From what I understand, in the U.S. denatured alcohol or methylated spirits aren’t regulated so what you buy at a hardware store may have around 50% chemical denaturing agents which are very toxic and easily absorbed through the skin.
I’m not sure what the percentage of those agents is, but yes, you can buy it hardware stores, art supply stores, craft stores, and big stores like Walmart and Target. Very easy to get.
@@BitsandWood The amount of alcohol varies in the denatured alcohol,depending on where you buy it.Flakes that are sealed in air tight jars in a cool place can last for many many years.It doesn't go bad but the older it gets the longer the shellac takes to dry.Using mechanical mixing is the best way to mix it especially the older flakes.Shellac in a can has an expiration of 6 months to a year after its mixed with alcohol.Everclear doesn't have all the toxins or water in it so it dries faster and has a harder finish.
Thanks for taking your time and materials to run this experiment. Very informative and gave me the information I needed to make a good decision. Also thanks for mentioning that Liquor stores carry Everclear. Wasn't sure at the time where to purchase this.
Great video. Would have loved to see the evaporation comparisons in the video and the melting of the previous layers. The Garnet Shellac went on beautifully. In a future video I would like to see a buffed oil stain finish and a French Finish over that in a Clear Shellac. I liked and subscribes to the channel and for the first time hit the bell as well.
Just bought some Everclear and got my shellac flakes today. Appreciate your test : ) Funny thing though, at the liquor store they were very familiar with people buying Everclear for making shellac. All new to me so far...watching RUclips videos first.
Thank you for your video, very informative. Since you mentioned that there is no much difference between Everclear or Denature, I will go with Everclear. I read scary things about denature so I don’t want to take a chance. How about a video tinting the shellac? (Just an idea). Keep the good work!
Thanks for this. I'm scoping out my options for materials for water carving some pottery, and the idea of making my own shellac resist as part of this is deeply tempting. If I can get my hands on the right proof of Everclear I'm more or less sold on that.
@@robinhoodwasasocialist.1401 Water carving green pottery/clay is a technique that is used in ceramics. When shellac is applied to the pre bisque clay in it's green ware state, allowed to dry, it resists erosion by water. Raised patterns and decoration can be achieved in the negative space around where the shellac has protected the clay.
Thank you ! I will try this for the first time with the Everclear on a maple neck ! Hopefuly , I won't get blotching like I had with NGR dye in Denatured Alcohol.
@@BitsandWood I always mixed 1 drop of Brown, 1 drop of Red and 7 drops of Amber dye in 44 mils of denatured alcohol to get a natural light amber tint and than spray Nitro over with beautiful light amber results just like if the neck would have 5 to 10 years of aging but the last time ,the maple blotched and I freaked out and said ,I never want this to happen again so after three days of trials and errors , i found what works and even call it an anti-blotch formula ! lol What I do is mix 25 grams of blond shellac in 100 mils of Isopropyl alcohol and wait a few days for it to dissolve. Then I poor 20 mils of this shellac formula in a cup and add 20 mils of Isopropyl Alcohol and rub it on the neck with a cotton cloth wrapped in another clotch forming a badminton birdie and trying to go from left to right and that's it ! I only apply one coat of this formula and after I can apply all the coats of amber I want over it without blotching before the nitro clear finish . The other coats I do after the anti-blotch formula can be dye drops into alcohol or a more dilluted shellac alcolhol formula with drops of dye mixed in for a more personal taste . Thanks for asking ! Wish all the best !
Great video! I really enjoyed it. I was actually looking for information regarding the difference between the two for a different application, entirely. I'm going to be making my own poo-pourri with essential oils. 😁
You had mentioned that it seemed like the denatured alcohol eveporated faster which seemed odd because you thought there was a little water in it, but Everclear is only 95% alcohol, which I assume the remaining 5% is water, which is quite a lot.
Hi, great experiment. Many years ago I bought 75% volume " EVERCLEAR", for a recipe that needed food coloring to shine. I never used it after. Is 75% everclear ok to use , or does it need to be 90% volume? what everclear did you experiment with?
It might work but you may run into problems with the shellac not dissolving completely. I would test a small batch to see, especially if the Everclear is just collecting dust. I think the Everclear I used was 190 proof. The problem with lower proof alcohols is the higher water content keeps the shellac from completely dissolving. I did an experiment with a dark whiskey to see if I could make a shellac that had the same color as the whiskey, but with it being much lower proof than the Everclear, the shellac flakes never dissolved. I think the Whiskey was only 50% though so your 75% may be high enough to pull it off.
