Ever wished you had a finish that was as easy to use as shellac but with the durability of polyurethane? Well wish no more, because here it is.

This unique Hardened Shellac creates a film with a high resistance to heat, water and alcohol, yet it is used in exactly the same was as any normal shellac. It can be applied with a rubber as French polish, brushed, sprayed and dipped.

HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?
After shellac has been dissolved in ethanol* it is possible to introduce additives that cause the shellac to cross link after it has dried. This cross linking takes about 20 days to completely cure, less in hot weather.

USES:
Ideal for table tops and other horizontal surfaces such as dresser and desk tops, etc. Also brilliant for use on guitars, lutes, harps and many other musical instruments where a traditional finish is required and good resonance qualities are essential.

NEW IMPROVED FORMULA
Hard Shellac now has an added plasticiser. This gives elasticity to the cured finish, to combat crazing on the thin walls of musical instruments, whilst still having the same high resistance to marking from water, alcohol and heat it has always had.

APPLICATION:
Hard Shellac is applied in the same manner as any normal shellac. The drying time is the same as regular shellac. ie: almost instantly.
Water dye may be used under the shellac to change the colour of the timber to be polished. There is no need to use a sanding sealer or anything else under the Hard Shellac, however you may apply a weak solution of the shellac as a first coat eg. 1 part Hard Shellac to 8 parts ethanol*. This can be fine sanded after it has dried. This will seal the timber and dye (if used) and will give a beautiful smooth base upon which to build your finish.

SHELF LIFE:
Hard shellac has a shelf life of 18 mths from the time it is made and all bottles are clearly labelled with the Best by date. Once it is out of date it is no longer much good and should be disposed of.

PLEASE NOTE: The above picture does not show the true colour of the Hard Shellac.  It is actually light amber in colour and even lighter after thinning. It should not darken the colour of the timber it is applied to any more than wetting the timber with water or alcohol will darken it. Hard Shellac is a reasonably strong brew and may need to be thinned up to 50/50 with ethanol* depending on your application method.

ALL application gear must be washed IMMEDIATELY after use.
If rubber, brush or spray equipment is left to dry it will go rock hard and become unusable.
Wash up and thin with Ethanol* available at most good hardware and paint shops.

For more details on using shellac get a copy of “A Polishers Handbook” by Neil Ellis.

* ETHANOL (also commonly known in Australia as - 100% Industrial Methylated Spirits or 100% IMS. and sometimes called pure alcohol or denatured alcohol. If you can't get 100% IMS then it is strongly suggested that you use 95% rather than a cheap methylated spirits without a percentage specified, as this by law can contain up to 40%+ water and will ruin the shellac and your finish)