How to Fix Shellac Drips

Shellac is a clear coating for wood that is made from the resin of the Lac Beetle. Applying shellac to woodworking projects brings out the natural beauty of the wood by accenting the wood grain and making it glossy. Premixed shellac is common in a 3-pound cut. This cut is 3 pounds of shellac flakes diluted in one gallon of denatured alcohol. A 3-pound cut is thicker than a 1-pound cut and requires fewer coats. However, the thicker shellac drips more easily than the thinner cuts when you are brushing it on woodwork. If you have a drip marking on your project, you can easily fix it.

Denatured alcohol
Soft cotton cloth
220-grit sandpaper
Natural bristle brush
Shellac
Polyurethane or lacquer

Instructions

- 1
  Let the shellac dry completely. Thin coats of shellac will dry within five minutes. Pour denatured alcohol on a soft cotton cloth and dampen the area where the shellac dripped.
- 2
  Sand the drip or streak in the shellac lightly with 220-grit sandpaper in the direction of the wood grain. Use a piece of sandpaper that is the same width as the area you are correcting and wrap the sandpaper around a forefinger for good control, so you remove only the drip area.You want to remove the drip in the top coat only and not remove all coats of shellac on the work piece.
- 3
  Wipe the sanding dust off with a soft dry cotton cloth to remove dry sanding debris.
- 4
  Dip the tip of a natural bristle brush in shellac and apply a thin coat in the drip area allowing about a 1/4-inch overlap onto the surface outside of the drip area. Brush with the grain of the wood. Let the drip area dry completely.
- 5
  Apply additional coats of shellac in the drip area after each previous coat is entirely dry, if it is noticeably less shiny than the rest of the piece.
- 6
  Brush a coat of lacquer or polyurethane on top of the last coat of shellac to waterproof your woodworking project.

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