Thinking about the old shellac flakes I found in my granddad's shop

Three years ago, I was cleaning out my granddad's old garage in Toledo after he passed. I found a dusty tin of orange shellac flakes he must have bought in the 70s. Last month, a client brought in a beat up 1920s gramophone cabinet, and I remembered that tin. I mixed a small batch, just to see. The smell when I dissolved it in alcohol was nothing like the pre-mixed stuff I usually grab. It had this warm, almost spicy scent. Working with it felt different too, like I was connecting with how he would have done things. It took more patience, but the depth on that old wood was something else. I wonder if anyone still uses the old flake method for special pieces, or if it's just not worth the extra time anymore.

3 comments

3 Comments

adams.vera1mo ago

My uncle in Dayton still mixes his own shellac from flakes for his antique radio restorations. He says the pre-mixed stuff goes bad after a year but flakes last forever, so that tin from the 70s was probably perfect! I tried helping him once and you're right, that smell is wild, like old wood and honey. It's a total pain compared to a can from the store, but for a special piece you can't beat it. That cabinet must look amazing with a finish that has that much history in it.

phoenixa641mo ago

The flakes are basically the hardtack of the wood finishing world. They'll outlive us all in a dusty tin. Your uncle is just building a time capsule for future antique radio people.

sean_walker453d ago

Yeah that thing about the smell is spot on. I grabbed a tin of garnet shellac flakes from a guy cleaning out his grandpa's workshop a few years back. Mixed up a batch for an old mahogany table I was fixing up. Had to let the flakes soak for like two days because they were so old and thick, but the finish came out unreal. The color was way deeper than any can of poly I've ever used, almost like it had that antique glow built in. Definitely a pain to deal with the strainer and all that mess, but for something like your uncle's radios or that table I did, it's totally worth the hassle.