Lacquer vs shellac
Both dry fast. PPG and Minwax give their brushing lacquers 30 minutes to the touch and 2 hours to recoat; Zinsser’s later coats of shellac are touch-dry in 10–15 minutes and recoat in about an hour.
Coverage is similar: up to 500 sq ft per gallon for PPG’s lacquer and 125 per quart for Minwax’s, 400–600 per gallon for Zinsser’s shellac. PPG says its brushing lacquer is not for floors or outdoors; Zinsser rates shellac below polyurethane for durability and lists it for interior use.
Side by side
| Property | Brushing lacquer | Shellac |
|---|---|---|
| Touch-dry | ProLuxe (Deft) Brushing Lacquer: 30 minMinwax Brushing Lacquer: 30 min | Zinsser Bulls Eye Shellac: 10–15 min |
| Recoat | ProLuxe (Deft) Brushing Lacquer: 2 hMinwax Brushing Lacquer: 2 h | Zinsser Bulls Eye Shellac: 0.33–1 h |
| Ready for use | ProLuxe (Deft) Brushing Lacquer: 24 h (service)Minwax Brushing Lacquer: 24 h (normal use) | Not printed by the maker we read |
| Full cure | Not printed by the makers we read | Not printed by the maker we read |
| Coverage | ProLuxe (Deft) Brushing Lacquer: up to 500 sq ft per gallonMinwax Brushing Lacquer: 125 sq ft per quart | Zinsser Bulls Eye Shellac: 400–600 sq ft per gallon |
| Thinning | Not printed by the makers we read | Zinsser Bulls Eye Shellac: Denatured alcohol (premixed at a 3 lb cut; Zinsser recommends thinning) |
| Makers say it is for | ProLuxe (Deft) Brushing Lacquer: furniture, cabinets | Zinsser Bulls Eye Shellac: furniture, cabinets, floors, toys |
| Makers say not for | ProLuxe (Deft) Brushing Lacquer: floors, outdoor wood | Not printed by the maker we read |
The products behind it
| Product | Touch-dry | Recoat | Use | Full cure | Coverage | Thinning and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ProLuxe (Deft) Brushing Lacquer One source: PPG (ProLuxe, formerly Deft), the maker of that product | 30 min | 2 h | 24 hservice | — | up to 500 sq ft per gallon | Conditions: 77 °F, 50 % RH; apply at 50–90 °F.Nitrocellulose; 19 % volume solids; not for floors or exterior; clean up with lacquer thinner. |
| Minwax Brushing Lacquer One source: Minwax (Sherwin-Williams), the maker of that product | 30 min | 2 h | 24 hnormal use | — | 125 sq ft per quart | No sanding needed between coats; 3 coats, a fourth if desired. |
| Zinsser Bulls Eye Shellac One source: Rust-Oleum (Zinsser), the maker of that product | 10–15 min | 0.33–1 h | — | — | 400–600 sq ft per gallon | Thinning: Denatured alcohol (premixed at a 3 lb cut; Zinsser recommends thinning).Conditions: 70 °F; not above 85 % RH.First coat on bare wood: sand and recoat in about 20–30 minutes; later coats touch-dry in 10–15 minutes and recoat in about an hour. Not recommended under polyurethane. |
Related
Work it out for your project
Times are the makers' own at the temperature and humidity they name, and several of them say cooler, damper conditions slow their finishes. For how much to buy, the finish coverage calculator uses these same coverage figures. Every finish side by side: the finish dry time chart. What the federal rules say about finishes and food: food-contact finishes.
Elsewhere in finishing: shellac and the shellac cut calculator; for repairs before the finish, wood filler vs wood putty; and for the glue-up, wood glue types.