How a splash of shellac saved my pine table project

I remember when I first started finishing furniture, old timers would always talk about wash coats but I never paid much mind. Then I picked up this pine table on a haul through Vermont, and no matter what I did, the stain came out blotchy and awful. I sanded it back twice, tried different brands of stain, and even thought about giving up. Out of frustration, I dug into some old notes and found a tip about using a thin shellac mix as a sealer before staining. I mixed one part shellac with four parts denatured alcohol, brushed it on, and let it dry completely. When I applied the stain after, it went on even and smooth, just like magic. It's funny how these old methods still work when the new stuff sometimes fails. Now I always keep a jar of that mix handy, and it reminds me that sometimes the simple fixes are the best.

3 comments

3 Comments

ivanlewis1mo ago

Did you use dewaxed shellac for that mix, or does it not matter for a wash coat... I've heard that can affect later finishes. Also, does that trick work on other softwoods like fir or spruce, or is pine just the worst for blotching?

spencer_kelly1mo ago

My buddy used regular shellac on a pine table once (not dewaxed) and his poly finish never fully cured, stayed tacky for weeks. He had to strip it all back. For softwoods, a thin wash coat helps a lot with spruce too, but pine is definitely the king of the blotch. Fir can be a little more even, but it still needs help.

riverl751mo ago

Is blotching really that big of a deal?