwen July 17 2013, 03:50:40 UTC

That's a beautiful job, and I like the text on the guitar, too!

acalculatedname July 17 2013, 04:42:06 UTC

Heh, thanks, but don't even get me started on that stupid text. It's a ridiculous Woody Guthrie paraphrase / "reference," as at least recklessblues caught:

( ... )

roina_arwen July 17 2013, 04:56:39 UTC

Ah - I've heard of Woody Guthrie, but am not familiar enough to the extent that I'd know the guitar reference. :)

acalculatedname July 17 2013, 05:17:39 UTC

I'm not a huge fan either, but I have friends that are, and I do love that guitar of his.

halfshellvenus July 17 2013, 06:37:15 UTC

I wondered why I hadn't heard people talk about shellacking in such a long time. It sure common when I was younger.

The gloss on the guitar is fantastic-- almost unreal. I wouldn't expect that on something not factory-processed or out of a spray can.

acalculatedname July 17 2013, 12:58:59 UTC

As a stringed instrument enthusiast (SIE?) you ought to check out the French polish method on Youtube or something. The thing that's kinda neat about the glossiness seen is that it actually doesn't have / require a super thick layer of finish, which is why it's still the method favored by violin makers, high-end acoustic guitar makers, etc. Getting the same kind of SHINY, OOH out of nitro lacquers or polyurethanes adds a lot of sound-deadening weight to the wood. Doesn't matter nearly so much on electrics, so those more modern (and admittedly more durable) finishing methods are favored by mass manufacturers ( ... )