Shellac is a long-lasting, quick-drying adhesive. It comes from a tiny insect. By feeding on a tree, the lac bug produces the sticky substance called lac. First the insect pierces the bark of the tree and feeds on the tree’s sap. Next it releases a reddish, sticky resin. The resin then sticks to the tree. Thousands of these insects together will cover a tree branch with a coating of this resin up to a half-inch thick. After cutting off the lac-covered branches, human workers called “breeders” heat the lac inside long muslin tubes. When the melted lac flows through the muslin, the workers spread it into thin sheets. Then they quickly stretch it into large rectangles before it cools and hardens. Finally, they remove pieces of wood and other impurities do that the lac can be mixed with alcohol to make shellac.

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