I am making a chess board pub table. On Sunday--just over 48 hours ago--I stenciled the chess board onto a pine top using walnut gel stain. Turned out pretty nice. That said, I applied the gel stain a little thicker than I probably should have in some spots. It seems like it's almost dry tonight, and I'm guessing it'll be more convincingly dry to the touch about 72 hours after application (tomorrow night). My next step is to brush on some amber dewaxed shellac that I mixed up (2 lb cut). After that I plan to apply 3-4 coats of polyurethane. My concern is that when I go to brush over the gel stain stenciling, the shellac will liquefy the dried gel stain and cause it to run, streak, etc as I brush. Is that something I should be worried about? I've never worked with gel stain or shellac before. If what I'm concerned about is indeed a potential problem, is there a way around it, such as letting the gel stain dry longer than 72 hours before applying the shellac? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
![423146]( "423146")
Will Kalkhoff
Shellac over gel stain stenciling
I am making a chess board pub table. On Sunday--just over 48 hours ago--I stenciled the chess board onto a pine top using walnut gel stain. Turned out pretty nice. That said, I applied the gel stain a little thicker than I probably should have in some spots. It seems like it's almost dry tonight, and I'm guessing it'll be more convincingly dry to the touch about 72 hours after application (tomorrow night). My next step is to brush on some amber dewaxed shellac that I mixed up (2 lb cut). After that I plan to apply 3-4 coats of polyurethane. My concern is that when I go to brush over the gel stain stenciling, the shellac will liquefy the dried gel stain and cause it to run, streak, etc as I brush. Is that something I should be worried about? I've never worked with gel stain or shellac before. If what I'm concerned about is indeed a potential problem, is there a way around it, such as letting the gel stain dry longer than 72 hours before applying the shellac? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
![423146]( "423146")
Nice table! I think you're right to be concerned about the shellac smearing the stain if you brush. After doing such a nice job on the stencil, you don't want to mess it up now!
Letting the stain dry longer will help, but I think I'd spray the shellac. Very, very lightly at first, you don't want it to get too wet. If you don't have a spray gun, Zinsser Seal coat comes in a rattle can. As always, test on scrap!
Letting the stain dry longer will help, but I think I'd spray the shellac. Very, very lightly at first, you don't want it to get too wet. If you don't have a spray gun, Zinsser Seal coat comes in a rattle can. As always, test on scrap!
Zinsser 12 oz. Clear Shellac Spray 408 - The Home Depot
Find the Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 12 oz. Clear Shellac Traditional Finish and Sealer 00408, lacquer nontoxic, all-natural finish comes in aerosol spray form for easy application as a protective sealer for household projects from The Home Depot
www.homedepot.com
What I do is to use a seal of the rattle can of shellac to seal stain, stencil etc.. it dries clear. Let it dry, if warm 1/2 hr, if cool overnight. IMHO with a pub table I would opt for spar poly as a final finish, it is a much more durable finish in dealing with spills or rings from moist cold drinks.
Okay. Sounds like a plan. That’s two votes for the Zinsser rattle can first. I did read elsewhere that you can apply Zinsser clear seal coat before applying dewaxed amber shellac, and that it won’t alter the color of the amber, so that’s no longer a concern. Then I’ll top coat with spar urethane. Thanks!! I’ll let you know how it goes....
Please don't put that masterpiece in front of the pellet stove to force dry the stain. The table could warp or crack from the dry heat.
From a risk standpoint, I don't think there's much difference between spraying from a rattle can or spraying with a sprayer. Either way, you're atomizing flammable liquid.
The single best thing you can do is to make a sample using your gel stain and scrap from the table to test to see what the shellac does to the stain.
From a risk standpoint, I don't think there's much difference between spraying from a rattle can or spraying with a sprayer. Either way, you're atomizing flammable liquid.
The single best thing you can do is to make a sample using your gel stain and scrap from the table to test to see what the shellac does to the stain.
My last project had similar issues (gel stain, regular stain, shellac, polyurethane. ) I tested a bunch of different pieces and combinations and didn't like any of the results. The wood was black oak and walnut. Finally I just used shellac. Do a lot of testing first. That is too nice of a project not to.
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