I'm 48 years old and just now learning that shellac is made out of secretions from a type of insect, and it takes 1.5 million of them to produce a pound of it. Then reading through all the comments there is even more information on these finishes. Really enjoyed the video. Thank you for your time and consideration in freely giving information learned over a lifetime.

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

Glad to help!

@brandonhoffman4712

3 ай бұрын

I think the absolute best use of shellac in a modern finish is a shellac seal coat over your stain, or over an oil used to make the grain pop on an unstained surface. It seals it all in with a quick single pass, you can add color to the shellac too if desired. Then you can choose any finish to apply, it will all stick. More shellac, lacquer, polyurethane, spar urethane, epoxy, you pick! It eliminates the need to go water based only, or oil based only, now we can bend genders! Also, if you want to do a super resilient thicker coating with a high amount of polyurethane solids, do Bona traffic HD on top. It's made for floors, but has kept my mom's custom stained butcher block countertops coated well.

Holy poo! He did an intro and then aged 30 years, crazy!

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

Life happens! :)

@esphilee

3 ай бұрын

Time fly. Maybe that’s the father.

@alext8828

3 ай бұрын

It's the lacquer fumes that do that.

Thank you so much for sharing the history, the advantages and disadvantages of each finish and the tips you provided. This is such a valuable and an enjoyable post all in one. Much appreciated. Cheers

Very comprehensive overview. This is the go-to channel for acquiring an understanding of wood finishes.

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

Wow thanks for the kind words!

Excellent tutorial. I've always contemplated the differences and advantages of these three sealers. Most informative. Thank you!

@SawsHub

2 жыл бұрын

You're welcome!

I'm loving all of your videos and am learning a lot as a novice. Thanks and I hope you keep this a going concern!

@SawsHub

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you! Will do!

Thanks for sharing this. I've been kicking around the different finishes and this was very helpful.

@SawsHub

2 жыл бұрын

You are so welcome!

Perfect video! Ive learned everything i needed! Thank you

Great video! Just the info I was looking for. I’m rehabbing my chicken coop/run and wanted to pick the best finish/know the differences between options. Thanks a bunch!

Wow! what an informative video... this is exactly what I was looking for, thanks a ton sir, subscribed!

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the sub!

This video is just what I was looking for. Thanks!

@brandonhoffman4712

3 ай бұрын

My process Stain wood, glue up, 1 coat of shellac (thinned for a seal coat 1/4lb cut), then 2-3 coats of poly or spar urethane (spar urethane outdoors) Technically anything will adhere to the seal coat of shellac. I know things like epoxy and Bona traffic HD will adhere. If I'm no staining my wood I'll often oil it before the seal coat to pop the grain. The seal coat also opens the grain. Prepping it for the 1st run of 320.

Fascinated by the details on shellac!!!! NICELY DONE!

This was an amazing video. Very well put together.

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

wow great explanation, helped me decide on what i wanted to buy

Researching coffee table finish, Best video I've found all day. Thanks

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

Very thorough and informative, thanks

@SawsHub

4 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

Great info! Really, a masterful presentation. Thanks!

Great information thx for sharing your experiences well done 😍👍

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

This was really helpful!! Thank you!

@SawsHub

2 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

Thanks for all the information!

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

You bet!

Thank you for that well explained tutorial . Can you please do one on the pros and cons of oil based polyurethane and water based polycrylic ?

Very informative! I was getting confused about all the finishes...wasn’t sure which one I should use.

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

Thank you so much for this excellent informative clear explanation.

Nice rundown. Thanks.

@SawsHub

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

Thank you a lot. This video is very informative.

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

Very concise! Thank you very much!!!

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

Nice straight forward comparisons

@SawsHub

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

Great video and very informative!

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

Very informative, thank you.

Wow, that was an extremely well put together and informative video, thank you for posting it. I stumbled across this video as I’m doing a project which is a portable tap dance floor for my daughter using parquet floor as the top surface, I was looking for the most durable finish unfortunately I’ve never used shellac before and it’s what I decided to use because it was the only thing in the big box store in quarts that said could be used on floors so I thought if it could be used on floors it’s probably my best bet. But after more research finding out it’s the least durable I was like a oh Probably not the best finish for a tap dance surface LOL so then I decided after four coats. And not too happy with the finish as far as perfectly smooth but I think I could’ve used your application tip and done better nevertheless I gave it a good standing with 320 and topped with two coats of polyurethane from waterlox hoping for the best. I’ve seen videos that you shouldn’t put poly over shellac but also seen videos when you can I guess I will find out again thanks for your video it was awesome new subscriber here

Thank you for sharing the tips.👍👍👍👍👍👏👏👏👏👏

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

You are so welcome!

