What to use as barrier, meths based dye and shellac finish?

[Tetsuaiga]

I've found a dye a like the appearance of but intend to use shellac on top. The problem I have is the dye is very sensitive to methylated spirit and will be disturbed leaving a sort of blotched effect.

Usually as a barrier coat I'd go for shellac, could anyone suggest an alternative? I think I could probably just use a coat of thinned oil varnish? Ive tested with white spirit and the dye is fine in contact with it.


Thanks

 

[marcros]

could you spray the shellac on, rather than brush or pad it on?

 

[ED65]

Oil-based varnish is the finish of choice for many on top of alcohol dyes so on paper this should work fine, and I've done something like this myself on a small scale so it can work all right in practice too. But as usual best to test on scrap to be sure it'll work as you need it to in your case.

Cellulose sanding sealer might be an option too if you have some.

 

[Tetsuaiga]

I did consider spraying some black shellac on but I could only find things called sealers, nothing shellac specific. Unless I know what's in it I'm not too keen to use it.

Guess I'll give the diluted oil varnish as a seal coat then content with shellac application. I just hope it won't cause any kind of problem in the long term. As it's only going to be a very thin coat to provide a barrier it should problematic than a thick coat might be.

If I don't like it for some reason i might try the cellulose, never used that before though.

Thanks

 

[ED65]

Unless I know what's in it I'm not too keen to use it.

I'd be the same. It's one reason I always mix my own version of things like Danish oil.

Guess I'll give the diluted oil varnish as a seal coat then content with shellac application. I just hope it won't cause any kind of problem in the long term.

Shellac is used over and under oil-based varnishes all the time so there's no compatibility to worry about.

 

[Tetsuaiga]

Great =) I'll go away and try it.

 

[RogerS]

could you spray the shellac on, rather than brush or pad it on?

Spot on.

I had stained a long case clock and also found that wiping on shellac dragged the stain out leaving a blotchy mess. A couple of light mist coats of diluted shellac worked a treat, sealed the stain in and let me carry on finishing as per normal.

 

[Tetsuaiga]

Do you make your own and use a compressor with gun?

I don't have a spray setup unfortunately and never found somewhere that sold it in spray can. Seems in America you can I think.

I looked up one of the safety data sheet for one of the sealers I thought might be shellac based and it had about quite a lot of different solvents in, lacquer thinner was one and xylene, so I decided that probably wasn't what I was after.