I went to a local home center the other, knowing they carried, or usually carried some things I was looking to buy.
I went looking for de-waxed shellac, and they had it, but only in gallon size. I only wanted a quart.
They had the satin water-based polyacrylic finish I was interested in, but the quart of satin finish was sold out, only leaving the super-pricey smallest size. I need 2 quarts, not half a pint.
I also wanted to buy 4-foot and 6-foot ladder, and while there were plenty of the 250 lb-rated ladders on sale, where was the 300 lb-rated one I thought they had carried and was looking to buy?
So I left, with no de-waxed shellac sanding sealer, no poly finish, and no ladder. I’ll head to another location today to see what I can pick up.
But ordering online is not all glamorous either.
I ordered a fiberglass ladder online. It arrived with scrapes, dings, and shallow gouges that I’m not too happy about. I thought it would have been shipped with better protection. No, it wasn’t the one shown above, it was a Louisville-made Dewalt.
Yes, certain tools and pieces of equipment will be worn and damaged with time. But it really irks me when there’s damage and wear before the first use.
I still need some de-waxed shellac sanding sealer, and found a different clear finish I want to try, but Rockler has a 7-10 day shipping quote, with no other option.
I’ve really been spoiled by Amazon Prime. Amazon does offer the same stuff, but I’m a little hesitant. Rockler likely knows better how to ship quarts of finish. Still, I’ll give it a try. The alcohol-diluted shellac might take a little longer to ship, but the poly looks like it’ll come in 2 days. Both are claimed to arrive in 2 days.
They’re a few dollars more via Amazon, but it looks like I’ll get them quicker. And with 2-day access for the polyurethane, I don’t necessarily have to buy 2 cans at once. I can work through the first quart and order the second when I’m sure I need it.
If you buy a can of paint/shellac/finish in-store, you can be (almost) sure there’s no damage. Ordering online offers no guarantees. I guess… wish me luck?
As for the ladders, I’ll be heading to a different Home Depot today. I’ve been making due with step ladders, but for the stuff I’ll be doing soon I’ll need A-frame ladders with their larger footing.