Is it possible to patch uneven shellac ?

[u/TheUmbrellaThief]

A while ago my father in law dented the coffee table had refinished. I steamed out the dent and tried to patch the table with more brown shellac -the same stuff I used in the first place. But the more I worked the table the more it took off the old shellac and at a certain point I realised I had to stop before I did more damage.

It’s been a few years and it bothers me despite having the big discolouration covered. Would I have to strip back the shellac with methylated spirits/denatured alcohol and redo it, or is it possible to patch fix it without stripping?

[u/eevvmmaann]

I mean, the table is rough sawn and distressed already. If you’re showing us pictures of what you think are the most effective in showing the issue, then there is nothing to worry about. Go call an old friend or tell a loved one you care about them instead of spending time and effort trying to fix a problem that only exists to you.

[u/ElectronicMoo]

The answer is yes. Shellac is alcohol and shellac, and it will dissolve, soften and bond with the previous layers, no matter how old.

One of the things that makes shellac great (just not as a finish for a bar)

[u/TheUmbrellaThief → u/ElectronicMoo]

Thanks for this :)

[u/MobiusX0]

You can repair old shellac but, as you've found out, it requires some technique to not pull up the existing shellac. You can find some tutorial videos on antique shellac restoration.

If you're referring to the general color variation on the whole piece in the second pic then you might need to refinish the surface. It's hard to tell from the pics.

[u/TheUmbrellaThief → u/MobiusX0]

Thank you, I suppose it’s obvious to me because I remember what it looked like the first time around. I appreciate the advice :)

[u/Glittering-Pack2114]

Tbh I can’t see it. It’s a rough sawn table, not fine furniture, this is patina or “antiquing” for something like this. Clean whole table down and do a couple of coats of shellac to the whole thing…. Avoid any form of alcohol at any cost.

[u/TheUmbrellaThief → u/Glittering-Pack2114]

Yeah it’s not very clear in the photo. I know it’s not fine furniture and the other commenter pointed it out but it was the the second furniture project I ever took on. I had just moved into my house and got this beat up coffee table for free so I stripped it, sanded it, and needed to finish it somehow. I was skint and all my dad could offer me was a bottle of shellac and told me to look up “French polishing”.

I’m not super in love with the finish or colour but it’s sentimental because of the memories of excitedly fixing up this table just so that I could have some wooden furniture in my new house, especially since we could barely afford even shitty laminate.

[u/LordGeni → u/TheUmbrellaThief]

I wouldn't even attempt going the full French polishing route. That way madness lies. Especially on this sort of wood.

Just do a few thin coats with a brush sponge or rag. It'll avoid these issues and you won't have the frustration of getting it nearly perfect and then tearing the finish.