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An old guy at the Mid-Atlantic Woodworking Expo told me my shellac was too thick.
He said I was brushing it on like paint, not letting the alcohol do the work. I was using a 3-pound cut for everything back then. Now I always start with a 1.5-pound cut for the first few coats. Anyone else get a piece of advice that flipped your whole method around?
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olivia_allen1mo ago
Oh man, that's the truth. I read an article once that said you should aim for the shellac to dry almost as soon as it hits the wood. That visual really stuck with me. It forced me to work way faster with way thinner coats, and my finishes got way smoother. Total game changer.
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nora_dixon1mo ago
My grandpa was a cabinetmaker and swore by a 4-pound cut for everything. He said all this talk about thin coats just meant you had to do more work. He'd lay it on thick with a good brush, let it sit for a full minute, then wipe off the excess with a clean rag. It gave a deep, warm build in half the coats. Sometimes the old way is just faster and the results speak for themselves.
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