Burnt Shellac?

[Les Smith]

Hi, Sue.

Burnt shellac is usually made in quantity, which means that you have to
start with at least a half pint of thinned shellac and a full pint is
probably better. The alcohol won't get enough oxygen to burn off when
the shellac is still in a regular can. You have to transfer the shellac 
to a wide shallow pan like a cake-pan to burn it off. You also need a
tight cover for the pan so that you can estinguish the flame afterwards.
Once the burnt shellac has cooled, it will be the consistency of thick
molasses. It's best applied--and kept--by putting it in a plastic
squeeze bottle such as carpenter's glue comes in. Make sure that you
keep a top on it to keep it from getting too thick. When appling small
amounts you can squeeze some out on to a flat surface like a metal jar
lid and then transfer it to where you want it with a small brush. Try-
ing to make thickened shellac by evaporation, in sufficient quantity,
just doesn't seem practical. I will repeat, however, that the PVC-E
glue makes a fine substitute for the more traditional burnt shellac.
The burning off of the alcohol from thinned shellac is a dangerous
operation.

BTW, the only "dumb" question, especially on a super-friendly list like
this, is the one that goes un-asked!

Les Smith  

On Wed, 20 Aug 1997, Susan Kline wrote:

> Hi, Les --
> 
> Just a question, disregard if dumb. If you wanted to remove the alcohol
> without the risk of combustion, couldn't you put some shellac in an open
> dish and just leave it for awhile, maybe stirring a little, till it was the
> right consistency?
> 
> By the way, if anyone needs to see your post about threaded damper wires, I
> still have it and could send it to them.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Susan
> 
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> At 10:35 AM 8/20/97 -0400, Les wrote:
> >Hi, Lance.
> >
> >Burnt shellac is just that, burnt shellac. You take regular, already
> >mixed shellac, and burn off the excess alcohol. It's a somewhat tricky
> >proceedure because alcohol burns with an almost clear, hard-to-see flame.
> >Since you probably wouldn't want to risk burning down your shop, it's
> >a job best done outdoors in a clear area, on a windless day. Fortunately,
> >there is a modern alternative that works quite well--PVC-E glue. Just
> >apply a small amount with a small artists brush to where the damper
> >wire enters the flange, or damperhead and let dry. Carpenter's glue
> >won't hold a wood to metal bond and will eventually let go; CA glue
> >will wick so deep that you most likely won't be able to unscrew the
> >wire from the flange again, without risking breaking something. PVC-E
> >glue is probably the way to go.   
> >
> >Les Smith
> >
> >On Wed, 20 Aug 1997, Lance Lafargue wrote:
> >
> >> Not long ago someone talked about securing damper heads to wires (those
> >> that rock back and forth) with burnt shellac.  Is that orange-brown stuff
> >> that comes in flakes that horn repair people use?  Where can I get that? 
> >> How is it prepared? Is that what Steinway and others used to finish
> >> soundboards? I was thinking of putting a drop of superglue or carpenters
> >> glue on them.  What do you think? 
> >> Lance Lafargue, RPT
> >> New Orleans Chapter
> >> Covington, LA.
> >> lafargue@iamerica.net
> >> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> Susan Kline 
> P.O. Box 1651
> Philomath, OR 97370
> skline@proaxis.com
> 
> "When all other means of communication fail, try words."
> 			-- Ashleigh Brilliant
> 
>