Ok, so this is an update on the shellac stripping post.

Here’s where it’s at:

Stripped all the shellac off with denatured alcohol and steel wool. Stripping tools would’ve come in waaay handy, but they are down in Brooklyn. I did cave and purchase two tools that I already have…. a pull scraper for flat surfaces and a pointy one to get into tight areas. The beauty of the tools is that I go through less steel wool and there’s less wear and tear on my dainty little hands.

It seemed like the trick was to work wet, then wipe away the excess “dirty” alcohol with dry towels. Once everything was stripped, I went over it again. (*Note: Never keep oily rags in the house! They are highly flammable. Dispose of them properly.)

Looks brand new stripped bare. But ’tis too light for my taste. Ok, here’s where I went wrong. I stained it with Mini Wax Red Oak. Nice color and I’ve worked with it a lot. But my buddy Andrew, a fine wood finisher, didn’t get to me on time with his advice. He hates Mini Wax because it takes so long to dry and has some poly in it. He prefers true stains.

Andrew would have stained it with a quick drying stain, then shellacked, which takes 10 minutes to dry. After that, he would’ve sealed it with Epifanes Rubbed Effect Varnish (Cut 50/50 with mineral spirits. Or was it paint thinner?) to give me that non-glossy look I so desire.

When he saw my somewhat patchy stain job, he said there was no need to shellac because it’s already sealed. Just varnish to get rid of the shine.

On the wood that was just glossy, but not crazed, I was advised to wipe it down with mineral spirits to clean it up and varnish. He also showed me how to ever so gently go over old shellac by softly brushing a denatured alcohol rag over the area. It will lighten the wood, but not strip it. It’s difficult to control though, so I probably won’t be doing that.

And that’s what I learned today!

PS: Ladies, Andrew is single. I just thought I’d throw that out there.