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Vent: A client said my shellac finish felt 'sticky' after a week, which made me rethink my whole process
I finished a maple table about a month ago with a 2-pound cut of dewaxed shellac, and the client called to say the surface still felt tacky in spots. I've always done three thin coats, sanding lightly between, and let it cure for 48 hours before delivery. They insisted their house wasn't humid. I looked it up and a veteran finisher online said shellac can 'gas out' if you put it on too thick, even if it seems dry. So now I'm doing five super thin coats with a full day between each, and the last piece I did feels perfect. Has anyone else had a finish feel dry to the touch but stay sticky underneath?
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elliot_shah7mo ago
That "gas out" thing the veteran mentioned is a perfect example of how something can seem totally fine on the surface but be messed up underneath. I see that everywhere, like when a phone update looks good but slowly kills your battery. Hugo645 might be right that something was on the wood, but that hidden problem is the same idea. It's all about the stuff you don't see right away. Makes you double check everything, not just the final feel.
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ryan_kim636mo ago
Wait, you only let it cure for two days before handing it over? That seems way too fast to me. I always give shellac at least a full week to harden up completely, no matter how thin the coats are. @elliot_shah has a point about hidden problems, and a sticky finish sounds like the inside just never got a chance to dry.
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hugo6457mo ago
Interesting, I've never had that happen with shellac (and I've put it on pretty thick sometimes). Maybe it was something on the wood before you started?
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