In yesterday's MMD Dan Fenner asks about a source for orange shellac
flakes for making burnt shellac.  Dan is wise in choosing to use
shellac as a nipple sealer, because it will stick to both the wood and
the brass, unlike some things one might think of using for the purpose.

But why not use any old shellac you have sitting on your shelf that has
gotten so old that it doesn't dry hard?  Pour some of that otherwise
useless shellac in a tin, burn off the alcohol until it reaches the
right thickness, and you have your burnt shellac.

Matthew Caulfield
Irondequoit, New York