Thread: Ozuku JNat: problem using shellac

Originally Posted by heirkb

I guess I was thinking of abandoning the shellac because of what you were saying about how it doesn't hold up well to water. Also, I don't really want to take the risk of messing something up and having it trap even more water in my stone. I'll look into spar varnish as a solution as well, but I first need to get this shellac off...do you know if spar varnish would work for a stone?

Spar varnish will work, but it's artificial and will be very tough to touch up and remove down the road. Same as poly, but tougher. Unnessarily tougher. I'd never put it in my house, let alone on my precious stones. In a few years it's garbage and will kill the natural grace of your stone.

Here it is 1AM and I'm researching what to seal a stone with, even tho my Jnat seems happy as is. YOU started it!

The more I read the more sure I become that Tung Oil is the way to go. It polymerizes as it cures, just like urushi, and comes from a nut, just like cashew. It's waterproof, tough, and natural. It's long-lasting and touches up easily. To me the biggest criteria are natural, water-resistant, and easily removable. Plus, it's indigenous to Asia. I really think Tung Oil is the ticket.

The trick is to only use pure Tung Oil- alot of it has poly hidden in it. Check local availability both at hardware stores and a real woodworking store- Manhattan or Bklyn MUST have at least one. If not:

Pure Tung Oil Finish - Wood Finishing - All Natural Finish - China Wood Oil - Real Milk Paint ®

The small size + some solvent will be enough. The first few coats should be thinned for better penetration, the later coats not thinned for better body. It's slow drying and slower to cure so do your cleaning and lapping and honing and then sealing so everything can properly cure for a few weeks. Not sure this is any different from urushi or cashew, but I don't know for sure.

Anyway, I really think Tung Oil is the ticket BUT I've never used it to seal a hone. I really think you're safe, but if you do yours before I do mine then YOU are the guinea pig, so proceed at your own risk. But at the end of the day, the risk seems negligible because it's natural and removable and certainly safer than poly...

Let us know what you decide and how things work out. I think this Tung Oil idea just might be a genuine breakthrough and a milestone in the history of HAD!