What was the water content of your Everclear? I think the lower the proof the more water it contains? There's no DA here in CA and the only Everclear I can find is 120 proof which is high in water.
from California; it's now illegal to sell denatured alcohol in commifornia. came as a shock, since I haven't tried to buy it for 2 years. You can buy marijuana on every corner, but DNA is a no-no... so now I'll go w/ everclear
If you don't mind the cost, which if your buying Everclear for shellac I suppose you don't. Then check out a chemical supplier (fisher scientific) they can supply you with 100% 200 proof or down in % if thats too expensive.
Denatured alcohol is illegal there? That's crazy. Basically you need the highest proof alcohol you can get your hands on. The closer to 100% the better. I actually experimented with using a cheap whiskey also, but the water content was too high and it didn't work. The flakes never fully dissolved.
Good question. I think so, but I'm not positive. When I've bought denatured alcohol in the past, it was either by the quart or the gallon. The liquor store I went to didn't carry Everclear in those larger sizes. If I went by just this small bottle, yes, there would be quite a big difference. I'll have to go look one of these days to get a proper answer.
@@BitsandWood i remember perfectly that it was a week before the last senior year and he said "Some of you are gonna go off to college and frat parties where you will be offered punch, be very clear that they use Everclear in said punch which in truth is nothing more than furniture polish; if you wanna lose your mind to furniture polish by all means go ahead but be warned".
From what I understand, in the U.S. denatured alcohol or methylated spirits aren’t regulated so what you buy at a hardware store may have around 50% chemical denaturing agents which are very toxic and easily absorbed through the skin.
I’m not sure what the percentage of those agents is, but yes, you can buy it hardware stores, art supply stores, craft stores, and big stores like Walmart and Target. Very easy to get.
@@BitsandWood The amount of alcohol varies in the denatured alcohol,depending on where you buy it.Flakes that are sealed in air tight jars in a cool place can last for many many years.It doesn't go bad but the older it gets the longer the shellac takes to dry.Using mechanical mixing is the best way to mix it especially the older flakes.Shellac in a can has an expiration of 6 months to a year after its mixed with alcohol.Everclear doesn't have all the toxins or water in it so it dries faster and has a harder finish.
Thanks for taking your time and materials to run this experiment. Very informative and gave me the information I needed to make a good decision. Also thanks for mentioning that Liquor stores carry Everclear. Wasn't sure at the time where to purchase this.
Thank you so much! This was exactly what I wanted to know after reading the terrifying warnings on the back of the denatured alcohol bottle!
Glad to help!
Great video. Would have loved to see the evaporation comparisons in the video and the melting of the previous layers. The Garnet Shellac went on beautifully. In a future video I would like to see a buffed oil stain finish and a French Finish over that in a Clear Shellac. I liked and subscribes to the channel and for the first time hit the bell as well.
Just bought some Everclear and got my shellac flakes today. Appreciate your test : )
Funny thing though, at the liquor store they were very familiar with people buying Everclear for making shellac. All new to me so far...watching RUclips videos first.
Guess it depends on where you live. I live in a college town so I’d imagine most of the liquor they sell is meant to be consumed.
Thank you for your video, very informative.
Since you mentioned that there is no much difference between Everclear or Denature, I will go with Everclear.
I read scary things about denature so I don’t want to take a chance. How about a video tinting the shellac? (Just an idea). Keep the good work!
I don't have any shellac projects on the to-do list right now, but that's a good idea.
Thanks for this. I'm scoping out my options for materials for water carving some pottery, and the idea of making my own shellac resist as part of this is deeply tempting. If I can get my hands on the right proof of Everclear I'm more or less sold on that.
Bysmerian is that different than typical wax resist?
@@robinhoodwasasocialist.1401 Water carving green pottery/clay is a technique that is used in ceramics. When shellac is applied to the pre bisque clay in it's green ware state, allowed to dry, it resists erosion by water. Raised patterns and decoration can be achieved in the negative space around where the shellac has protected the clay.
Thank you ! I will try this for the first time with the Everclear on a maple neck !
Hopefuly , I won't get blotching like I had with NGR dye in Denatured Alcohol.
Not sure the alcohol type will make a difference for blotching, but best of luck!
@@BitsandWood Thanks ! I found a solution finaly and it works great !
@@lousekoya1803 What did you end up doing?
@@BitsandWood I always mixed 1 drop of Brown, 1 drop of Red and 7 drops of Amber dye in 44 mils of denatured alcohol to get a natural light amber tint and than spray Nitro over with beautiful light amber results just like if the neck would have 5 to 10 years of aging but the last time ,the maple blotched and I freaked out and said ,I never want this to happen again so after three days of trials and errors , i found what works and even call it an anti-blotch formula ! lol
What I do is mix 25 grams of blond shellac in 100 mils of Isopropyl alcohol and wait a few days for it to dissolve. Then I poor 20 mils of this shellac formula in a cup and add 20 mils of Isopropyl Alcohol and rub it on the neck with a cotton cloth wrapped in another clotch forming a badminton birdie and trying to go from left to right and that's it ! I only apply one coat of this formula and after I can apply all the coats of amber I want over it without blotching before the nitro clear finish . The other coats I do after the anti-blotch formula can be dye drops into alcohol or a more dilluted shellac alcolhol formula with drops of dye mixed in for a more personal taste . Thanks for asking ! Wish all the best !
