Shellac is a resin secreted by the female lac bug, on trees in the forests of India and Thailand. It is processed and sold as dry flakes (pictured at right), which are dissolved in denatured alcohol to make liquid shellac, which is used as a brush-on colorant, food glaze[citation needed] and wood finish. Shellac functions as a tough all-natural primer, sandingsealant, tannin-blocker, odor-blocker, stain, and high-glossvarnish. Shellac was once used in electrical applications as it possesses good insulation qualities and it seals out moisture. Gramophone (or phonograph) discs were also made of it during the pre-1950s, 78-rpm recording era.
Shellac is often the only historically appropriate finish for early 20th-century hardwood floors, and wooden wall and ceilingpaneling.
From the time it replaced oil and wax finishes in the 1800s, shellac was the dominant wood finish in the western world until it was replaced by nitrocellulose lacquer in the 1920s and 1930s. It remained popular in the Southern United States through the 1950s and 1960s.
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