u/Ill-Water4316

Indian shellac

Hi guys,

I am making an Indian shellac-based varnish to varnish a violin, following the formula below for anyone who wants to make it:

• 150 grams of Indian shellac

• 1 liter of absolute alcohol

• 25 grams of light or dark rosin

• I like to leave it mixed for 7 days in a glass container, opening it and stirring it every day. After that, I filter it using a coffee filter or another similar filter.

But to give it an antique tone, I decided to buy an dark oil-based paint.

My question is: is it recommended to use this paint over a Indian shellac-based varnish, or only over an oil-based varnish? How many coats of varnish are usually applied on average?