> Hi Bill,

> The shellac method looks interesting.

> DOes anything else have to be done to prepare the forms? How many coats of
> shellac?

> What are you using for your forms? Kinda hard to see in the picture.

> Would the shellac work equally well on partical board, plywood or
> "chip-board"?

> Thanks.

> Hank

Hi Hank

The forms in the picture are 5/8" particle board with about 5 coats of shellac applied with a brush . That was more than I actually needed .This was the first time I used the orange shellac ..i guess its the same as gasket shellac. The first couple of coats soak in, but it dries very quickly depending on temperature and air circulation ... so if you start at one end and work your way down, you just have a short wait before you can begin the next coat, a few more coats and the surface is shiney and the wood is sealed. I'll admit I wasn't very careful with drips and runs but the white shellac I was looking at in the hardware store was very thin and would have taken a few more coats to seal the wood ....but drips and runs wouldn't have been so noticeable. The surface does'nt need to be too smooth about 80 grit ..although a smoother starting surface will result in a smoother finished surface . you could do some light sanding between coats if you don't mind waiting longer for the shellac to harden. I have also used it on spruce plywood forms I used on the first canoe and kayak and seems to effectively seal the wood fibers ... using wax with hot glue wasn't an option.

Thanks for your interest

Later Bill