shellac?

[youngblood]

hi i have been searching threw the archive`s and trying to find the answer to shellac! it`s pictured in the AVP book on the celtic bio what is shellac and where do you get it?

 

[Brandon1]

Shellac is the commercial resin marketed in the form of amber flakes, made from lac[1], the secretion of the familiy of lac-producing insects, though most commonly from the cultivated Kerria lacca [2], found in the forests of Assam and Thailand.

amazing what 3 econds of google search will do
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shellac

where to buy:
http://www.temuss.com/html/shellac.html

 

[youngblood]

that`s what i thought it was

 

[Brandon1]

i always thought it was just like a clear coating like varnish, learn something new everyday

 

[Skullsplitter]

i always thought it was just like a clear coating like varnish, learn something new everyday

Thought that too. Is shellac easy to use?

 

[Mannowar]

Shellac is just that... a varnish type compound... derived naturally as mentioned in the post above. It's available at about any hardware store, though most furniture refinishers recommend not buying pre-mixed from a hardware store, since you don't know how old it is... it's best used when fresh... It doesn't dry properly if not fairly fresh (less than a few months old). That's why furniture refinishers generally mix their own. If you're considering shellacing a sculpt (as in the ADI book), I'd just recommend using 3 or 4 coats of Crystal Clear... If you don't know what you're doing with shellac, you're probably going to end up ruining your sculpt if it ends up not drying properly.

 

[youngblood]

mannowar define crystal clear!

 

[Mortal Immortal]

It would be great next time if you posted in the right section of forum.

 

[Captain Swoop]

Shellac is mainly used for French Polishing. it's solvent is Methylated Spirits. It's also used for coating wire used in motor windings, solonoids etc.

 

[rocktuskpred]

mannowar define crystal clear!

do i see a "plaese" in that sentence?

 

[Robillicus]

I sure didn't, but I'll answer his question anyway.

It's an aerosol from Krylon that's just a clear top-coat for different items. I guess it's more of a general purpose coating. I've used it on a sculpt to seal out the oils from the clay.

You could use the Shellac as demonstrated by ADI, but I think they probably sprayed it on. Brushing it on would probably leave brush marks and screw up the detail in your sculpt.

I really can't see how it's beneficial to use Shellac unless it's better at sealing in the moisture- if that was water-based clay they were using. Or it forms a hard, protective shell... I'm not sure. Can't say as I've never used it.

 

[carlart]

Being new to this stuff, the last thing you want to do is duplicate something you saw in a book that was used by seasoned professionals. Listen to the guys---just get the Crystal Clear to cover your sculpt, don't f with anything else. Otherwise, you'll be hatin' life, believe me.