Stem Band Over Shellac

AldenWitham22

Curious about Wooden Canoes
Hello I have a question that's been nagging at me for a week or so.

I'm getting ready to shellac below the waterline on a canoe with waxy buttonlac (kirby paint above the waterline). Common finishing sense says you can't get a finish to stick to waxy shellac. Does that hold true for bedding compound? Will I have to worry about the seal around the stem band screws? Of course there will be no keel on this boat.
 
Depending on what you are using, traditional bedding compound doesn't really stick anyway. It's a durable, rather clay-ish or plumber's putty-like substance that keeps water out by simply being a physical barrier to it. I've worked on a few old boats where the bedding compound was pretty much the only component of the entire boat that was still in good shape. As long as it can't be rubbed, washed or scraped off I wouldn't worry about it's sealing power. The more modern "adhesive goo in a tube" versions should also be OK, even if the bond isn't perfect. It's not the glue bond part of the equation that is doing the work.
 
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