the formulation alcohol and methyl salicylate are used to render the shellac soluble in the toluene and naphtha and to provide a pleasant odor to the formulation shellac is insoluble in hydrocarbons such as toluene and naphthas yet is quite soluble in low molecular weight alcohols that are miscible in toluene and naphtha the alcohol of the formulation is used as a solvent for the shellac so that the shellac may be mixed with the toluene naphtha and wax the alcohol like the toluene and naphtha evaporates from the abrasive belt after the formulation is applied to the belt methyl salicylate is artificial wintergreen oil and has a pleasant odor of wintergreen methyl salicylate is added to the formulation to give the formulation a wintergreen odor the methyl salicylate is used solely to impart odor to the formulation and may be omitted from the formulation without affecting the bonding and lubricant properties of the formulation the relative amounts of the constituents of the formulation are important sufficient toluene and naphtha must be present to soften or liquify the adhesive of the abrasive belt just as sufficient alcohol must be present to render the shellac soluble in the toulene and naphtha excessive amounts of toluene naphtha and alcohol do not impair functioning of the formulation as the excess toluene naphtha and alcohol evaporate from the abrasive belt after application of the formulation to the belt an excessive amount of shellac however is undesirable since excessive shellac causes the resulting adhesive on the abrasive belt to be brittle an insufficient amount of shellac is also undesirable.