Shellac Stick

Tried my hand at making a bit of a shellac stick based on a flimsy memory of what Terry briefly discussed during the Hall Table course.  I got something that vaguely resembled what I remembered of the final product, but it was a rather burnt, small version.  Guessing I should have tried researching it a little better before just giving it a try!

I did pick up a cheap soldering iron that can be dedicated to melting shellac stick into faults, and at under $8, it isn’t an expensive option.

Shellac is great for filling holes and knots (and self-inflicted defects).

The theoretic method is: Start by making a pile of shellac flakes – about a handful on a piece of tin, then sprinkle a conservative amount of metho on it.  Ignite it then mix with a screwdriver until the shellac starts to lightly bubble and cook.  Blow the flames out, then roll the shellac to form a cigar shape.  This is the shellac stick.

To use the shellac, hold the stick over the hole/defect then use the soldering iron to melt the stick so it drips into the holes.  Once hardened (takes a few seconds) it can be sanded, and finished over.  More can be added if required.  The nice thing is that you are not specifically hiding the defect – many, many projects are accentuated by the clever use of defects, and showing a defect off is a great way to really show your skills, and deflect the observer from the rest of the project!

When making the stick, you have some control over the colour/brightness.  The basic rule-of-thumb is simply the longer it is on fire, the darker it gets.