Martin Rost wrote:

I know that the oil acts as a lubricant, and the oil floating to the surface
is how French polishing of furniture is explained, but there they only use a
drop of mineral oil at a time. For a friction polish in turning, the usual
formula is equal parts of alcohol, shellac (3 pound cut - typically what is
sold at the store) and boiled linseed oil. After the alcohol evaporates
(what you added and what was in the shellac), more than half of the finish
is the BLO. I find it hard to believe that this is all being wiped away.
May it is.

I've always sort of wondered about that too. I think some gets absorbed
into the wood too. If it leaches in one dirction it must in the other
as well by my way of thinking.

When I use shellac, I don't actually use the old 1:1:1 formula. I
usually rub some MO into the wood, then use the same cloth or paper
towel to wipe on the shellac, let that sit a few minutes, wipe off the
excess then spin it up, buffing w/the same applicator. Friction dried
it pretty fast. Sometimes it'll take a couple applications. Depending
on a very scientific principle, called a 'whim', I may decant a bit of
shellac off to a disposable container and add a bit of oil - just a
dollup, probably nothing close to a third or half.

I think the lubrication is the important quality, and it doesn't really
take much to achieve that...

....Kevin
--
Kevin Miller
http://www.alaska.net/~atftb
Juneau, Alaska