Shellac: To dissolve shellac flakes you need to stir often.

Shellac is available in several colors and in liquid or flake form.

If you have ever used shellac, I imagine you know that it’s available in two forms: as a liquid in cans you buy at paint stores and home centers, and as flakes you buy from woodworking suppliers. Though it’s more work, the advantage of dissolving flakes (in denatured alcohol) is to ensure the shellac you use is fresh. The fresher the dissolved shellac the quicker it hardens and the more water-resistant the dried finish.

Unfortunately, the sole remaining supplier of already-dissolved shellac no longer supplies a date of manufacture (they used to, stamped right on the can), so you have no idea how old the shellac is – that is, how long the can has sat on a shelf or been stored somewhere. When finishing important surfaces, it’s best to dissolve your own flakes.

Dissolved shellac used to be dated. It no longer is.

When you do this, be sure to stir, not just shake, fairly often until the shellac is dissolved, at least once an hour. Otherwise the flakes will soften, settle, and stick together at the bottom of the container. They will form a lump that will be difficult to break up.

Be sure to stir every hour or so until dissolved.

Though this tip may sound silly and obvious, I know from my own experience that it’s not. The first time I dissolved shellac flakes, I simply combined them with the alcohol and left the jar overnight. Next day I had a fairly hard lump at the bottom, and I thought there was something wrong with the flakes. It took me a while to realize what I should have done.

To make the dissolving go faster, you can reduce the flakes to powder (for example, in a blender) or place the container in hot water. With both methods you still need to stir, however, until the shellac has dissolved.