Shellac as an Adhesive in Wooden Boats
I got a call today from a company that builds wooden boats. They were inquiring about which grades of shellac to use as an adhesive between the two wooden layers on the hulls of boats. This is a traditional use for shellac that has gone out of favor in the last 40 years with the advent of modern glues.This call was spurred by an article in a wooden boat magazine (I happened to see this article several weeks ago and made a copy of it). It seems like the use of shellac for this purpose could take off among the many small companies that build wooden boats.
Anyway, the man I talked to wondered what grade of shellac would work best. They want something with minimal refinement and as inexpensive as possible, as they require a very heavy cut for this adhesive. (Woodworkers use a 2-pound cut - he will use a 9-pound cut). We discussed what would have better adhesive qualities for wood - dewaxed or waxy. I told him I thought dewaxed would work better. What do you think? If waxy would be better, we thought he could go with a seedlac. I told him about the debris involved, and he didn't think it would be a problem.
Lately, I have been wondering what I can do to increase the market for shellac, and this discussion presents a real possibility. I plan to advertise in the next issue of this wooden boat magazine and continue to explore additional markets for shellac.
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Because the quality of shellac flakes is affected by moisture, and we cannot control the care with which it is handled and stored after it has reached the customer, we limit our guarantee to 50 days - 7 weeks from the date of shipping.
Shellac Shack recommends that you keep the zip-lock bag sealed and that you store the flakes in a low humidity area. Some folks like to keep their flakes in the refridgerator where the humidity is low. This will also keep the flakes from blocking ( sticking together ) on hot summer days, although blocking will not damage the quality of shellac flakes. It's good to remember that on warm humid day there is much more water in the air ( per volume ) than on a cool rainy day.
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