The type of shellac that you need for your project will depend on the type of finish and colour you are looking for. Shellac comes in various colours and types, here is a short list: Seedlac, Orange (TN), Button, Blond, Dewaxed Blond, Super Blond, White, Dewaxed white, Garnet, Ruby, Lemon, all of which have their distinctive colours. There are hundreds of articles on the internet that you can search for that will show you the various shellacs in their raw form, the resulting depth of colour you get will depend on the strength of the shellac mixture and the number of coats applied.

Raw shellac is shellac that has not had the wax removed by manufacturing and dewaxed shellac has had the wax component removed to various degrees. The basic shellac, before any real manufacturing is performed, is seedlac. This in its raw form has many impurities such as shellac beetles that are caught up when the shellac is harvested, the shellac tubes (lac tubes or female shellac beetle cocoons) that are scrapped off the bark of trees. The different varieties of shellac are a result of the manufacturing processes used on the raw shellac forms. More in-depth technical information can be found here.

The colours of shellac are a result of the sap of the tree that the shellac beetle lives on and range from very light blond (platina) to very dark brown (garnet), with many varieties such as brown, yellow, orange and red in between.

Dewaxed shellac forms a harder finish than the non-dewaxed form because of the removal of the wax component. Orange (sometimes designated an TN shellac) is the most common shellac and is at the “softer” end of the scale while white shellac in its dewaxed form is at the “hardest” end of the scale.

The strength of mixed shellac is usually talked of in terms of a “Pound Cut” and referred to as a one-pound cut or three-pound cut etc. 'Pound Cut' refers to the weight of dry lac (powder or flakes) mixed with denatured alcohol and designates viscosity or thickness of the mixed liquid shellac. The term refers to the weight of shellac added to one gallon of denatured alcohol, for example a two-pound cut is the result of mixing two-pounds of shellac to a gallon of methylated spirits. A gallon of mixed shellac is a rather large quantity so in normal usage we would scale this down to a more manageable quantity. Refer to the table at the end of this article for more information on possible mixtures.

Good quality shellac solution, such as that used in French polishing is made using a high quality Denatured Absolute Alcohol (DAA) which is 100% pure ethanol alcohol with a “denaturant” ingredient (around 5%) that alters the taste and makes it unfit for consumption. When mixing shellac use a container that is larger than the final quantity you want, for example if you want to mix up a litre of shellac use a 2 litre container because you will end up with more than one litre of mixed shellac. Do not mix too much at once as mixed shellac does have a shelf life, as a general rule only mix up enough to last you about three months (the final amount will depend on climatic conditions in your area).

If you live in an area where temperatures can reach low values, then remember that a temperature of around 15° or below will slow the dissolving process. In this situation use a hot water bath to help the dissolving process. NOTE: The mixture contains methylated spirits which is highly combustible so do not use open flame or burners to warm the shellac mixture.

Add the shellac to the methylated spirits and stir or shake the mixture every 15 -30 minutes or so until shellac is completely dissolved. If you are mixing button shellac it would be best to crush the buttons before mixing as this will speed up the dissolving process. Depending on the type of shellac you may end up with sediment and organic particles left in the bottom of the mixture, this will definitely happen when mixing seedlac. You should remove any deposit by straining the shellac mixture through a paint strainer to remove the bulk of the deposit and then through cotton cloth or a few layers of cheesecloth.

Depending on the type of shellac it may take quite a long time for it to completely dissolve. If you leave it without shaking/stirring every 15 minutes or so it could end up as a lump in the bottom of the container, the solution to this is to acquire an electrical stirrer. These items are quite expensive so if you are handy with your hands you could make your own magnetic stirrer which will do the job. Here is a link to a video on the Highland Woodworking YouTube channel that describes how to build one at a reasonable cost http://youtu.be/LviLZToPx1c.

Store your shellac, tightly stoppered or sealed, in a cool dark location. Wipe any shellac from the threaded top of the container with methylated spirits because when it dries, you might have trouble getting the top off (spoken from experience).

Which mix of shellac to use is determined by the weather, the working environment, which finish you are trying to achieve and what experience you have in applying shellac. When starting a job a "2 Pound Cut" is preferable and can be easily corrected if mistakes are made. Several thinner coats are easier to apply and finish than a few heaver coats and are the best for French polishing where up to 12 coats can be applied. A “3 Pound Cut” is generally reserved for priming or sealing of stains, sap, or knots prior to painting, especially on softer woods but can be used as a first and final coat. If you are trying to achieve a clear finish you could use a thin coat of “Dewaxed Shellac” (e.g. super blond or dewaxed white shellac) as a seal coat under clear finishes. Shellac can also be used as a primer coat under paint, a few coats of dewaxed shellac used in conjunction with sanding can provide a smooth finish to paint on.

The following table lists the weight of shellac and the volume of absolute alcohol required to achieve the various “cuts” of shellac in metric terms. There are plenty of charts on the internet showing the various “cuts” in conventional U.S. Imperial terms.

Quantity of Denatured Alcohol (ml)	1-lb Cut (grams of shellac required)	1.5-lb Cut (grams of shellac required)	2-lb Cut (grams of shellac required)	2.5-lb Cut (grams of shellac required)	3-lb Cut (grams of shellac required)
1000	120	180	240	300	360
750	90	135	180	225	270
500	60	90	120	150	180
250	30	45	60	75	90
100	12	18	24	30	36