Mark,
Thanks for the great information...sounds pretty simple. I'm now
wondering if you have a method of using shellac with some added
"thickener" to taper the bore of a shak. Or perhaps you taper it with
plaster and then coat it with the tinted shellac?
~carlos
-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Millonas [mailto:millonas@email.arc.nasa.gov]=20
Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2003 3:39 PM
To: Shakuhachi@communication.ucsd.edu
Subject: RE: urushi
>
>Mark,
>Not to rub it in Gene's face...but, what is the imitation urushi you
>refer to here?
Naw, I don't think gene needs anything more rubbed in his face
right now, if you know what you mean....
this rib poking reminds me:
a colleague of mine from Sweden once used poison oak to wipe himself the
first
time he went backpacking in New Mexico - he ended up in the hospital,
but
I think the humiliation was almost as bad as the pain....but I
digress...
---------------------------------
tinted shellac faux-urushi
1. Go to your local hardware store and buy some shellac - clear
or amber may not make a difference in this case, but I used clear.
Shellac is non-toxic, and even smells "nice". (however I'm just
guessing
that if you are a recovering alcoholic you might want to avoid this
smell)
You can "tint" shellac, and if you go to the paint mixing counter they
can=20
tell you the maximum about of
tint you can add to the shellac. This is much less than, say, the
percent
of color you can add to paint, but I digress.
2. Go to their color charts and select
the color you would like, dark red, bright red, black, florescent green,
etc.
3. The tell them you want to add that color to the shellac to the
maximum=20
recommended concentration.
They will usually have to mix two or more pigments to get that color,
and=20
they have a computer program
that they use to figure things out. Its exactly the same process as
mixing=20
paint, except you use shellac.
At this point you can either make sure your pigments are non-toxic, or
if=20
you are at all worried
pick up another can of plain shellac to use as a last coat or two.
4. The final result will look something like paint in the can. *Be
sure=20
to shake or stir well before applications*. I like to
use a squirt bottle and it apply a la Monte Levenson's recommendations
in=20
his booklet, but
you may have your own favorite method. The shellac is very fluid so the
"pour down the rotating bore" method works perfectly.
5. The shellac will dry in 15 minutes, but it's probably best to wait
an=20
hour or two between coats. I sand with 200 grade
paper between the first few coats, and then switch to an even finer
grade=20
as a hard shiny, opaque finish
is achieved. If your trying to actually fill in some contours you might
want to be more aggressive initially.
The first few coats will not look watery, but after 3-4 coats it will be
shiny, solid red (or whatever)
like the color you chose. After about 10 coats, depending on how
obsessive=20
you are, you will have a beautiful
hard, shiny, glass-like (and tough) bore finish. I guessing if you are=20
going for a less finished, less lacquered
look you could just apply a few coats.
You can get a quart of this stuff for less than $10, you don't have to=20
search the world over, you don't
need to know the secret password so the cryptic little old lady behind
the=20
counter can slip you some on the sly,
and you don't have to go into toxic shock. Also, you can use the=20
instrument a few hours after you apply the last coat.
Its not urushi, its *nothing special*.
There are of course variations and substitutions you make on this. The=20
advantages of this one are that it is cheap, non-toxic, quick drying,
and=20
you can
find the basic ingredients anywhere.
cheers,
marko
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