# Shellac flakes for steamed walnut



## simuk (18 Nov 2008)

Hello folks

I am considering using a shellac finish on steamed walnut. Which would be the most appropriate to use?. The piece i am want to use it on, is a jewellery box

Also having searched the forums last night i read somewhere about an alternative to using the purple methylated spirits, was a clear type, has anyone got any links to supplier of this?

Thanks In advance

Simon


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## Chris Knight (18 Nov 2008)

Simon,
I do not really understand your question - what do you mean by appropriate? What are your choices - colour or something else?

What is the significance of the mention of "steamed"? Is that a colour thing or a reference to a bent piece?

I use Fiddes finishing spirit for making up shellac http://www.agwoodcare.co.uk/gbu0-prodsh ... pirit.html it is clear. It does have some shell already mixed in it - equates to about a half pound cut using USA terminology


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## simuk (18 Nov 2008)

Hello Chris

My knowledge of shellac is very limited as i have only just started reading up on it. 
Yes by appropriate i mean colour

What i have read so far is that a Garnet shellac is , more suited to darker timbers, where as a dewaxed Lemon Shellac flakes would great for use on lighter coloured timbers. 


The steamed part, is not what i have done but what the suppliers have done somewhere down the line, to give the walnut a better colour so i have been told.

Simon


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## Philly (18 Nov 2008)

Simon
Walnut is often steamed to even out the colour of the timber - some of the darker pigments get pushed into the sap as well as evening out the variations in colour.
I have found applying a coat of oil makes a huge difference when finishing ABW - initially it can look rather flat and the oil really brings out the colour. Let the oil cure for a day and then start applying the shellac. Which shellac you use will make a small difference to the colour (and don't forget ABW fades gently in colour over time) so the use of darker shades is a good idea.
Here's a picture of a piece I finished last year - this was finished with the method I described.
Hope this helps
Philly


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## Chris Knight (18 Nov 2008)

Simon,

To add to Philly's points, it's worth noting that walnut is a fairly open grained wood and depending what kind of finish you are after, it might be worth filling the pores before finishing. It is by no means essential, it depends on taste but shellac will sink into the pores to a degree unless you use a grain filler first, or apply many coats of shellac.

It would be essential for a "piano" finish but not at all for something a little more "country".


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## Sgian Dubh (18 Nov 2008)

Philly":3s2g5jg7 said:


> Simon
> Walnut is often steamed to even out the colour of the timber - some of the darker pigments get pushed into the sap as well as evening out the variations in colour.
> Philly



The idea that the colours of the heartwood are somehow transported into the sapwood is quite a common misconception Philly.

Many woodworkers believe the steaming spreads the pigments from the heartwood into the sapwood, but the following quote argues against this. “The process does not involve diffusing pigment from heartwood to sapwood.” (Tindall*, 2007, p 32.) He goes on to describe the process using purpose built steamers for the task. The boards are close stacked and loaded into the steamer, the doors closed, and the inside of the steamer flooded with hot wet steam. As long as the wood rises to the temperature of boiling water, the atmosphere is very wet, and these conditions held for a couple of days the sapwood will turn dark and closely match the heartwood. According to Tindall, when the wood leaves the kiln it looks as if it’s covered in soot, but this planes off to reveal a uniform purple colour throughout. Slainte.

*Tindall, B, (2007) _Where Hardwood Lumber Comes From: Production of Hardwood Lumber in the Southern Appalachian Mountains_, [online] Available at: http://www.woodcentral.com/cgi-bin/read ... _809.shtml [Accessed, December 7, 2007]

Here is a link directly to Bill's article on the steaming process. http://www.woodcentral.com/articles/rev ... _894.shtml

Below I have added an authoritative quotation and source to supplement Bill Tindall's research and discussion above:

“The most common use of presteaming treatments is to modify the color of the sapwood of black walnut. Steaming darkens the sapwood, toning down the contrast between it and the rich brown-colored heartwood and facilitating the uniform finishing of the wood. It also improves the color of the heartwood, making it and the sapwood more uniform. There is some extraction of coloring matter from the heartwood during the process. These extractives do not penetrate the sapwood beneath the surface.” (McMillen and Wengert, 1978, p 62)

McMillen, JM and Wengert, EM, (1978) _Drying Eastern Hardwood Lumber_, Agriculture Handbook no. 528, Forest Products Laboratory Forest Service, US Department of Agriculture.


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## Philly (18 Nov 2008)

Richard
Thanks for clearing that up - the huge amount of sappy walnut I see should of made me realise that :wink: 
Best regards
Philly


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## simuk (19 Nov 2008)

Thanks for all the replies chaps very usefull, nice table Philly love the fluted sides.

Interesting reading Richard


Simon


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