Button Lac vs Shellac Flakes for French Polish

French polishers argue about button lac and shellac flakes the way coffee drinkers argue about beans. Both are the same natural resin, lac, and both give a true French polish. The differences are in how they are made, how they behave in the jar and on the pad, and what they cost. Here is how to choose.

Same resin, two forms

Button lac (called gala in South Asia; see our handmade button lac supply) is the traditional handmade form. Molten lac is filtered through cloth and dropped onto a surface, where it cools into round discs. Shellac flakes are the same resin melted and stretched into thin sheets, then broken up, usually by machine. Both normally keep lac's natural wax, about 3–5%.

Side by side

Process	Button lac: handmade, low heat, cloth-filtered · Flakes: mostly machine-made
Colour	Button lac: deep amber to reddish brown · Flakes: grades from pale lemon to orange and garnet
Wax	Both: natural wax retained (about 3–5%) unless sold as dewaxed
Dissolving	Button lac: slower, break it up first · Flakes: faster, thin pieces
Clean solution	Button lac: usually needs straining · Flakes: usually cleaner
Consistency	Button lac: varies more lot to lot · Flakes: more uniform
Best for	Button lac: warm, traditional finishes and restoration · Flakes: everyday polishing, sealing, pale finishes

Why restorers still ask for button lac

Many French polishers prefer button lac for antique furniture, fine joinery and musical instruments. Its deep, warm tone builds quickly on darker timbers and matches period finishes. The gentle handmade process is also valued by restorers who want materials close to what was used originally. The cost of that character is a little more work: buttons dissolve more slowly and the solution usually needs straining.

When flakes are the better choice

• Pale or modern woods: a lemon or blonde flake keeps the timber light, where button lac would darken it.
• Production work: flakes dissolve faster and give the same colour from one batch to the next.
• Sealer under another finish: use dewaxed flakes. Natural wax can weaken the bond of some topcoats. More in dewaxed vs waxed shellac.

Mixing a French polish solution

Shellac for French polish is dissolved in alcohol, usually ethanol or denatured alcohol. Polishers describe strength as a "pound cut": a 1-lb cut is one pound of shellac per US gallon of alcohol (roughly 120 g per litre), a 2-lb cut twice that.

1. Break up button lac into small pieces in a cloth bag; flakes can go in as they are.
2. Add alcohol in a clean glass jar, close it and leave it overnight, shaking from time to time.
3. Strain the solution through fine cloth or a paint filter, especially with button lac.
4. Start thin. Many polishers body up with about a 2-lb cut and finish with thinner coats.
5. Mix small batches. Dissolved shellac slowly loses its ability to dry hard, so date the jar and use it within a few months.

Buying in bulk

For trade buyers, the specification matters more than the name. Ask for colour, wax content, alcohol-insoluble matter and moisture on the batch COA, and keep a retained sample to compare lots. Store both forms cool and dry: in heat, buttons and flakes fuse into a block. See why shellac blocks in storage. All grades are compared in shellac grades explained.

Quick answers

Is button lac better than shellac flakes for French polish? Neither is better in every case. Button lac gives a deeper, warmer tone and suits traditional and restoration work; flakes dissolve faster, come in paler grades and are more consistent from lot to lot.

Is button lac the same as gala? Yes. Gala is the South Asian trade name for button lac, the handmade disc form of shellac.

Does button lac contain wax? Yes. Like standard flakes, button lac keeps lac's natural wax, typically about 3–5%. For a sealer under other finishes, use dewaxed shellac.

How long does it take to dissolve button lac? Usually overnight once broken into small pieces. Shake the jar from time to time and strain the solution before use.

What is a 2-lb cut of shellac? Two pounds of shellac dissolved in one US gallon of alcohol, about 240 g per litre. It is a common strength for building a French polish.

This guide summarises industry practice as of October 2026. Confirm current regulations and requirements for your market before ordering. It is not legal advice.