For shellac finish users, good news: Shellac flakes have become more plentiful. Even those familiar with shellac may not know that it starts out as a crusty protective coating secreted on tree ...

I discuss high-tech wood coatings. But from time to time, I will discuss something that is tried and true and, perhaps, not so high tech. Shellac is definitely a low-tech product. It is the secretion ...

These century-old floor finishing tricks still outperform what's on store shelves today.

As a professional woodworker of over five decades, I have learned a few tricks to make my time in the shop more efficient and more enjoyable. When it comes to finishing, my number-one trick is shellac ...

Rotten stone is an old-school powdered rubbing compound made from finely ground limestone. Finer than pumice powder, rotten stone can be used to achieve a glass-like high-gloss shine on lacquer or ...

Q: We just stripped six layers of paint off the front door of our 1820s house. I think the door is made of chestnut. We don’t want to repaint it, and we don’t like polyurethane. What’s the best ...

Old methods endure: Hand-rubbed oils, paste wax, and shellac have kept floors and furniture beautiful for over a century, resisting peeling and cracking better than many modern products. Repair made ...

In any case, being a natural material, wood is porous and adapts to the temperature and humidity conditions of the environment in which it is inserted, being able to absorb everything that enters, ...