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Pro tip: I read that a single coat of shellac can seal off wood tannins for up to 50 years
Found that in an old trade journal from the 70s. Has anyone tested a piece that old to see if it held up?
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tessap737mo ago
That 50 year claim always seemed wild to me. Shellac is an amazing sealer, but it's made from bug resin and alcohol. It can get brittle and fail with big humidity changes over time. I've seen it crack and let tannin bleed through on old furniture after maybe 20 years, not 50. It's good, but not a forever fix.
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sean_barnes245mo ago
Tried shellac on a knotty pine table that kept bleeding through, and it worked great for about 15 years before I needed to redo it. What kind of wood are you sealing?
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jessicap827mo ago
It reminds me of how many old claims from trade magazines get repeated as fact. We trust the printed word without seeing real proof over time. It's a good lesson to question even the most official sounding advice.
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harperp247mo ago
Honestly, what kind of wood were they testing it on? Some woods have way more tannins than others.
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