The type of wood used would help to get a better reply since the properties vary greatly..Also not a good idea to apply shellac over oil.

Applying shellac over and with oil is the very heart of french polishing, and believe me it works fine.

Casey

Care to explain?I have done a good bit of French Polishing over the years with great success.Have never applied several coats of oil to anything and put shellac over .

You put the pumice into the pores with oil, then apply the ground coats of polish. You use oil to lubricate the tampon/rubber/mouse while polishing. If you use linseed oil, the final finish seems to me (been polishing since 1986) to be even tougher and more waterproof than if you use regular mineral oil. Mineral oil is definitely faster.

Casey

So are we to gather the op is attempting a version of French Polish over several coats of oil and one of paint??? With paint obscuring wood grain I can't grasp the reasoning for polish. Any way you slice it,it sounds like surface has been contaminated. Perhaps a shot of Pledge was thrown in the witches brew.

Klem, you seem to be getting confused between Casey explaining French polishing process and what I actually did. Most of the wood is exposed, the only reason I do a light oiling first is because my paint is oil and pigment and if it isn't oiled then some will soak into the wood around the painted area and make it look discolored. So no, there is no pledge or anything of the sort.

"So no, there is no pledge or anything of the sort."

The area is saturated or at least covered with paint,that rules out shellac soaking in. There is no pledge or anything on the surface ( or so you say) that rules out contamination. You've given us a real doozie to figrue out. Please explain why you are applying shellac over paint.

One coat of oil paint is not enough to seal the pores in an open or fuzzy grain area. So it does not seem unusual at all that there were areas that were going to have the shellac completely disappear by soaking in instantly. Which is why I suggested using some thicker shellac, which will build the surface much faster than repeatedly applying more very thin coats.

Think of it like end grain in oak, very hard to get it to fill in properly with paint or varnish, which is why we would use something with great filling capacity, like sanding sealer or pore filler.

If you keep on dabbing with thin shellac b(with a tiny artists brush) it will eventually fill in too.

Casey

"Sombreuil

You put the pumice into the pores with oil, then apply the ground coats of polish"

True but you don't apply the shellac over several coats of oil.The shellac is used as a base coat.The oil is used as a lubricant for the pumice or rottenstone.

Thank you again Casey, since your first response I've been doing basically the artist brush suggestion, hoping it will get a layer going. Haven't been able to mix a thicker batch, and am having a hard time finding a way to burn off some of the alcohol. Did realize I was probably rushing at first so figured I'd take it slower and hopefully if the last layer of shellac was harder then I'd stop soaking in. I think I may have started a little layer but if I don't see a change soon I'll figure out a thicker batch.

Pour a little out into a disposable container or paper plate, hit it with some blow dryer heat while stirring with the brush, it will thicken up instantly.

Casey

It's obvious that you don't have a clue what a true French polish is nore does Somebreuill. and you don't want a French polish for what you are trying to do, It just will not hold up well,]

I never said I know what a French polish is, whether true or not. I also never said that I was trying to do a French polish. All I said is I want to get my shellac to go on evenly. I also don't know why you would assume I don't want something specific because of durability, when I never said what the end use is for, I just listed the process I was using.

I never assumed you were doing a French polish.Someone else on the board did.I simply stated in my first post that oil under shellac is not a good idea.Go back and read it and you will see that.Some know it all took everything out of context which happens on the internet..

Sorry for the derail.

We all get sidetracked; look, a kitty!

Casey

" have one spot where the shellac wont stick."

"Won't stick" in very first sentence of post and nothing about soaking in,filling pores or anything else other than won't stick. Farthur into thread op evades question about expected end result. I don't believe op is interested in different ways of skinning your cat Casey.