Shellac Solvent:
Grain Alcohol vs. Denatured Alcohol
Bob Miller explains why you should head
to the local liquor store before mixing
and applying your next shellac finish. Shellac is a wonderful finish with a fantastic
range of applications and possibilities. It can
range from an easy utility finish all the way
up to the finest of fine polished finishes.
Here is a way to make your shellac finishes
better and easier to use. This gets a little
scientific, but stick with me, it’s worth it in
the end.
It is very important to think about the
solvent used to dissolve the shellac. Most
people simply use commercially available
“denatured” alcohol. Denatured alcohol is
a general alcohol-based solvent used for a
variety of applications across many
industries. Mixed with shellac, it will
produce a serviceable finish. However, it has
some problems when it comes to shellac. First, there is no industry regulation
regarding what precisely constitutes
denatured alcohol. This means that some
brands are cut with water to increase their
volume, often by as much as 20%. Second, is that there is no way of knowing
what kind of alcohol was used to produce
the product. Some brands contain methanol,
a cheaper, more volatile, and dangerous
form of industrial alcohol that can be used
to bulk up the volume of solvent. This
inconsistency makes it difficult to predict
the behavior of the shellac both as it
dissolves and as it dries as a finish.
| In short, denatured alcohol is an
unpredictable, dangerous, unhealthy, poor
quality solvent for shellac that will make
your finish harder to use as well as shorten
your life. Don’t worry though; I have a solution. Prior to Prohibition here in the United
States, woodworkers would have simply
mixed their shellac with a high proof, grain
derived alcohol that contained a minimum of
water. It was only after Prohibition that all
of these denaturants were added to make
industrial alcohol undrinkable.
If you’re looking for a pure, consistent
supply of high-strength alcohol that
doesn’t contain this spectrum of
chemicals, think about the bottom shelf at
your local liquor store.
Everclear and Diesel are two brands
of nearly pure alcohol that contain less
than 5% water. They are commercially
available in most states and are the perfect
solvent for shellac, with no denaturant and
a minimum of water.
Once you switch to pure alcohol for your
shellac you will wonder how you ever got
along with denatured alcohol. Pure grain
alcohol will dissolve your shellac more
smoothly and will build your finish more
quickly. So, take a trip to your local liquor
store and pick up some solvent, give it a try
with shellac, and see what you think when
you’ve used a traditional solvent for your
traditional shellac finish.
Bob Miller is a custom furniture maker
and woodworker based in the Charles neighborhood of Boston. Note: Everclear 190 is not available in all states.
See below.
| ‘Everclear 190’ is a 190 proof Ethanol.
Everclear 190 Grain Alcohol is currently banned in 14 states that have ruled 190 Proof Everclear Is Not Legal
(2023) include:
California – only 151 proof available
= 75.5% alcohol & 24.95% water
District of Columbia
Florida
Hawaii
Iowa
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Nevada
New Hampshire
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Virginia
Washington
Everclear, (less than 190 Proof) available in the states above IS NOT Recommend for use as a solvent for shellac.
190 Everclear is a brand name of rectified spirit (also known as grain alcohol and neutral spirit) produced by the American company
Luxco (formerly known as the David Sherman Corporation).
It is made from grain and is bottled at 60%, 75.5%, 94.5% and 95% alcohol by volume (120,151, 189, and 190 U.S. proof respectively). | Everclear 190 proof (5% distilled Water)
A good Solvent for making Shellac
is legal in 36 states.
States where ‘Everclear 190’ Is Legal
(as of 2023)
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Georgia
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
New Jersey
New Mexico
North Dakota
Oklahoma
Oregon
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming |
FAQs
Denatured alcohol is ethanol that's been mixed with toxic additives. Ethanol — also known as grain alcohol — is alcohol at its most basic. However, denatured alcohol is not fit for human consumption because of these additives and is instead used as a lower-cost solvent or fuel.
Can I use Everclear for shellac? ›
Everclear, (less than 190 Proof) available in the states above IS NOT Recommend for use as a solvent for shellac. Luxco (formerly known as the David Sherman Corporation). It is made from grain and is bottled at 60%, 75.5%, 94.5% and 95% alcohol by volume (120,151, 189, and 190 U.S. proof respectively).
