Red Shellac

[rivets1]

I want to get amber shellac closer to Red . I heard you can do it by adding red food coloring to get the hue closer to red. Anyone done this and found it truly works well.

Information

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[tbonesmith]

I havn't tried it but I think it would be okay, otherwise why not try any of the spirit based stains, at least those are not full on prime "red", but rather reddish tones that look a little more natural. I think if you add prime red to shellac, and put it on something pale and bland like beech, you'd very quickly have a very odd looking stock, mabe some Mahogany spirit based stain in the shellac would have a more desirable effect. Suppose it depends on the look you're after, and the colour of your food colouring.

[Patrick Chadwick]

I suggest you stain the wood first, and apply the shellac afterwards. Must easier to shade in uneven areas that way.

Patrick

[tbonesmith]

I suggest you stain the wood first, and apply the shellac afterwards. Must easier to shade in uneven areas that way.

Patrick

Good call, then also the finish will be a bit more durable, in that a chip/scratch in the surface finish does not always appear as a hole in the colour.

[louthepou]

Good advices, and I will simply add: I mix my own shellac, from shallac flakes; and I found flakes of different colour. The only shade of shellac found here in "premix" form is clear shellac. Not sure if flakes can be found in Australia.

[tbonesmith]

Flakes/wings are no problem here.

[rivets1]

Follow up and info - I was inquiring about the red shellac as I was in progress with an Mosin Nagant 9130 refinish. I removed the old shellac finish and the wood was a golden yellow color. Looked like it had taken some of the shellac color into the stock I refinished it by wiping on amber shellac and it came out almost identical in color to the aged shellac finish it had on from the refurb process. My next project was my Mosin Nagant M38 Carbine. I ordered some Garnet flakes and mixed it at 2lb rate. That gave me the "red" look I was looking for. So if thats the look you want to replicate the Garnet flakes will do it. No tinting chemistry needed.

[Patrick Chadwick]

... I refinished it by wiping on amber shellac and it came out almost identical in color to the aged shellac finish it had on from the refurb process. ...

The key word there is "aged". It is reasonable to assume that the rifle also had a somewhat lighter color when it was originally finished all those decades ago! Don't overdo the garnet - the surface is going to age again!

Patrick

[mik]

I have a K31 with beech stock and I have read shellac is its appropriate finish. I am afraid of having a shiny "like new" look on my K31 after the process, which I don´t want. Just woul like to protect the stock and give it the original look, keeping the military feeling on it.
What would be the better way to apply the shellac to achieve this, if possible? Thanks !

[rayg]

You can tint the shellac with the regular paint coloring used at paint/hardware stores to tint/color paint. In fact that is what is recommended for shellac. Just pick out a red color you think will be the right color.You don't need much just one tiny squirt as a little will go a long way. Bring a paper cup and ask the clerk to just shoot a squirt of the color you want in the cup, probably enought to cover the bottom of the cup. If you smile nice, I doubt if they would charge you anything. Just tell them you need a tiny sample. Ray