Paint stripping & shellac?

[Homeboy]

Hi
I applied some nitramors to heavily glossed skirting. The paint came off as expected but exposed a layer of some substance between the wood and the paint. This layer appears to be about 2-3 mm thick and is dark brown on the surface but when scratched shows up white underneath. Its like a thin crust over the wood and can be scrapped away. Is this shellac? From looking on the net, I can't find out whether it dries to form a thin film like what I have uncovered. Anyway, it has left the area quite patchy looking and rough. It seems the nitramors has unevenly affected this coating.

Can anyone confirm what this coating is? Is it shellac? (house was built in 1910). Also what to do with it. Is it easy to remove and how should it be done?

Cheers
Eddie

 

[Zampa]

That sounds like it could be a stuff called black japan...a popular laquer in those days.

Its a very hard coating, if its the same stuff...the last time I came across it I used nitromors and a scourer.

Yui may want to weigh up whether it could be easier cheaper and less time consuming to rip the skirting off and replace it with new stuff to match the existing style of your place.

 

[Robbie uk]

Could also be scumble..used for figure graining. light coloured base and darker scumble glaze on top then varnish to seal it. will get very sticky and clogs your tools up. I usually use a heat gun and shavehook to get it off. Lot of it used around the 20's ans 30's.

 

[Zampa]

Yep..could well be..

I read the question wrong...and thought 'black' for some reason..