sources for vinyl sealer?

Matt Clara

Matt Clara

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I'd like to buy it locally, but the people at Ace just gave me blank looks. I haven't tried Lowes/Home Depot/Menards yet, but before I drive all over creation, I thought I'd ask here. Ideally I'd be picking up an aerosol can. It's to use over epoxy and before the finish coats (nitro cellulose). If there's another product that will work just as well, I'd like to hear that, too.
Thanks.
 
Shellac. It has excellent adhesion qualities.
One word of advice. Do some testing first with your finish.
Vinyl sealers are usually used of the same brand lacquer you are applying. From my experience, they are not all compatible with each other. For instance, McFadden vinyl sealer does not work well with Mohawk (Belehns) lacquers. The differences between McFadden and Mohawk lacquers are considerable even though they are both nitro cellulose based. And I don't know what the stuff in the spray cans (Deft, Watco, etc) is, but it's a whole different animal. It's called lacquer, but what kind? I know it's not as hard or as durable as guitar lacquer are but even "instrument lacquers" vary in their hardness. You may not even need a vinly sealer with the rattle can stuff, it seems very forgiving. As I said, do some tests and if in doubt, use shellac.
Good luck.
 
Let us know where you get it how much if that's ok.
 
Home Depot carries the Zinzer clear shellac in spray cans, and also in quarts. It has been mentioned in this forum in the past that the spray can shellac might not be as good as mixing your own. That being said, I use the spray can stuff all the time for sealing before using CA and as a bond coat between different finishes.

LMI carries Behlen's nitro instrument lacquer and the vinyl sealer that goes with it, in spray cans.
 
fahrner said:
Been following this cause I'm also interested.
It does come in a spray. Looks like Rockler and Woodcraft both carry it.
http://www.amazon.com/s/qid=1271648...-alias=tools&field-keywords=Zinsser's Shellac
Click to expand...

That's what I use and I think I love it. Picked it up at Lowe's. I know it says clear on the can but the CBU I did had a lot warmer look than another uke I shot just using the stew mac waterbase sealer and clear. I read somewhere a while back that it helps give a nitro deep look to the waterbase stuff and I have to say, I think so.

BTW, the stewmac waterbase "lacquer" is supposed to have 100% burn in... I dunno. Might have a blue cast too... but I like it.
 
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Vic D said:
That's what I use and I think I love it. Picked it up at Lowe's. I know it says clear on the can but the CBU I did had a lot warmer look than another uke I shot just using the stew mac waterbase sealer and clear. I read somewhere a while back that it helps give a nitro deep look to the waterbase stuff and I have to say, I think so.

BTW, the stewmac waterbase "lacquer" is supposed to have 100% burn in... I dunno. Might have a blue cast too... but I like it.
Click to expand...

Vic, Did you find the Stew Mac stuff soft? I had adhesion trouble with their Sealer and couldn't get the clear to buff up like the PPG clear I use now--or even nitro...

I tend to use shellac as a sealer on koa and no sealer on Mahogany. The stain I use on the mahogany is alcohol based and so is the shellac so it makes a mess...
 
Flyfish57 said:
Vic, Did you find the Stew Mac stuff soft? I had adhesion trouble with their Sealer and couldn't get the clear to buff up like the PPG clear I use now--or even nitro...

I tend to use shellac as a sealer on koa and no sealer on Mahogany. The stain I use on the mahogany is alcohol based and so is the shellac so it makes a mess...
Click to expand...

Yes I think the problem I had at first was with the sealer, not sure just yet but I'm working on it. I'll definitely go the shellac route from now on.
 
Vic D said:
That's what I use and I think I love it. Picked it up at Lowe's. I know it says clear on the can but the CBU I did had a lot warmer look than another uke I shot just using the stew mac waterbase sealer and clear. I read somewhere a while back that it helps give a nitro deep look to the waterbase stuff and I have to say, I think so.

BTW, the stewmac waterbase "lacquer" is supposed to have 100% burn in... I dunno. Might have a blue cast too... but I like it.
Click to expand...

Spent three days and many hours with the epoxy until the padauk back and sides are as near perfect as I'm likely to get this early in my finishing experience, only to take it into my spray room and promptly overspray with the shellac can--frickin' runs everywhere. I get to spend my lunch cleaning it up with some denatured alcohol. All I can say is the shellac comes out of the can with a whole lot more volume than any of the nitro cans I've tried!
 
Matt Clara said:
Spent three days and many hours with the epoxy until the padauk back and sides are as near perfect as I'm likely to get this early in my finishing experience, only to take it into my spray room and promptly overspray with the shellac can--frickin' runs everywhere. I get to spend my lunch cleaning it up with some denatured alcohol. All I can say is the shellac comes out of the can with a whole lot more volume than any of the nitro cans I've tried!
Click to expand...

Matt,
Did you try it on a test panel? When I get runs--I take a razor blade with masking tape on both ends and scrape the runs down. I would think that washing it with alcohol would make a bigger gooey mess.
 
Flyfish57 said:
Matt,
Did you try it on a test panel? When I get runs--I take a razor blade with masking tape on both ends and scrape the runs down. I would think that washing it with alcohol would make a bigger gooey mess.
Click to expand...

I did, but just a quickie, with only the one layer of epoxy sanded back--I'd offer to mend my evil ways, but even my wife isn't buying that anymore! ;) The problem is the epoxied areas don't absorb any, so any build up runs. No such problems on the soundboard or bare neck. Several very light coats, I guess. And the denatured alcohol worked well, I just had to continuously move to a clean part of the cloth, or else the shellac would build up until I was just redistributing it.
 
Matt Clara said:
I did, but just a quickie, with only the one layer of epoxy sanded back--I'd offer to mend my evil ways, but even my wife isn't buying that anymore! ;) The problem is the epoxied areas don't absorb any, so any build up runs. No such problems on the soundboard or bare neck. Several very light coats, I guess. And the denatured alcohol worked well, I just had to continuously move to a clean part of the cloth, or else the shellac would build up until I was just redistributing it.
Click to expand...

Ahh that makes sense--I've only done shellac under epoxy and before clear. I had visions of you trying to wash off the whole uke. At least it was only the back and sides
 
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