As was suggested to me by another CR member, putting thick tape that has stickum on both sides (what do you call it in the west?) under the cloth tape, allows for some cushion, and holds the cloth in place. I put the finish over that.
Dennis Young
Hotaka, Japan
>
> Covering bar tape with shellac is easy. You use cloth tape. Two color
> combinations seem to work very well: White tape with amber shellac
> gives a classic orange color. This was used by Herse and Singer on
> their bikes. Yellow tape with dark red shellac gives a rich brick
> color that looks great with white and some other colors. Also great
> with sky blue.
>
> Shellac is available in flakes from woodworking shops. Dissolve it in
> denatured alcohol (hardware store) overnight. Should be thin, not
> sirupy.
>
> Cover the bike with newspaper, so the inevitable spray and drips
> don't end up on rims, brakes, etc.
>
> Brush a thin layer onto the tape. If you put on too much, it'll
> collect at the bottom.
>
> Let dry. Repeat. Do so until the tape is nicely covered. Too much,
> and it'll be glossy lacquer, too slippery. You should be able to feel
> the structure of the cloth tape.
>
> Take your time - several days to let the coats dry in between. If you
> add layers before the previous layer is dry, the whole mess won't dry
> easily, and it will take even longer.
>
> Not much you can do wrong. It's really nice - cool in the summer, and
> nice to touch. But for really long distances (>400 miles), it's too
> hard. For those events, the randonneurs used to put foam underneath
> their bar tape, which then was not shellac'ed.
>
> There is a way to get a rich green, too, and a pale, motley blue
> (which I don't like, because it looks unfinished). I don't know how
> that is done, but can find out. Green was popular in the 1940s on
> black bikes with green pinstriping.
>
> --
> Jan Heine, Seattle
> Editor/Publisher
> Vintage Bicycle Quarterly
> http://www.mindspring.com/
>
>> Hey,
>>
>> 1) Where can I find info on using shelac on bar tape?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> George Elanjian
>> Los Angeles, CA