Market Research Question 1: Shellac

[The Restorer]

I buy mine from Fiddes at the moment and use their Transparent shellac powder. This comes in a clear plastic container with a screw top lid (bit like the old sweetie jars). I buy it a Kilo (£14.01) at a time and this last ages considering i'm doing this professionally. I'd always go with transparent shellac purely because it doesn't alter the colour of the wood so much. Button is probably the most used (especially by the Victorians) after this.
I'd suggest 250g and 500g sizes for general usage. It does last (forever?) if stored properly as long as ir's not mixed.
The hardest thing to get hold off, and the obvious opening, is for finishing spirit to be able to mix your polish up. I again get mine from Fiddes at £11.47 for 5ltrs.
Terry, you'd need to look at supplying proper polishers wadding and top quality white cotton sheeting to make up the rubber for application.
I still can't get french polishing your melamine product right, but won't give up!!
Anything further i can help with, drop me a PM.

Steve.

 

[edmund]

I thought I'd add my preferences as well as information on methylated spirits for general interest.

On the shellac front I typically use the paler shellacs (blonde, lemon) - always dewaxed. I use it both for making polishes and making shellac stopping - easier to make lighter colours darker than vice versa I don't have any preference for container, although a re-sealable back would be helpful. I just use a small clip of the type you would use to seal opened food bags. This does have the advantage of being able to roll up a half full bag a bit to stop the contents moving around.

On the solvents front I'm fortunate enough to have a small supply of pure ethanol (my father used to work as an industrial scientist). I would like to be able to get my hands on IMS though, but this is a problematic. I do feel that the violet dye in MMS does affect the colouring of the finish, if only slightly.

I've set out a bit of information below on methylated spirits as there appeared to be some interest.

Problem with using ethanol as a solvent is that that excise duty on alcoholic drinks is based upon their ethanol content. Pure ethanol would have such a high rate of duty that it would be far too expensive to use for purposes such as making shellac polishes. To avoid the excise duty ethanol is mixed with other chemicals to make it poisonous. This process of adding other chemicals is know as methylating.

The law regarding the supply and use of methylated spirits is contained in the Methylated Spirits Regulations 1987.

There are three types of methylated spirits:

(1) Mineralised methylated spirits (MMS). This is the purple liquid the general public are able to buy. Methanol (wood naphtha) is mixed with ethanol and methyl violet is added to give the purple colour. It also has an additive to make it taste horrible and to make it difficult to separate the ethanol from the other chemicals.

Methanol is very poisonous and causes blindness and death if consumed.

(2) Industrial methylated spirits (IMS)
This is usually 95% ethanol and 5% methanol. It can be obtained in different strengths. It is relative easy to separate the ethanol from the methanol so it may be obtained only by persons specifically authorised by Customs and Excise (and the recipient has to satisfy a number of conditions regarding storage of IMS).

(3) Denatured ethanol B (DEB)
This is mostly ethanol but with some chemicals added. It is only used to make perfumes and ointments. Again, authorisation from Customs and Excise is required to receive it.