This sounds interesting. Does the alcohol need to be natural (’white dog’ or plain grain), is there a preferred type of shellac.
I bet the product of this process shrinks less than boiling, and the skin side takes on a nice patina.
Thanks for the boost!!!
I the recipe is not specific about the alcohol of choice. I obtained mine from the hardware store when I picked up the shellac. I don’t remember the name or brand only that it came in a blue rectangle can. I got it near the mineral spirits section. I do know that the shellac should be all natural. Some shellacs come with additives such as wax or urethane - don’t get those.
There is almost no shrinkage. There might be some but was not noticeable to my eye. You can also experiment with different soak times and alcohol to shellac mixtures. I was using mine to harden leather “plates” for lamelar armor. Some mixtures were stiff leather consistency others were more like kydex plastic hardness. With the harder mixes I do remember that I did add some leather dye to change the color a tad. That might also play into the hardness.