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My heart sank when I saw the shellac bloom on a client's 1920s dresser in the middle of a humid Chicago afternoon.
I gently wiped the whole surface with a rag dampened with denatured alcohol, held my breath, and watched the cloudiness vanish completely, which saved a piece I thought was ruined.
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karenthompson2mo ago
Honestly that was a huge risk, could've ruined it.
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the_david2mo ago
Wait, you just wiped it with denatured alcohol? That stuff is super harsh, I thought it would strip the finish right off. I've seen people wreck shellac by using the wrong cleaner. How did you know it wouldn't take the shine off or leave a weird spot?
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ninam762mo ago
Oh totally, I had the same panic the first time I saw someone do that! I tried it on a tiny spot on the back of a shelf first, my heart was pounding. It felt like such a gamble, but sometimes you just have to test it in a hidden place. I've learned the hard way that shellac can look fine at first and then cloud up hours later, it's so stressful.
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