Great video! I really enjoyed it. I was actually looking for information regarding the difference between the two for a different application, entirely. I'm going to be making my own poo-pourri with essential oils. 😁
Thanks! Hope that info helps!
Really helpful ! Thank you !
You had mentioned that it seemed like the denatured alcohol eveporated faster which seemed odd because you thought there was a little water in it, but Everclear is only 95% alcohol, which I assume the remaining 5% is water, which is quite a lot.
Thank you! That was really helpful!
Thanks and you're welcome!
Hi, great experiment.
Many years ago I bought 75% volume " EVERCLEAR", for a recipe that needed food coloring to shine.
I never used it after. Is 75% everclear ok to use , or does it need to be 90% volume? what everclear did you experiment with?
It might work but you may run into problems with the shellac not dissolving completely. I would test a small batch to see, especially if the Everclear is just collecting dust. I think the Everclear I used was 190 proof. The problem with lower proof alcohols is the higher water content keeps the shellac from completely dissolving. I did an experiment with a dark whiskey to see if I could make a shellac that had the same color as the whiskey, but with it being much lower proof than the Everclear, the shellac flakes never dissolved. I think the Whiskey was only 50% though so your 75% may be high enough to pull it off.
Hi there from Portugal,
Nice test :D
Obrigado(thanks)
I can't buy Everclear or Denatured Alcohol in Canada. Will methyll hydrate from the hardware store work just as well for disolving shellac flakes?
I've never used methyl hydrate, but from what I understand, yes, it will do just fine.
What was the water content of your Everclear? I think the lower the proof the more water it contains? There's no DA here in CA and the only Everclear I can find is 120 proof which is high in water.
I think you are correct about lower proof = more water. I'll have to see if still have the container. I got the highest proof I could find.
from California; it's now illegal to sell denatured alcohol in commifornia. came as a shock, since I haven't tried to buy it for 2 years. You can buy marijuana on every corner, but DNA is a no-no... so now I'll go w/ everclear
Really? I wasn't aware of that. Crazy.
Yes. I also checked. No Mineral Spirits or Denatured Alcohol available at HomeDepot in CA nor at any CA Wood supply stores.
You may want to try cutting the shellac with marijuana.
If you don't mind the cost, which if your buying Everclear for shellac I suppose you don't. Then check out a chemical supplier (fisher scientific) they can supply you with 100% 200 proof or down in % if thats too expensive.
What would happen if you use rubbing alcohol for flakes shellac dewaxed?
I haven’t tried that, but I suspect it would still work, just not as well since rubbing alcohol is normally diluted with water.
@@BitsandWood is there an alternative? Thank you for replying.
@@ajanaya8055 Denatured alcohol is the only other one I’m aware of.
@@ajanaya8055 Some drugstores carry 91% Isopropyl alcohol, which would be a good alternative.
neither of these products are legal in California. What else can be used to cut shellac?
Denatured alcohol is illegal there? That's crazy. Basically you need the highest proof alcohol you can get your hands on. The closer to 100% the better. I actually experimented with using a cheap whiskey also, but the water content was too high and it didn't work. The flakes never fully dissolved.
Everclear is absolutely available in CA. $20.00 a quart. Check your local BevMo.
Nevada.
Is there a net cost difference?
Good question. I think so, but I'm not positive. When I've bought denatured alcohol in the past, it was either by the quart or the gallon. The liquor store I went to didn't carry Everclear in those larger sizes. If I went by just this small bottle, yes, there would be quite a big difference. I'll have to go look one of these days to get a proper answer.
Ever clear is more expensive but it is purer, regulated and safe enough for consumption. (obviously)
Does the denatured alcohol have an odor?
Yeah, but not too bad. Not nearly as pungent as lacquer.
Now i know why a teacher said Everclear was furniture polish.
Your teacher was right! ;)
@@BitsandWood i remember perfectly that it was a week before the last senior year and he said "Some of you are gonna go off to college and frat parties where you will be offered punch, be very clear that they use Everclear in said punch which in truth is nothing more than furniture polish; if you wanna lose your mind to furniture polish by all means go ahead but be warned".
Haha, love it!
The Everclear is SUBSTANTIALLY safer from a vapor perspective.
Nothing like some Indonesian bug slime on maple.
Yessir! 😆
Inneresting
I thought so. I wish I could remember where I first read about using grain alcohol instead of denatured alcohol.