Wood Finish Repair: How to Remove Shellac

Removing shellac is one the easiest types of wood finish repair. Aside from some basic materials, all you need is good old fashioned elbow grease.

Step 1 - Test the Finish

Before getting started, you can save yourself a lot of time and effort by testing the finish you want to remove first to make sure that it is in fact shellac. Many older pieces of wood furniture will often have shellac or lacquer finish, but it's hard to tell what the finish is just by looking at it.

To test the finish, apply denatured alcohol on a small section first. Shellac finish will liquefy and dissolve at the application of the alcohol. If the finish doesn't dissolve, but get's soft, it's probably a mixture of shellac and lacquer, which can be removed using a 50-50 mixture of denatured alcohol and lacquer thinner.

Step 2 - Work in Small Sections

After testing, you can now get started by applying the appropriate solvent to small sections of the furniture piece at a time. Use an old or disposable brush to liberally apply the solvent, allowing it to soak in for a few seconds before wiping it of using a clean piece of cloth. You can also use steel wool to clean off the old finish.

Step 3 - Work Quickly and Change Cleaning Cloths Often

You'll need to work quickly, as alcohol and lacquer thinner evaporates rapidly. Be sure to change cleaning cloths often so you don't end up reapplying old finish.

After you've removed all the shellac, sand the piece smooth as needed using fine sandpaper so that it is ready to be refinished.