Can you dissolve shellac in Everclear or similar strength food-grade spirits? I would prefer to use a non-toxic spirit than something like methylated spirits etc.
From what I can tell, there is nothing chemically special about methylated or other "denatured" alcohols. "Denatured" simply means that toxins have been added to regular alcohol to make it unsuitable for human concumption, thereby avoiding alcoholic beverage tax - essentially they poison regular alcohol so you can't drink it, and therefore it can be sold cheaper.
So, regular alcohol should dissolve the shellac fine ... albeit at a proper strength level. I tried with white rum (40%) with no luck ... Everclear is over 90%.
2007-12-06 04:56:15 · 6 answers · asked by A A 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Do It Yourself (DIY)
Any alcohol will work. There is no reason to not use denatured alcohol.
Shellac never really sets up like a varnish. You can dissolve it with alcohol or other fluids as noted in this section of Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shellac
2007-12-06 05:46:29 · answer #1 · answered by oil field trash 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
what is the shellac coating? you might disslove that too.
from wikipedia.com
It is soluble in alkaline solutions such as ammonia, sodium borate, sodium carbonate, and sodium hydroxide, and also in various organic solvents. When dissolved in alcohol, typically blends containing ethanol and methanol, shellac yields a coating of superior durability and hardness and is available in numerous grades. It is used in the traditional "French polish" method of finishing furniture, and fine viols and guitars. Shellac is also used as a finish for certain former Soviet Bloc small arms' wood stocks, such as the stock of the AK-47. Shellac refined for industrial purposes either retains its natural wax content or is refined wax-free by filtration. Orange shellac is bleached with sodium hypochlorite solution to form white shellac and also is produced in wax-containing and wax-free form. Because it is compatible with most other finishes, shellac is also used as a barrier or primer coat on wood to prevent the bleeding of resin or pigments into the final finish, or to prevent wood stain from blotching. Lightly tinted shellac preparations are also sold as paint primer. Shellac is best suited to this application because, although its durability against abrasives and many common solvents is not very good, it provides an excellent barrier against water vapor penetration
2007-12-06 05:01:19 · answer #2 · answered by Apprentice Ghost 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
SHould work fine. I have dissolved shellac in everclear to apply, so it should work fine to remove.
See link below .
2007-12-06 05:02:49 · answer #3 · answered by Grain And Grit 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I suppose you could, but it would be a waste of money, since it will be more than twice expensive as denatured alcohol.
2007-12-06 05:36:23 · answer #4 · answered by Nimaeve 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The longer a coating ages and cures the harder it is to dissolve it. I have only found alcohol useful with latex paints and not with the oil base. Try turpentine - you may have to resort to using a removal product, one of those jell types that will cling to the surface till the job is done.
2007-12-06 05:02:43 · answer #5 · answered by justwondering 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
won't know until you try.
2007-12-06 05:00:00 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