Going beyond specific techniques as most other channels do, IMHO, this is one of _the_ most valuable clip for a newbie like me:understanding the different types of finish is a prerequisite for anything related to wood finishing. Thank you.

@brandonhoffman4712

3 ай бұрын

There's also spar urethane, a urethane developed for outdoors. It is made to be a little softer than polyurethane and expand/contract more with wood left outdoors. There is also epoxy, quite technical, quite stable, quite durable. You need to use the proper epoxy products for the specific application you're trying to achieve. What this also didn't cover. Was how, when, or if, to combine multiple types of finish @ different stages to achieve superior results. I stain with dye/pigment in alcohol, do a seal coat of shellac (except where gluing), glue/assemble, then typically poly or spar urethane.

Thank you. Excellent presentation.

@SawsHub

2 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

Excellent video, extremely informative.

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

Very cool lesson. Thank you

@SawsHub

2 жыл бұрын

Glad you liked it!

The way things get expalined here, I had to subscribe

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

Great video

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it

Very helpful

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

Glad to hear that

thank you

Very helpful, thanks for your insight. I tried refinishing my cedar slab live-edge dining table the other day. I sanded to raw wood with 240 grit, tack clothed it clean, then brushed on my first layer of acrylic-based polyurethane. The grain completely rose up and now it's impossible to get it smooth again. Would the shellac seal the cedar enough so that this wouldn't happen again? I would like to use about 3 coats of a semi-gloss poly once the wood is sealed.

@kylegoldston

2 жыл бұрын

You want sanding sealer I think.

Awesome video what is best poly to fix a hardwood floor spot that was under a fire place when I redid my hardwood floors. When I removed fire place under it was the floor before it was refinished I am going to sand it and then poly it do you recommend any brands

@SawsHub

2 жыл бұрын

I'm pretty brand agnostic. Pick a name brand (minwax, etc) and go for it.

Good video! I wanted the know the differences and what is the most durable. But, I thought that Poly took a long time to dry and needed to be sanded between coats, so it can be a pain depending on how big your project is.

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

Thanks for the interesting video, I've learned a lot. How about Varnish ? Is it the same as lacquer.

Thanks for the great tutorial! 👍🏻 You mentioned lacquer and poly are odorous. How long does it take to get rid of the smell on the wood? A day? Week?

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

It depends on how many coats you put on. The volatile chemicals have to evaporate completely before the smell also goes away. Lots of coats = lots more time (and it compounds). Lacquer is quicker because it is more volatile. Poly could take weeks, especially in a closed environment.

Excelent!

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

Love and appreciate the conclusion portion at the end. Polyurethane as I understand it is plastic. Poly meaning plastic to me. Now I’m wondering if any sprayer is particularly better at spraying lacquer than another. Thank you :)

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

Polyurethane is not plastic FYI.

@FearsomeWarrior

3 жыл бұрын

@@SawsHub Researching a little. Seems like more of a rubber. Gaskets and caster/wheels made out of it too. Weird! "Polyurethane (PUR and PU) is a polymer. Polymers range from familiar synthetic plastic." I don't mean to be a dick. I'm genuinely interested in hunting knowledge.

I always always coat a piece in at least 2 coats of BLO or tung oil first and let it cure before topcoating with a more durable finish. Yes it takes a bit of time to properly cure but doing so adds chatoyance and pops the grain in a way other finishes just dont. Then by topcoating with something stronger later you get the added protection of a modern lacquer polyurethane etc..

I just love the history behind it and how knowledgeable you are. I can't stop watching. Of course, the actual facts about what to use and when are useful too ;-)

@SawsHub

8 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoy it!

Can I apply marine varnish over a water-based poly finish? Thank you.

Best explanation ever , thank you, but where is water base lacquer between those 3 ?

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

Water based lacquer is a marketing term. If they are saying that, then it isn't really a true lacquer. Its probably most closely related to a polycrylic.

Poly takes forever to dry and cure. Better have lots of time. Nice video, very informative. Thanks.

