Shellac: An Old Finish That's Still Worth Knowing
Long before polyurethane and modern synthetic finishes became commonplace, furniture makers relied on a remarkable natural material called shellac.
Shellac is a resin produced by the lac insect, primarily on trees in India and Southeast Asia. Once harvested and refined, the resin is processed into the familiar amber-colored flakes used by woodworkers.
Those dry flakes are dissolved in alcohol to create liquid shellac—a beautiful and surprisingly versatile wood finish that has been used for centuries.
A Finish With a Long History
Shellac has a warmth that's difficult to reproduce with many modern finishes.
Rather than simply sitting on top of the wood, it enhances the grain and gives the surface a subtle depth and glow. Depending on the type of shellac used, its natural color can range from very pale to rich amber.
One of its most famous uses is French polishing, a traditional finishing technique associated with fine furniture and musical instruments.
Using many extremely thin applications of shellac, a skilled finisher can gradually build a remarkably smooth, lustrous surface with an almost three-dimensional quality.
It's painstaking work—but the result explains why shellac has remained relevant for so long.
Shellac Is Also a Remarkable Sealer
Shellac isn't useful only because it's beautiful.
It is particularly good at sealing difficult surfaces and blocking certain stains and odors, which is why shellac-based sealers are still commonly used in restoration work.
Depending on the product and application, shellac can help isolate:
- smoke and fire odors
- knots and resinous areas in wood
- certain stains and discoloration
- odors trapped in older furniture
This makes it especially useful when restoring vintage and antique pieces whose history isn't always known.
One of Its Best Qualities: It's Repairable
This may be our favorite thing about shellac.
Unlike many modern film finishes, shellac doesn't necessarily require removing the entire existing finish when a surface needs attention.
Alcohol partially dissolves shellac, allowing a new application to soften and bond with the previous layers.
For furniture that is meant to be maintained rather than discarded when it begins showing its age, that's a significant advantage.
Living With a Shellac Finish
Shellac does have limitations.
Alcohol is its biggest enemy. Because shellac is soluble in alcohol, spilled liquor, perfume, and other alcohol-containing products can damage the surface.
It is also sensitive to high heat and prolonged moisture.
On a shellac-finished tabletop:
Use coasters. Use trivets. Wipe up spills promptly. And don't place hot cookware directly on the surface.
Shellac may also scratch more readily than some modern protective finishes.
The trade-off is that those scratches and worn areas are often considerably easier to repair.
Applying Shellac
Shellac can be brushed, sprayed, or applied with a pad.
The challenge is speed.
Because the alcohol evaporates quickly, shellac begins drying almost immediately. Overworking an area can disturb the finish you've just applied.
When brushing shellac, a good-quality natural-bristle or dedicated shellac brush that holds plenty of finish can make application easier. The goal is generally to apply it smoothly and confidently, then leave it alone.
It can take a little practice.
But that's also part of what makes traditional finishes interesting.
Why We Still Like It
Modern furniture finishes can provide impressive durability, but durability isn't the only quality worth considering in a finish.
Shellac offers something different.
It's derived from a natural resin. It highlights rather than obscures the character of wood. It has a long history in furniture making. And perhaps most importantly, it can be maintained and repaired rather than simply replaced.
For a finish that's been around for centuries, shellac still has quite a lot to teach us about making furniture meant to age well.