Shellac cut for sealing a redwood top

I'm about to finish my 18th build, a sycamore back and sides super concert with a redwood top. It'll have a TruOil finish and I'm wondering about the cut of the sealing shellac for the top. Thanks in advance for any thoughts on this.

I use an approximately 1lb cut for any pumic pore filling and sealing.

I used to use a half pound cut for initial sealing on the theory that it soaked in deep and fast and I could do two or three quick initial coats fast. Then I realized that a 1 pound cut did the same thing in half the time and had the same results. I'm not a shellac guru, but the 1lb cut seems to me to be pretty good for everything early on. Again, shellac is a forgiving finish substance so I'm not sure it should become too fetishised. Where shellac will bite you in the ass is if it gets too old and starts to deteriorate and gets gummy. If you are at all suspicious that your shellac mixture is over the hill is easy. Just put a drop on something metal and let it sit over night. If in the morning it doesn't chip off in a nice hard chip but has that gummy feel, time to ditch your prep.

Thanks for the expert advice guys!

1 to 8 mix for a 1 pound cut, right?

I find that a thicker (2 or 3 pound cut) is helpful at the beginning of the process as it gets more onto the job quicker.

Beau Hannam Ukuleles said:

I find that a thicker (2 or 3 pound cut) is helpful at the beginning of the process as it gets more onto the job quicker.

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1 to 4 then?

i googled a chart

Beau Hannam Ukuleles said:

i googled a chart
View attachment 97875

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Thanks! 1 to 4 was right then .

Beau Hannam Ukuleles said:

I find that a thicker (2 or 3 pound cut) is helpful at the beginning of the process as it gets more onto the job quicker.

Click to expand...

I hear what Beau is saying and I'm moving in that direction. The advantage is that things move quicker because we fill those godamned voids faster and we can build a level finish faster. However I will say that this method should be used by the more experienced shellac finisher and approached by caution if you are not familiar with shellac. If you are new to shellac, I would recommend a slower approach with a more dilute prep. Patience is key here. What's the hurry? If you are in a production mode, then go thick. Otherwise I say many thin coats. Less pitfalls and less sandings. Towards the end I go thick with a 3 pound cut and just slather the stuff on very carefully and smooth. Slather is maybe not the right word but you get the idea. Than wet sand back to your hearts content because there is no danger of sanding through. Sand up and polish out. Nothing to it. But keep in mind that it is your initial sand out of the wood and the initial coats that is going to determine the final finish build. Shellac is great stuff. Just don't push it too far. Three weeks? No problemo.

Just using shellac as a sealer on my build (I think). I kinda like tru oil, it's so easy to use!