@SawsHub

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

I have a this stomp with really nice bark n I wanna preserver it. So should I hit with some lacquer than after some table top epoxy for a protective out coating

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

It depends on a lot of the factors (we reviewed in the video) - what are you going to do with it? Indoor or outdoor? Etc

Very informative. Thanks. Question i need to prepare a birch plywood surface. Should i use Shellac or two part epoxy for sealing the wood then put 4 coats of poly?? Or should i put oil based poly directly and sand after each coat thanks??? The size i need to cover is only 2 feet by 2 feet square. Thanks looking forward to your valued reply.

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

I do not recommend using epoxy in this situation. You can put a 1 lb cut of shellac on the bare surface to seal it. Then follow with the poly as you suggest. Good luck.

@jjjjude

3 жыл бұрын

SawsHub DIY Woodworking Tips Thank you very much

Awsome video! Which is best suited for guitar soundboard?

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

Spray lacquer would be my advice.

Love water based poly but surely spraying it should be fine as it's runny? Anyone have good experience with this? Brushing is crap when it's a large area

Can you use shellac and top with a thiner coat of poly? Thank you

how thick can you build the lacquer ? can you do 10+ coats? thank you!

THANK YOU Polyurethane feels more safe just want my desk shinny

I’m making big bass marimba bars (percussion instrument that will be struck thousands of times with a medium hard mallet and will vibrate like crazy over and over and over). Traditionally they finished with oils and waxs, though I want to experiment with other stuff. For my experiment phase-in order of best to worst-can you please suggest/brainstorm what you think might work out for coating/sealing wooden bars that will be taking a lot of inherent abuse? With all the beating and vibrating, for instance, might shellac or lacquer or polyurethane or wood hardener or an acrylic poor be too brittle, resulting in getting rattled and crushed to death and breaking apart microscopically over time? Also consider which finish would be the most scratch resistant. (Bars will be stored in stacks and slid against each other with the potential of dirt and sand bits in between. Thanks for brainstorming with me 👍🏻

@SawsHub

2 жыл бұрын

Spar varnish is the toughest finish out there!

Old guys rule! Very informative...sir.

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it

@kickinghorse2405

Жыл бұрын

@@SawsHub I prefer "masters rule" - kind of a tradition in my family. :)

Damn. Just when I thought I could keep my wooden coaster natural but impervious to staining! Shellac is out then :-( Lacquer is a no no. But Poly is plastic! Stick with my natural beeswax then. Enjoyed & learned what I needed to know with this useful video - thank you!

Very good video, thanks!

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

Glad you liked it!

What are your thoughts on the pre-bottled _spray_ shellac we can buy on the shelves? Inferior?

@SawsHub

2 жыл бұрын

Never used spray shellac. I would imagine it would work, but I don't have any epxerience.

Poly sprays great with an hvlp. Glass finish.

Super

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks

Would shellac work good on a charcuterie board? It looks like it would be food safe?

Which would you use for a bar top in a restaurant?

Can you put water based poly over shellac?

Great video - lots of detail, love it! Could you do a part II where you show how they are applied, and what they would look like? Also, why would I as a DIY-er use lacquer instead of polyurerthane?

@SawsHub

4 жыл бұрын

My personal preference as a DIY-er would be polyurethane.

Perfectly and didactically explained. Thank you! I’ve found out that here in Brazil there’s water-based polyurethane that can be sprayed on. But it requires some two or more coatings of a specific primer and the polyurethane as well as it’s primer will have to be mixed with both a catalyst (a hardening agent) and a dilutant.

@pearlperlitavenegas2023

7 ай бұрын

I spray water based polycrylic all of the time with a cheap airless sprayer(polyurethane is oil based). I don't dilute it but some people do. Very important to strain it before spraying it.

@murilomatosmendonca9065

7 ай бұрын

@@pearlperlitavenegas2023Thank you for sharing your experience.

I want to add a waterproof finish to a stainless steel or aluminum surface. which is better to use?

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

Polyurethane

Do you know what's the difference between shellac and wood hardener?

Hi i was wondering if its ok to aply polyurithane after shellac

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

Yes

Lacquer in my opinion better for table tops, furniture, gun stocks, guitar bodies, shellac is good too, it's used on Almost every surplus AKM rifle stock sets, Romanian M-63 AKM uses shellac finish on there gun stocks it flakes over time though

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

You can't really make a blanket statement as it depends on some of the details. For example, indoor vs outdoor? For furniture, if it gets a lot of use, lacquer might not be as good of a solution as polyurethane.

which should i use for hardwood flooring?

