Some info on Mohawk Stringed Instrument Lacquer

[tippie53]

I scuff sand my last coat of sealer over the filler
I guess I could spray I find a paper towel works great , the point being use what works for you

[BlindBo]

I’m getting ready to mix up a 1 lb cut of shellac. I noticed you guys use EverClear. In our area, a gal of Denatured Alcohol is cheaper than a gallon of EverCler (plus there is no pilfering of the denatured version!) 😂
What do y’all know that I haven’t figured out?

[JLT]

JLT says you can just use lacquer. If so, how much should it be thinned for use as a sealer? And JLT says you have to "wait for it to fully cure". How long is that?

You know, he didn't really say, but I figure that letting it sit for a two or three days would do the trick. I should have asked them to be more specific.

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And how much difference does it make to buy premixed super blonde dewaxed Zinsser shellac over mixing your own from flakes? (This may be faster for me at this point as I can get it from Home Depot locally; would have to order shellac flakes from Lee Valley or somewhere.)
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The trouble with the pre-mixed stuff, either in regular cans or the aerosol version, is that the shelf life is finite. There should be a date on the can, after which it needs to be tossed. (I've seen this stuff at various hardware store, and it's still on the shelf after the expiration date.)

And I don't know how much you have to dilute the stuff in the cans to get the consistency you need. And with aerosol cans, it's impossible anyway.

[Stray Feathers]

Thanks JLT for your helpful reply. I am trying to finish four instruments for a show in October, so did not want to find I had committed to a new system that would require more cure-time than I had (vinyl sealer is an hour or so, but I leave the second coat overnight). As for prepared shellac, I have used the Zinsser spray a little, but learned that here in Canada it is not dewaxed (strange but true). So the canned stuff might have helped me with my current tight timeline. But in the end I realized I still had Mohawk vinyl sealer (in a can, not aerosol) that I should use up, and I went back to LMII's lengthy but useful guide to lacquer, and it reiterates that vinyl sealer is the way to go. I do believe the more experienced builders on the forum have their own valid reasons for using shellac, and I am tempted to try that down the road, with a little more lead time, but for now, today I sprayed (with my Fuji system) two coats of vinyl sealer on two guitars and two ukuleles. But it's sure interesting to hear different (and sometimes new) approaches. Bruce W.

[tippie53]

I have tried just lacquer and here is what issues I had
Lots of sink and on some woods especially if you stain you get bleed into the finish

I tried thinned , straight out of the can and went back to vinyl at that point. When I spoke with some friends that are well known they turned me to shellac and I have not turned back

I will also add this. Finishing is as about technique and process as it is about the material. If you found a way that works for you and you are happy with that outcome DO NOT CHANGE A THING

[JLT]

will also add this. Finishing is as about technique and process as it is about the material. If you found a way that works for you and you are happy with that outcome DO NOT CHANGE A THING

My philosophy as well... "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

But the lack of availability of the vinyl sealer in a rattle can forced me to look around.

[BlindBo]

Go with 1lb cut dewaxed shellac. Plus you can take a nip of the EverClear if things go south!😂

[Bob Gleason]

I have a friend who is a very good lacquer finisher. He uses the Zinzer shellac in a spray can from Ace Hardware as a sealcoat. He says he has never had a problem, but then nothing that works for me works for him, and vice versa. I tried it once and it never hardened. Made a sticky mess. That's when I changed to flakes. I get mine from The Shellac Shack in Oregon. Fast service. Good stuff. Grind those flakes in a coffee grinder, preferably not the one you use for your coffee, and the flakes will desolve almost instantly instead of taking all day.I have never bothered to try using denatured alcohol. I just go with the advice of the people who do real French polish, and none of them that I know of use anything but the Everclear. As John says "If it ain't broke, don't try to fix it." Finishes arae a total hassle in the building process and I have no desire to create more work for myself.-Bob