SAN DIEGO, CA – ShellacFinishes is proud to announce their new Royal-Lac line of “ready to go” shellac-based wood finishes.

New Royal-Lac wood finish raises the bar in the wood coatings industry by providing the look and feel of shellac with improved flow and level, thus making it easy to apply with a brush, pad or spray equipment. Based on a carefully tested proprietary blend of shellac and synthetic resins, the result is a highly durable product that can stand up against heat, water and alcoholic beverages.

Experienced woodworkers know that shellac has been the woodworker’s choice finish for centuries. The depth, color, and shine produced by shellac is unmatched by modern synthetic finishes such as Polyurethane, Nitro Cellulose Lacquer, or Urethane. Unfortunately, shellac is often considered less durable than synthetic finishes, and its use on heirloom and high end furniture has slowly declined in recent decades.

Today Royal-Lac shakes up the industry by combining the beautiful look and feel that woodworkers love with a durability that is second to none and competes head on with other synthetic finishes ̶ thus proving you can “have your cake and eat it too!”

Royal-Lac is a proprietary formulation formed by cross-linking shellac with carefully selected synthetic resins to form new polyester chains that combine the look and feel of shellac with the durability of synthetic finishes. Therefore it can be used on any indoor furniture and cabinetry!

“Today I am thrilled to announce Royal-Lac for the many benefits it brings to the market. It is a finish I have been working on for some time now and is not only beautiful but durable and easy to apply. My customers have been asking for it for years. As a woodworker and an experienced finisher myself, I understand their frustrations and am so excited to finally release the finish they’ve been waiting for. The ability to offer this new and cost-competitive product is very rewarding,” states Vijay Velji, owner of ShellacFinishes.

Peter Gedreys, a highly respected finisher and frequent writer on finishing in Fine WoodworkingMagazine writes: “As a proponent of shellac finishes, I was impressed with Royal-Lac. The first time I used it, it brushed well and was very easy to apply with a pad. The finish it produces is heat and alcohol resistant.”

Tad Fallon from Fallon & Wilkinson Furniture Conservator states: “I just had the perfect opportunity for using Royal-Lac. I was on-site in a NYC apartment, and had to polish out a large rectangular antique farm table that had sustained some heat marks and water rings on the top. We cleaned the surface with naphtha, a little water and detergent, and lightly cut the top with 400 grit paper, followed by a light padding with Royal-Lac. The product worked very well, it padded very nicely, had minimal odor, was clear and had a nice sheen. We returned the following week and lightly steel wooled and waxed the top to slightly modulate the gloss. The table looks great, is holding up well and the client is pleased.”

Royal-Lac is available in the traditional shellac varieties: Super Blonde, Beige, Orange and Garnet. Whole sale inquiries are welcome.

About ShellacFinishes:

ShellacFinishes was established in November 2006 by longtime San Diego resident and woodworker Vijay Velji. A well-known furniture maker, French Polisher, and teacher, Vijay was frustrated with the inconsistent performance of shellac purchased from local vendors. Flakes on the retailers’ shelves were of unknown age and would sometimes form a lumpy mess when mixed with alcohol rather than dissolving into a nice homogenous mixture. Unsatisfied with the situation, Vijay took matters into his own hands and travelled halfway around the world, in search of shellac that was guaranteed fresh.

Over time, he established business and personal relationships with harvesters and manufacturers positioned to supply fresh shellac, and launched his company. Because of the tight relationships he formed early on, ShellacFinishes knows the actual date of harvest and is the only shellac vendor to put a freshness date and guarantee on every package sold.

As a passionate woodworker and frequent user of shellac, Vijay remains in tune with customer needs. Shortly after starting ShellacFinishes, he noticed that some customers were hesitant to use shellac due to concerns about durability and ease of application. Unfortunately, shellac’s rheology simply did not allow it to flow and level as easily as synthetic finishes, and it didn’t compete with synthetic finishes on durability.

Again unsatisfied, Vijay dug deeper into the chemistry of shellac seeking a way to address these limitations. After two years of R&D, his careful analysis and methodical testing paid off when ShellacFinishes introduced a new line of wood finish based on a proprietary blend of shellac and synthetic resins.

The new finish, Royal-Lac remains second to none in durability and ease of application.

ShellacFinishes and its founder Vijay Velji are pleased to offer products which empower Indian farmers with sustainable economic alternatives to deforestation of their lands for agricultural and industrial use. They are dedicated to helping preserve these precious natural resources.

Source: ShellacFinishes