Can we talk about the original purpose of shellac?

I was reading an old trade journal from the 1920s and discovered that shellac was originally developed as a sealant for electrical components, not for furniture. It mentioned that its use on wood came later, once its protective qualities were understood. Has anyone else come across this bit of history in their work?

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vera_dixon896mo ago

Oh wow, that's a cool fact. My buddy who restores old radios actually showed me this. He had this 1930s radio with the original wiring, and the insulation was literally just shellac coated cloth. It was rock hard and totally intact. Seeing that made it click why they started slapping it on tables and chairs. @maxp68 is right, it's a seriously tough coating once it cures.

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maxp686mo ago

That old trade journal detail is spot on. I've seen early 1900s wiring diagrams specifying shellac for insulation. It makes total sense they'd use it on wood later once they saw how tough the coating was.

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