I come to the mountain today seeking wisdom from the shellac masters.

I am planning to install a drop bar (probably a rando bend) on my Marinoni, and am considering shellac/cloth tape as an option.

I would like to approximate the tone and color of my saddle - Brooks Swift in honey - which has mild yellow and red undertones. The pic makes the saddle look a bit darker than it really is, and the saddle has been treated with proofide, so should be to its 'root' color. I'll try to dig up a better pic.


My first inclination is to use tan (if I can find it) bar tape with a clear shellac, but I'm curious about some more creative options.
What about yellow bar tape with the reddish shellac? or amber/red blended?

Of course, I can experiment, but I'd love to see what you guys have done and what kind of results you've gotten.

What say you, shellac masters?

Edit: here's a closer shot of the saddle

An interesting thread! I aint no shellac guru, but I'll chime in with some mostly unfounded opinions. I've found trying to predict what color they'll come out is like betting on the weather four weeks out. After staring at that picture of your saddle, I would, if it were me, try a few flakes of Garnet shellac, mixed with twice a few flakes of orange shellac, over white or tan Newbaum's. I say a "few" flakes" 'cause you don't want to mix too much. Ask me how I know. Buying shellac flakes in small quantities can be a challenge though, unless you want to get skinned at VO. I only have orange flakes right now, but if you don't have any and would like a small sample, send me a PM. I've enjoyed experimenting with bar tape and shellac, but it's always a crap shoot when trying to match a certain color, I've found.

True, and I'll add thet you can get results beyond just the base color of tape plus common shellac colors (clear, blond, orange, garnet) by adding small amounts of dye or UTC (universal tinting colors). It's something you'll have to experiment with, and I don't have any pics of results to share. But some dye is a poor choice due to its poor light-fastness; certain colors are just not gonna happen no matter what pigments you use...I have my favorite: Mixol
https://www.mixol.de/front_content.ph...2&changelang=2

Good tip Unworthy1. I had forgotten about dyes. I use Trans Tint in my woodworking but don't have any colors suitable for what I was trying to do with bar tape so never tried it. Haven't heard of Mixol before. Are you finding it locally?

I use natural cork (tan) tape with amber shellac, and it perfectly matches my B17 Special in honey!



4 light coats does it.

Canyon, you could use brown cloth tape with a few coats of clear shellac. I would probably favor yellow cloth, though with coats of amber shellac until you get the color where you want it. Clear after that if you want more shellac. While overkill, I like to hit my shellaced bars with some fine grade sandpaper before the last coat. The first coat or two will pull the fibers from the tape and I just think it looks good with about 30 seconds of sanding before the final coat.

This is yellow (can't remember if it was Tressotar or Newbaum's). I like Newbaum's the best.





This is also yellow, but with less amber shellac. Notice the sunshine on the lower portion.




Also yellow. Would've matched the saddle better with another coat of amber.

Thank you for the great pics the tips so far. Both Colonel's and Maggie's examples are excellent matches (and they look great!).

VO is the only place I've seen the shellac flakes, but I haven't started looking in any depth (yet). I really like the idea of experimenting with different flakes and dyes to see what various combos yield. Hmmm...... I see a "test bar" in my near future.......

I had never considered using dyes, but the options really open up with that route.

Colonel - it is reassuring to see the results that you've gotten with yellow tape as a base. The yellow still comes through as an undertone, which is what I'm hoping to achieve.

Maggie - would you happen to have any closeups of those bars? They look incredible.

Wow. That is beautiful.

You pretty much have to experiment as you really don't know what you are going to get after different materials react with the shellac. Lovely Bicycle just had a blog post about using stain to help change the color of cork and wood. I don't think there is any reason it wouldn't work with cloth either. With the shellac you pretty much have the choice of amber and clear. Using stain will help you get it darker -browner or redder or just about anything you can find in the paint department for stain Sometimes the stains have sampler packets for free or a buck or so. That would be the way to go for small jobs like bar tape or grips.

I will take closeups of my bars tomorrow when it's light out!

Trans Tints work great in shellac, reduce with alcohol then add to shellac (It's best if you're cutting your own shellac.) I don't remember exactly what it took in a 4-lb cut last time I used it, but I remember it was a 4-lb cut and it took about the amount of tint I expected. (Maybe 2 tb in a pint of shellac? Maybe?) This was pthalo green onto birch, so draw your own conclusions.

Yes, from Woodcraft (a big chain similar to Woodworkers Supply or Rockler). I used to use TransTints and Moser Wizard Tints but this Mixol stuff has made me a convert.
BTW, shellac flakes, chips, buttons, etc. to make your own cuts are available at all of the above woodworking shops for less $ than at a "boutique".

Here ya go, Canyoneagle!

Another example of tan cork with amber shellac:

The Trans-Tint should work great! I used a Red-Mahogany powder dye mixed separately and then slowly added into the shellac, in stages, until I got the look I wanted. My first couple coats were just plain Amber shellac. The tape was yellow cloth.

Thank you!

https://shellac.net/pricelist.html

Thank you.
I actually stumbled across this site this afternoon. I was blown away by the variety. For bike use, what is the difference between the de-waxed and regular shellac? Is the wax a desirable thing for waterproofness and workability?

I am going to do some online research to "edumacate" myself a bit more, but for a specific application such as this, I'm sure conventional woodworking rules of thumb may not always apply.

I dont have an answer.

but I will say that shellac.net ships immediately and responds to questions promptly. highly recommended.