Shellac for Wood Polish & Furniture — Grades, Colours & Mixing Guide
Shellac is the classic finish for fine furniture, antiques and musical instruments — warm, deep, repairable and reversible. Here is how to choose the grade and colour, when you need dewaxed shellac, and how to mix and store it.
Why finishers still use shellac
- Depth and warmth — thin coats build a finish that makes grain glow.
- Repairable and reversible — new coats melt into old ones, and the finish can be removed with alcohol, which is why restorers use it.
- Fast drying — coats dry in minutes, so many can be applied in a day.
- Universal sealer — dewaxed shellac seals knots, resin and old finishes under almost any topcoat.
What furniture buyers order, by job
| French polish & final film | Depth, warmth, easy repair · waxed lemon, orange or garnet flake |
| Sealer under polyurethane or varnish | Blocks tannin and resin bleed; no wax left in the film · dewaxed flake |
| Instruments & restoration | Reversible and traditional · dewaxed or selected waxed flake |
| Workshop melt & gala trade | Handmade discs with a deep amber tone · button lac |
| Gilding | Seals a porous ground before the gilding size · dewaxed flake |
| Interior joinery | Quick build · orange flake — add a tougher topcoat in kitchens and bathrooms |
The rule of thumb: waxed for a final French polish, dewaxed as a sealer under other topcoats. Wood-finishing flakes are not food-grade shellac — food use needs a separate E 904 lot.
Choosing a grade and colour
| Blonde / pale flakes | Lightest colour — maple, ash, birch and any wood where you do not want to add warmth. |
| Orange flakes | Warm amber — the traditional colour on walnut, mahogany and antique reproductions. |
| Garnet flakes | Deepest red-brown — dark woods, antique restoration, colour matching. |
| Button lac | The same resin in handmade disc form, with a rich amber tone and strong film build — prized for traditional French polish and instrument work. |
| Dewaxed shellac | Clearer, more water-resistant film; the choice as a sealer under polyurethane or other finishes. |
| Seedlac | For workshops and converters who melt, filter or make their own finishes. |
Waxed or dewaxed?
Natural shellac contains a few percent of lac wax. That is fine for a pure shellac finish or French polish, but wax can stop other finishes bonding — so use dewaxed shellac as a sealer under polyurethane or water-based topcoats. Dewaxed shellac is also clearer and slightly more water-resistant. Full comparison: dewaxed vs waxed shellac for wood finishing.
Mixing: the "pound cut"
Finishers describe shellac strength as a cut — pounds of flakes dissolved in one US gallon of alcohol.
| 1-lb cut (about 120 g per litre) | Sealer coats, wash coats, and the thin coats used in French polishing. |
| 2-lb cut (about 240 g per litre) | General brushing finish — the most common all-round strength. |
| 3-lb cut (about 360 g per litre) | Heavier build coats; usually thinned for brushing. |
Dissolve flakes in denatured alcohol or high-purity ethanol, stir or shake occasionally, then strain. Mixed shellac has a limited shelf life — mix what you will use within a few months and date the jar; old shellac may not dry hard.
French polish and restoration
French polishing builds a mirror finish from many very thin coats applied with a cloth pad, using a light cut and a drop of oil to keep the pad moving. Restorers and instrument makers prefer shellac because it matches historic finishes and can be repaired invisibly. In kitchens and bathrooms, shellac on its own is a weak barrier to heat and steam — use it as an intermediate coat under a tougher finish there.
Buying in bulk: what to check
- Colour consistency from lot to lot — ask for the lot's colour on the COA and a sample before the first order.
- Solubility — fresh flakes dissolve fully in alcohol; heat-aged flakes leave gel or residue.
- Insolubles and moisture on the COA, especially for seedlac.
- Storage — keep flakes cool and dry. Heat fuses them into a block and ages the resin. See why shellac blocks in storage.
Four decisions on the purchase order
What we supply to finishers and distributors
Wood finishing is our core application: shellac flakes in orange, blonde and garnet, handmade button lac, dewaxed shellac for sealers and clear finishes, and seedlac for workshops and converters, plus dammar resin for picture and furniture varnishes — each with a batch COA, from a 25 kg MOQ for dewaxed grades and 100 kg for flakes, button lac and seedlac, up to full containers. Samples of 100–500 g are available before the first order. We ship FOB Kolkata or Mumbai, CFR or CIF — and to Bangladesh by road via Petrapole–Benapole. Tell us the grade, colour and quantity when you request a quote.
Quick answers
Which shellac should I use under polyurethane? Dewaxed shellac. The natural wax in standard shellac can stop polyurethane and other finishes from bonding.
What does a 2-lb cut mean? Two pounds of shellac flakes dissolved in one US gallon of alcohol — about 240 g per litre. It is the most common general brushing strength.
How long does mixed shellac last? A few months. Mix only what you will use, date the jar, and test old shellac on scrap — if it stays tacky, discard it. Dry flakes stored cool last much longer.
This guide summarises publicly available regulations and industry practice as of September 2026. Verify the current rules for your market and your own quality agreement before ordering. It is not legal advice.
Buying Shellac for Wood Finishing?
Tell us the grade, colour and quantity. Batch COA with every lot, samples before order, quotes within 24 hours.