I'm working on a wooden coat hanger and have already applied 5 coats of tung oil, which I'm letting cure. I'm planning to use shellac as a topcoat, but I have some questions: 1. Is shellac a good choice for a topcoat? 2. How scratch-resistant is shellac and will it give my piece a nice gloss? 3. What's the right way to apply shellac over tung oil—should I dissolve it in methylated spirit first? 4. How long should I let the tung oil cure before applying shellac? Any advice would be great!
3 Answers
For curing times, I’m not sure about the specific brand of tung oil you’re using, but generally, it can take around 30 days to cure fully. Shellac is pretty glossy but isn’t too hard or scratch-resistant. It works better as a base for more durable finishes like lacquer or polyurethane rather than as a standalone topcoat. Personally, I like to put shellac with a wax finish on my shop fixtures since they handle wear really well.
Honestly, I wouldn’t recommend shellac as a topcoat here. It doesn’t have much scratch resistance. If you want to use shellac, it’s best mixed from flakes and applied either with a brush or a spray. Just make sure to let the tung oil cure for at least 30 days, maybe even up to 6 weeks for safety. Once you put the shellac on, the tung oil stops curing. As for options, if you're looking for something that really shows off the grain and gives a glossy look, consider using hard wax-oil finishes instead!
You’ve got a valid point about the shellac! It’s good for gloss, but durability can be an issue, especially for projects that get a lot of use. If you are thinking about applying hard wax-oil, it can go over a tung oil finish, but yeah, it also takes a while to cure. You might want to look into that if you want both a nice finish and good protection!