Shellac on Bottle stoppers

[Marmotjr]

Yes, straight shellac on a bottle stopper is a dumb idea.

But what about putting shellac under Poly? I'd try CA, but I'm almost out, and the geometry of this one would be a pain for CA to spread nicely.

Will the alcohol of the container penetrate the Poly and mess up the shellac?

 

[KenV]

Not likely there will be any problems short of soaking the bottle stopper in booze.

 

[monophoto]

I never use shellac as a final finish on bottle stoppers. Alcohol is the normal solvent for shellac, and the alcohol in the beverage can damage the finish.

Instead, I normally use a varnish - either commercial WOP, or a shop-made wipe-on long-oil varnish (commercial spar varnish + turpentine + tung oil).

I've made a few stoppers that feature a captive ring and that I have finished using only multiple applications of tung oil.

I would not be concerned about using shellac as a sanding sealer under a varnish finish, but I'm not sure that is necessary. Bottle stoppers are utility items, not art. They are going to bang around in a kitchen drawer - if there is any torn grain, it will soon be invisible next to the other dings.