Shellac for bow finish

[Cacatch]

I just read the article on using shellac, pro's and con's, and I've been wanting to try shellac for a long time. Where is a good place to get this and is it very expensive? I would post this on the trading post but I don't really have anything to trade.


Thanks
CP

[jonathan creason]

Shellac is my sealer of choice for decoys.  Very easy to apply, dries fast, and with some light sanding has good tooth for painting.  I've always bought mine mixed at Lowes or Home Depot.  I think you can buy the flakes from Lee Valley if you'd like to mix your own.

[Pat B]

Shellac in a can has a relatively short shelf life. If you only use it on occasion get the flakes and mix your own in small quantities. It mixes with denatured alcohol.  I keep a spray can of shellac on my work bench for sealing staves and bows as I'm working on them.
  An old wood finish that bowyers of old used is called French polish. It is a 50/50 mixture of shellac and boiled linseed oil. Makes a beautiful finish but you have to replenish it on occasion.

[Cacatch]

Pat, how much did that can cost?

[Pat B]

The spray is about $8 a can. kind of expensive but for as little as i use it's concenience is worth the cost.

[Bevan R.]

Anyone ever use shellac to finish arrows?

Cost: Did a search on line and it seems the going rate is about $25 a pound for flakes.

[Matt S.]

I often use shellac out of the can from Lowes (Bullseye I believe) for finishing my bows and arrows. I think it's a pretty good finish and I really like the fact that it doesn't smell too bad and dries quickly. Makes for a nice indoor finish during the winter when my unheated garage/workshop is too cold for finishing work.

[JackCrafty]

I use shellac all the time for bows and arrows as well as a binder for paint.  A pound of flakes lasts a LONG time if you build only a few bows/arrows a year.  I bought about 3 pounds of flakes two years ago and it's about half gone.  Lower grades are cheaper and perfectly OK for primitive stuff.  Spit coats will conserve the shellac also.  I usually apply one spit coat and then a heavy coat followed by a coat of wax or oil over the top of the shellac.

You can also use shellac flakes to make a natural hot-melt glue (similar to using pine rosin).  Shellac melts at a higher temp than pitch, so be careful.