Saddlestrum Posted January 21, 2011 Report Share Posted January 21, 2011 posted January 20, 2011 With a good deal of caution, and with no desire to be an alarmist....I was conversing today with my elderly, sagely, "go to" guy at my favorite, and well stocked finishing store. He told me they have been told to expect shellac prices to increase ten-fold (quote) and possibly experience empty shelves in the shellac section due to lac beetles not mating this year in India and Thailand. It's very unusual that he would advise me to stock up on anything but the fact he has done so, makes me think there might be something to this. Shunning things like "urban legends", I'm wondering if others on this forum have heard anything about this. Some other forums are discussing it so not sure where they are sourcing their info. Liquid shellac has a limited shelf life so there's no point stockpiling that stuff for the long term. Flakes are the most stable but I've never delved into the black art of mixing my own shellac before. Perhaps this is my time to learn. I'd welcome any comments that contribute to a rational conversation of this issue. Thanks p.s. some substantiation seems to be supplied by several nail polish companies saying they are not able to supply their full line of colors due to shellac being in short supply....not that nail polish has a home on my work bench Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic Posted January 21, 2011 Report Share Posted January 21, 2011 I've got nothing rational to add..but, looks like I'm gonna buy a good stock of shellac flakes and learn how to mix it myself. Thanks for the newsletter, Don!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregory Paolini Posted January 21, 2011 Report Share Posted January 21, 2011 posted January 20, 2011 With a good deal of caution, and with no desire to be an alarmist....I was conversing today with my elderly, sagely, "go to" guy at my favorite, and well stocked finishing store. He told me they have been told to expect shellac prices to increase ten-fold (quote) and possibly experience empty shelves in the shellac section due to lac beetles not mating this year in India and Thailand. It's very unusual that he would advise me to stock up on anything but the fact he has done so, makes me think there might be something to this. Shunning things like "urban legends", I'm wondering if others on this forum have heard anything about this. Some other forums are discussing it so not sure where they are sourcing their info. Liquid shellac has a limited shelf life so there's no point stockpiling that stuff for the long term. Flakes are the most stable but I've never delved into the black art of mixing my own shellac before. Perhaps this is my time to learn. I'd welcome any comments that contribute to a rational conversation of this issue. Thanks p.s. some substantiation seems to be supplied by several nail polish companies saying they are not able to supply their full line of colors due to shellac being in short supply....not that nail polish has a home on my work bench Hmmm... This may not be good... I'll have to find out more.. Thanks for the heads up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AcornHouse Posted January 21, 2011 Report Share Posted January 21, 2011 Maybe we should send over some candles and Barry White CDs to get the bugs back to "work"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBaiga Posted January 21, 2011 Report Share Posted January 21, 2011 A 1 pound cut = 1 lb. of shellac flake in 1 gallon of denatured alcohol, or 2 ounces per pint. A 2 lb. cut is 4 oz./pint, and so on. from this old house... Mix. Pour the alcohol into a glass container with a lid. Stir in the flakes, close the lid, and give the jar a shake every 10 minutes or so for an hour, then let it sit overnight for the flakes to dissolve. The shellac will be ready to use the next day and should last for 6 to 12 months. Filter. Before you start shellacking, stir the mix, then filter it into a separate container through a cotton T-shirt to remove any undissolved bits. You'll need a kitchen scale (digital is nice), glass measuring cup, lidded jars and filters. I also recommend filtering the denatured alcohol first. Also a word on scales and measuring devices, these things vary a lot in precision and accuracy (difference between a plastic ruler and a starrett square). I'd get a calibration weight set (it'll last your lifetime) so year after year, batch after batch is consistent. For the shop chemists, keep in mind that it's "1 lb in 1 gallon" and not "1 lb plus 1 gallon". The flakes have density and displace volume too as they dissolve, so you need to fill to a line premarked as your target volume and leave it a little short and adjust final volume after the flake has gone into solution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoboMonk Posted January 25, 2011 Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 For the shop chemists, keep in mind that it's "1 lb in 1 gallon" and not "1 lb plus 1 gallon". I'm a chemist (clinical and toxicology)with experience in the wood finishes industry. A one pound cut of shellac is one pound of shellac PLUS one gallon of alcohol. Thus, the resulting solution will be greater than a gallon. Shellac cuts are weight plus volume. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBaiga Posted January 26, 2011 Report Share Posted January 26, 2011 thanks hobo. i saw the cut process written both ways actually, and my brain just defaulted to making a concentration vs. weight/volume. i'm a chemist too (organic, medicinal) and rarely see the wt/vol measure used anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tbeaulieu Posted January 28, 2011 Report Share Posted January 28, 2011 Yesterday the price of Zinnser BIN (contains shellac) at Home Depot jumped from $25.99 to $39.99. Their web site still showed the original price, which I showed the cashier and was able to buy two gallons at the original price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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