Finishing High Chest Drawer with Applied Carving

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FJDUFF

Active member
Good Morning to All,

I have a question for Jeff and others who may have already worked out a method for getting a filled shellac finish on drawers that have applied leafage carving.  There are two of these drawers on a high chest. 

On drawers w/o applied leafage, I simply use the time honored method of building up thin coats of 1-pound cut with a brush and smoothing with 320 paper after every 2-3 coats.  Patience is the key but it works fine. 

On drawers with applied leafage, I have been stroking on the 1-pound cut with a very small brush, making the application on the flat drawer surface only.  Rub out with 320 paper is much more tedious in order to be sure not to touch the shell carving or the applied leafage.  This seems to work, but is slow.  IS there a better way?

I'd appreciate any and all suggestions and comments on this task.

Thanks

Frank Duff
Monkton, MD
 
Hi Freddy,

How are you doing?  Good to hear from you.  Thanks for the reply.

I have heard where spraying shellac can make the process go quicker.  Let me ask how you would knock off the gloss on a drawer front that has flat surfaces, a carved shell, and applied leafage?

On a carved foot, for example, I've had success using pumice, oil and a stiff brush.  Although, after reading that discussion on filling under the Forum " Finishing " heading, I intend to try rottenstone in place of the pumice.  On drawer fronts, its a combination of 320 paper, 0000 steel wool, and a pumice oil rub.  I'm thinking that I'd should intend to get the same general sheen on the overall drawer front before I apply wax and so am wondering whether the various processes can be successfully brought together on a single surface although, with carving to break the light, etc.  What processes have you used, and have they proven satisfactory.

Thanks

Frank Duff

 
Frank,

The quick response is shellac flat. I can get the shellac to look semi gloss or flat even. I also use Don Williams Roubo's burnishers for flat surfaces and there is one for carvings.

After that I use abrasives scotch brite pads.

FR
 
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