Am I the only one who had a shellac job turn into a sticky mess overnight?

I was finishing a walnut table in my garage last Tuesday, and the dew point must have spiked because the next morning the shellac was still tacky... I had to strip it all back with denatured alcohol and start over. How do you guys check for humidity issues when you're working with shellac?

3 comments

3 Comments

grace60720d ago

My garage in Florida is basically a swamp and shellac dries fine for me. I just open the door for air flow.

jade_johnson20d ago

Ugh, that's the worst feeling. I read somewhere that shellac can get weird if you apply it too thick, especially when it's humid. It traps the solvent. Maybe that was part of it? I do what Elliot does with a little meter, but I also just feel the air. If my skin feels sticky, I don't even open the can. That's wild that @grace607 gets away with it in Florida humidity though. Opening a door for a cross breeze seems like a solid move to help it along.

elliot_barnes20d ago

Honestly, I keep a cheap digital hygrometer in my shop and check it before I start.