Replies

1. 
   David_Pybas | Mar 06, 2000 01:50am | #2

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   Hi Bill,
   I love the look of shellac and wax and use it on furniture, but I'm nervous about the time in between waxings for floors. How often do you have to get out the buffer?

   dave

2. 
   Guest_ | Mar 06, 2000 03:37am | #3

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   My plan was 2-3 times per year. In fact I haven't done it once in nearly 3 years and I noticed this winter that I really should do it. But they still get compliments - that golden glow.

   Of course there's that one boot print behind a door where my now 7 yr old left a snowy boot for a couple of days. Luckily, easily restored to like new.

1. 
   Guest_ | Mar 09, 2000 02:01am | #4

   *Bill, do you use the clear stuff, orange, or some other flavor?

1. 
   Guest_ | Mar 09, 2000 03:03am | #5

   *I did a lot of looking around before I began - found out about all sorts of suppliers for shellac in flakes - honey, lemon, blond, ruby, and so on. In the end, I settled on plain old Zinsser 3# orange in gallon cans. They now call it amber. The clear or white is bleached and is therefore less resilent or flexible and will chip or crack sooner. Same with dewaxed - which I considered because it is the natural wax in shellac that blumes or turns white from moisture - not the shellac - but that too would be more brittle. And I probably should have looked for better waxes - but plain old Johnson's paste wax is what I used.

3. 
   ron_werner | Mar 09, 2000 03:54am | #6

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   >need help with crown molding. I am working on a remodel job and putting up crown molmolding. I am having trouble with the inside angle of an 45 degree angle. Can any one help me with the miter and bevel setting. Ready to pull my hair out, thanks.

4. 
   Guest_ | Mar 10, 2000 08:48am | #7

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   Ron,

   Crown moulding is placed in your miter saw "upside down & backwards" remember? In other words, the part of the crown moulding that would touch against the ceiling when installed, should be placed so that it is touching the bottom base of your miter saw. The part that normally touches the wall when nailed, will now be touching the fence on your miter saw.

   To make a 45 degree miter, set your saw at 45 and cut.To cut a "lefthand" miter (when viewing the crown as though being nailed up in place, position the crown in your miter box as earlier described and position your saw to 45 degrees on the left-hand setting, then cut. For a (nailed in place) right hand miter, set your saw to 45 degrees to the right, position the crown in your miter saw, and then cut off the left end piece of the crown. For a left-hand miter (as viewed in place) position the crown like before, set your saw 45 degrees to the left, and cut off the piece on the right end. Best way to install the crown (if not too large) is to run your moulding starting in the right hand corner of the room and installing the first piece with square ends in each corner along that wall. Butt the next piece up by making a right hand miter (if viewed from ceiling) and then coping this piece to fit. 45 it first, then cope. The other end of this piece will run straight. Then work your way around the room. You're working from right to left, each time requiring you to make a right hand miter and then running to the left hand corner straight. (REMEMBER, these righthand miters....when viewed as though nailed in place, will actually be cut with your saw set on the right hand 45 degree side, and you will be cutting off the left end tip of the moulding when positioned in your miter saw.)

   Confused? I wish I could explain it better, but this is the best I can do. For runs that require more than 1 piece of trim to span the distance from end to end, hold the moulding in the miter saw the same way as earlier described and then cut the moulding with your saw set at 22.5 degrees. Cut the other piece the same way 22.5 degrees with the saw set exactly the same side as the first cut.

   To cope, first cut the 45 degree miter, then take a coping saw and cut out the back side of the trim....just like you do for base moulding.

   Hope this helps.

   Davo

5. 
   Guest_ | Mar 10, 2000 08:55am | #8

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   Where can I read about shellac/wax floor and furniture finishes?
   thanks, Dave

1. 
   Guest_ | Mar 03, 2000 07:10pm | #1

   *"The Wood Finisher" and "The Weekend Refinisher" - both books by Bruce Johnson. Also check out Old House Journal board http://www.oldhousejournal.com/talk/index.sht?limit=90 a thread under 1900-1945 called Recreating Woodwork "glow".I have stripped all trim and floors and refinished with shellac and - on the floors - paste wax and am very pleased with results. House is 1904 builders prairie - mostly oak (sashes are pine, some floors are maple).