Finishing

Use a sharp chisel to slice off any dried glue that may have squeezed out. Apply two or three coats of shellac as a protective finish. It’s advisable to pour a small amount into a separate container so that you don’t have to keep dipping your brush into your main pot of shellac and potentially contaminating it with dust. Don’t worry about applying finish to the underside, unless it’s going to be used inside the house, say, for knitting equipment.

Apply the shellac onto the end grain first, as it will soak in quickest and by the time you’ve coated every surface, you can get another coat on the end grain. On the large surfaces, apply the finish across the grain and then quickly start stretching out along the grain. On subsequent coats you will have to be more diligent as you can easily drag the previous coat if you take too long or go over the same area too much. To avoid this, work quickly and following a distinct order, and make sure your brush is well loaded every time.

Leave for about an hour between coats. There is no need to wash your brush between coats; simply wrap the end in a plastic bag or film to prevent it from starting to dry out.

Your finished tool tote