Products
Many woodturners and -carvers in Australia, New-Zeeland, America and Canada don't know anything else anymore but until recently the unique Shellawax-products where unfortunately not for sale in Europe. Because Ron's has taken up the import of these products that has changed so that finally also European woodturners and -carvers can benefit from these fabulous products.
Click on one of the following topics or just scroll down through the entire text.
Shellawax is a "foolproof", one-layer finishing product that has been especially designed for use on lathes. It is (to our knowledge) the fastest and easiest to use product available today that gives an instant beautifull shine to wooden products. It is use with the lathe turned on and as a result of the developed heat becomes one with the wood. It dries instantly so that the workpiece can also instantly be handled and the problem of dustparticles settling in the fresh finish does simply not exist. After the full curing period of approximately 3 weeks Shellawax can also handle small amounts of water, alcohol etc. Because Shellawax deeply penetrates the wood and becomes one with it it is not a finish that sits on top of the wood but a lasting finish ín the wood. For this reason a Shellawax finish is also a lot more durable and harder to damage than a traditional finish like polyurethane lacquer.
Shellawax is, as the name indicates, a combination of (hard) shellac and various waxes among which carnauba and bees wax. It is a product specifically designed for finishing turned and carved wooden, plastic and stone products in which the main area of use is the quick and very brilliant finishing of woodturnings.
The harder in the product is activated by the heat produced during the application of Shellawax. As soon as the surface is dry (almost instantly) a process of cross-linking starts during which the finish becomes completely hard. Although this proces takes approximately 3 weeks the products can be handled directly after application without the danger of disturbing or delaying the process. Alcohol, water etcetera cán disturb the proces so just make sure your nicely finished work does not ge in contact with these fluids during the curing-period.
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Can be applied directly on the timber while the workpiece is still on th lathe.
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Creates a complete finish in one go without drying times. The workpiece can be handled directly and is not sticky.
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The finish is in the wood instead of on the wood and therefore much harder to damage.
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One product can be used to create either a glossy or a more silk appearance.
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Gloss maintains (if applied properly) in contrary with e.g. oil of which various coats are needed for a lasting result.
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Although not at all needed (or wanted) Shellawax can be combined with various oil finish
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Shellawax can be used for both spindle work as well as for bigger pieces like bowls or plates and is also very wel suited for finishing carvings.
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After application Shellawax is completely safe for products that are used for food-preparation.
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Application is very simple.
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Shellawax is based on hard-shellac and gives your product 30 days after application a very high resistance to marking from water, alcohol and heat.
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Shellawax is not weatherproof and should therefore not be used for outside-products
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As finishing with Shellawax is so fast you will produce even more ánd greater pieces that all need a space in the living...
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As a result of this fabulous finish you may also want to keep pieces that would otherwise have ended in the stove...
Before
Shellawax comes in action, yóu come in action with sanding paper. The better
and finer you sand, the more astonishing the end result will be. If you think
it's far too much work to sand up to grit 320 or finer just get yourself an nice
big paintbrush and a cheap pot of oil at the superstore and have a ball. If on
the other hand you think it's a shame not to properly finish the piece you have
worked on so hard than start sanding using grits 180, 240, 320, 400, 600
and finer if you wish. Pens and other items that are closely inspected are
sanded even more with grits 600, 800, 1000, 1200 and even finer. Best results
are achieved when sanding up to at least grit 1200. Don't you like sanding or
have you just not got so much time? Don't worry but read on and make sure you
chek the EEE-ultrashine product!
As soon as you are done with sanding, Shellawax is applied as follows:
For small spindlework (up to approximately 10 mm diameter)
Moisten a small piece of a clean rag with Shellawax and directly apply this to the workpiece with the lathe turned on and the workpiece spinning on a high (yet safe!) speed. Using a heavy pressure work the cream moistened portion of the rag over the the entire piece until the face of the rag is dry and hard (depending on the workpiece approximately 15 seconds). For very dry wood or wood with big pores it may be more convenient to apply Shellawax with the lathe stopped and then turn it on to continue as described abvove.
For
bigger spindlework (up to 100 mm diameter)
Stop the lathe. Moisten a clean rag with Shellawax and apply directly in an even coat to the workpiece. Switch on lathe. Moisten the rag again with Shellawax and continue as described before using a constant heavy pressure on the workpiece with the rag. It's the pressure that creates the heat needed for the Shellawax to produce a brilliant shine.
If you should want to add a second coat you can do so directly after applying the first one. For an even deeper, brillinat gloss resand the surface useing grit 1200 and apply the second coat.