@SawsHub

2 жыл бұрын

Polyurethane

So I bought some shellac in a can, the zinsser stuff. It says the VOC is over 700 g/l! I thought shellac was just acohol and bug poop... are they just considering the smell of alcohol toxic? I would think the polyurethane would be worse... however its only labeled at 250 g/l

@SawsHub

2 жыл бұрын

Hard to say, but pre-mixed shellac might have other additives. I can't imagine just the alcohol generating that many VOCs.

@glytch5

2 жыл бұрын

@@SawsHub I guess its because its methanol alcohol which apparently has extremely toxic odors compared to iso alcohol.

I notice that some websites of cabinet re-finishing pros are touting using poly for spraying kitchen cabinets. Can poly be tinted and how hard is it to spray for cabinets?

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

Poly sprays very nicely and easily with an HVLP sprayer. You can tint poly using a dye that is soluable in the poly solvent: either water or mineral spirts.

Polyurethane is also by far the most expensive and by far the longest to dry.

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

Yep!

I believe you confused lacquer with shellac in reference to alcohol damage. Shellac has a problem with alcohol (it is the thinner) Lacquer is alcohol resistant. You said that lacquer was particularly sensitive to alcohol.

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

I have a table I made and finished with lacquer that has distinct damage from alcohol.

Can bulls eye shellac clear be used over stain?

@bitTorrenter

3 жыл бұрын

I would think it's possible. But can't say for sure.

@achebe171

3 жыл бұрын

Yes. Use minwax wipe on polyurethane though. It is a lot more forgiving and in my opinion nicer

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

Yes you can use shellac on top of stain. We personally don't prefer shellac as a final finish, but there isn't any problem with using it over stain.

Comment.....You can put lacquer on by using a 50/50 mix of lacquer and mineral spirits and wipe it on and you get a good finish. The only thing that I do not like about lacquer is that the oils in your skin cause it to break down so it is not good for a table top where your would be resting your arms.

Shellac is much, much older than that. Folks have been rubbing shellac on wood for at least 1,000 years and likely much longer than that.

Water based finishes are superior to all of these IMHO. No special storage of solvents or mixtures and no combustion of used brushes and rags. Sprays well with hvlp. Durable. Dries quickly enough to do multiple coats in a day but not so quickly it's difficult to work with. Not hard on the wallet at ~$50/gal. General finishes makes an excellent water based poly I recommend for any interior furniture project.

Sooo when do we use shellac???

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

We only recommend using shellac if you have to; for example - to refinish an antique piece of furniture that already has shellac on it.

@RoboKestrel

3 жыл бұрын

I've got plenty of antique furniture with shellac finish. Never really had a problem with any of them. If it's going near water, don't use shellac, so probably not on a table. Any other time you're fine, and frankly, it's the most beautiful of finishes.

@achebe171

3 жыл бұрын

@@SawsHub I would say never. Shellac is too smelly and harder to use. I would sand down a shellac surface, clean, apply 2 coats of dewaxed shellac, sand lightly the apply wipe on polyurethane.

We did my friend's car with brushes and it came out fine. You could see your face thru the distortion.

Examples of how they go on, how they react to heat or certain conditions, and less video of just standing and talking about the product would be helpful for your audience.

Form roller, not mentioned.

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks

but you didnt talk about the luster and gloss!

@SawsHub

2 жыл бұрын

Those are personal choices, nothing more. They don't effect the chemistry of the finishes.

Wasn't looking for history just a comparison

There are plenty of spray polys . Not sure what you are talking about in this video .

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

None that we would recommend.

If poly is more durable and sounds like easier to apply, why would someone choose lacquer?

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

Lacquer dries significantly faster, there is no color change or tint. Those are probably the two most common reasons

Adding poison to poison. Nice!

like a lesson at university....just a text book

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! That was the intent :)

I'm afraid you gloss over the fact that polyurethane does not mingle with previous coats therefore you have to sand

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

You do not have to sand. However, if you sand, you will get better adhesion. But it will work just fine without sanding

Too basic. Where’s the beef....

@SawsHub

3 жыл бұрын

Its a basic video. So, thanks for the compliment!

I wouldn't use polyurethane on furniture, it makes it look cheap and plastic-like. Neither would I use water-based coatings. Those d•mned effing morons from the European Parliament want all reliable coatings gone and replaced by stuff that falls off when you look at it. A guy I know has a boat, and the mast was coated with brandname quality stuff. But since Europe wants the paint to fall off you can't buy the good stuff any more. Within a year the wood was unprotected and it started to rot. Thanks European Parliament!