I normally like the formula of boiled linseed oil and shellac for my projects. I really like the richness that the boiled linseed oil brings to wood. However, I had two concerns about using the oil on this piece. The first, is that the oil does darken the wood. I really wanted the contrast between the cherry and maple. Part of the my wood selection was going through my ambrosia maple stock that had the lightest color, which can be a challenge as ambrosia maple often has a lot of dark coloring to it. Shellac by itself still brings out the quality of the wood, but the super blonde I would use wouldn’t darken the maple as drastically as the oil would. The next issue is we are now officially in fall, and my shop area is not climate controlled. Boiled Linseed Oil really needs warmer weather for it to cure properly. I just didn’t think we would have enough warm days in a row to let it fully cure in a timely manner. So, I made the decision to go with shellac only, which dries quickly, even on a 55 degree day.
For applying the shellac, I used my HVLP setup. This consists of a conversion gun and a pancake compressor. While the compressor is woefully undersized for this type of application, it does work when there is nothing else to use. I ended up spraying about 4 coats, using high grit sand paper to smooth.
Once I the finish was completed, I reattached the hinges, and put together the quartz movement, put a battery in it, and set the time. It is currently on our mantel.
The next post on the clock I will discuss my thoughts on how the design turned out. Also, I am seriously considering entering the clock into the local Woodcraft’s annual gallery. If I do, I may write up a brief post about that as well.
The clock turned out very nice. A couple of questions. What kind of respirator do you use when spraying shellac? I have a HVLP system that I have used only for water based systems – but typically start my finsh with a hand applied shellac. What shellac cut do you use with the HVLP system?
Thank you! The shellac I used the Zinsser Bulls Eye Super Blond Shellac, straight from the can. The only thing I do is I pour it through a filter. My HVLP setup is not real good and only works well for thin material like shellac. The good news is that shellac sprays very well. For the respirator, I use 3M’s respirator with the type of filter that filters both particles and chemicals. It works very well.