For bowls, plates, vases etcetera
Stop the lathe. Moisten a clean rag with Shellawax and apply directly in an even coat to the workpiece. Switch on lathe. Moisten the rag again with Shellawax and continue as described before using a constant heavy pressure on the workpiece with the rag. It's the pressure that creates the heat needed for the Shellawax to produce a brilliant shine. Doing this, slowly work your way from the center of the piece to the outside maintaining the heavy pressure and thus creating the required heat. Once you have done the complete piece, quickly pass it again with your rag and finish with a clean rag.
When used on bigger bowls or plates you may get very fine lines in the surface. These are caused by the weaving of the rag and the speed with which Shellawax dries. To remove these lines, sand the workpiece lightly with grit 1200 or use EEE-Ultrashine and apply a second coat of Shellawax.
An even more convenient way of finishing bigger pieces is by using Shellawax Cream which has been especially designed for that purpose.
Carvings and work that cannot be turned.
Shellawax can also be used to finish carvings and work that cannot be turned with a great gloss. To finish pieces like that apply Shellawax to a piece of cloth and apply to the entire surface and polish firmly. Alternativly apply Shellawax, let dry and polish with a clean soft rag. Always work in small sections like 10-15 cm in square or use a power buffer for bigger surfaces.
Overview of the various products
Shellawax
This liquid product is mainly used for finishing smalle pieces, for carvings and to thin Shellawax cream when it has thickened.
Shellawax cream
Same product as Shellawax but a little thicker. Advantage of this crême is that it needs a bit more time to dry and is not thrown off the workpiece so easily. So, mainly used for bigger turnings.
Shellawax Glow
Again the same principle as Shellawax but this variety also applies a warm glow to the workpiece.
EEE-Ultrashine
Thé sanding product especially designed to be used in conjunction with Shellawax. Does not just give you a nice surface but also save you a lot of sanding. By sanding your workpiece up to grit 400 and then applying EEE-Ultrashine the same effect si reached as when manually sanding to approximately grit 2000. Another advantage of this product is that becomes clear instantly where any unwanted sandingmarks still exist befóre applying Shellawax. Only if you reálly enjoy sanding don't bother to order this product; in all other cases always add a pot of EEE-Ultrashine when ordering Shellawax.
Shellawax in combination with Shellawax cream
As you have read, Shellawax is meant for the smaller work while Shellawax cream normally works nicer with bigger pieces. For the even bigger pieces like bowls of more than 15 cm diameter a mixture of both products may prove very usefull to you. Make your own mixture of 50% Shellawax and 50% cream to get a thinner paste that does stay on the surface and yet gives you a bit more time to finish the entire piece. Experiment with the percentages to find the mixture you like best.
Shellawax as thinner for Shellawax cream
Use Shellawax as a thinner for Shellawax cream. During use the contents of the pot Shellawax cream will thicken a little. Just add a little Shellawax to give the crême the required consistency. It also extends the life of the crême (if you don't drown it!)
The secret to a great finish is in the preparation of the surface!
After application Shellawax is completely safe for workpieces that will be used for preparing food like e.g. salad bowls. All ingrediënts of Shellawax are also used in the food-processing industry, cosmetics etcetera. However please do note that Shellawax in it's liquid state does contain other products like turpentine and ethanol that make Shellawax easy to ignite and poisonnes. Once applied however these products evaporate leaving a 100% safe finish in and on the wood.
Can Shellawax be used over oil?
Yes, Shellwax cán be used over most oils if they have fully dried. However Shellawax has been especially designed to be used directly on untreated wood. Only in that way can Shellawax fully penetrate the wood and give the great shine. So you cán used Shellawax over oil but all it really adds is extra work, cost and time...
Can Shellawax be used over stains?
Yes, but only if you use waterbased stains; all other stains will not lead to great results.
Use the button "Order / Contact" to contact us for more information, to order Shellawax products or to request a sample package (max. 1 per address)
For a lot more information about these products have a look at the website of the manufacturer: U-Beaut enterprises (the link opens in a new window). Have a look under the button "U-Beaut products" or browse through the other interesting links on this site.
Shellawax is the absolute top so if you don't get a brilliant resultaat (re-)read the instructions again ór check the Shellawax problem solver for even more tips, tricks and solutions for almost any problem you may encounter.
WARNINGS:
Spray from applying Shellawax with the lathe
running can make some floors very slippery.
Shellawax can act as a stripper on some painted & polished surfaces. Wipe up spills immediately.
If used with a brush or spray equipment clean immediately after use with Ethanol or brushes and equipment may be rendered useless if the Shellawax is allowed to dry.
CAUTION
Shellawax contains: Alcohol Solutions
Keep away from: heat,
sparks, fire, flame and other ignition sources.
Avoid ingestion, contact with eyes, prolonged contact with skin or breathing of
vapours.
Keep
away from children.
Have you got any questions and / or remarks after reading the information above? Please mail them to us; we like to hear from you!