What is a good alternative to denatured alcohol for shellac? ›
Alternatives to denatured alcohol
Grain alcohol – Grain alcohols, such as Everclear and Graves, are often found in your local liquor store. The higher the proof, the more pure it is, so many woodworkers prefer 190-proof grain alcohol.
Is Everclear the same as denatured alcohol? ›
Everclear is a non-denatured ethanol approved and intended for beverage use. Because of its status as a "beverage," there are often increased restrictions on the purchase and importation of beverage-use ethanol.
What states have banned denatured alcohol? ›
The State of California has joined a couple other states and Canada in banning Denatured Alcohol this year.
What is the difference between alcohol and grain alcohol? ›
Ethanol, or ethyl alcohol, is the only type of alcohol that you can drink without seriously harming yourself, and then only if it hasn't been denatured or doesn't contain toxic impurities. Ethanol is sometimes called grain alcohol because it is the main type of alcohol produced by grain fermentation.
What alcohol is best for shellac? ›
Everclear and Diesel are two brands of nearly pure alcohol that contain less than 5% water. They are commercially available in most states and are the perfect solvent for shellac, with no denaturant and a minimum of water.
What kind of alcohol do you use for shellac? ›
Denatured Alcohols (methylated spirits) for Shellac.
Does denatured alcohol dissolve shellac? ›
I've used Kleen Strip Green denatured alcohol successfully. It dissolved shellac from the brush in a few minutes and nicely thinned the shellac from bullseye brand. It appears easy to find, from smaller hardware stores to the big boxes in the US.
What does denatured alcohol do to wood? ›
Denatured alcohol assists in cleaning the wood after sanding it to prepare it for other projects. Wear protective gloves and treat the wood outside in a dry area. Use a lint-free cloth and wipe the wood with undiluted denatured alcohol. The denatured alcohol will dry quickly and clean the wood.
Bleach and rubbing alcohol create chloroform. This combination is highly toxic and can cause damage to your eyes, lungs, and liver. Combining these products can create peracetic / peroxyacetic acid, which can be highly corrosive and irritate your eyes, skin, and respiratory tract.
What is high proof grain alcohol? ›
In its pure form, grain alcohol contains a minimum of 95 percent ABV. Grain alcohol that is 200-proof (100 percent ABV) is not for human consumption. It can be made from corn, rye, wheat, grapes, grains, sugarcane, tubers, and beets. Grain alcohol is harsh in its undiluted form, so you don't consume it straight.
Is Everclear just vodka? ›
It literally isn't vodka. Everclear is a rectified spirit (pure grain alcohol) Vodka isn't anywhere near as distilled. It's less pure, a lot less. Plus vodka has a ton more water.
What is 200 proof grain alcohol? ›
200 Proof Alcohol: Contains 100% Ethanol. (Specification is 200 Proof) All Ethanol products have a proof associated with the product description. The proof is the measure of water content of the Ethanol portion of the product and any level of proof can be manufactured based upon the amount of water added.
Is watered down Everclear the same as vodka? ›
There really is no material difference between the two. They are produced by essentially the same processes, basically distilling grain spirit in column stills. Vodka begins life just like Everclear, distilled to more than 95% alcohol, but water is added at bottling to bring it down to 40%-50%, depending on brand.
What is another name for denatured alcohol? ›
Denatured alcohol, also known as methylated spirits, metho, or meths in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom; and denatured rectified spirit is ethanol that has additives to make it poisonous, bad-tasting, foul-smelling, or nauseating to discourage its recreational consumption.
What is a substitute for denatured alcohol? ›
- Sodium hypochlorite topical.
- Benzalkonium chloride topical.
- Iodine topical.
- Silver nitrate topical.
- Isopropyl alcohol topical.
- Dakins Full Strength Solution.
Use isopropyl alcohol in most of the same applications as denatured alcohol. It is safe for cleaning plastics, metals, anodized windshield repair injectors; as well as all other Delta Kits windshield repair equipment. Use DA with caution on printed products, logos or labels.
Is 91% isopropyl alcohol the same as denatured alcohol? ›
Denatured alcohol and isopropyl alcohol have similar uses, but they differ chemically. Denatured alcohol is ethyl alcohol with toxic or bad tasting additives that make it unsuitable for consumption. The chemical formula of ethyl is C2H6O and the formula for isopropyl alcohol is C3H8O.
