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Are there any suggested alteratives for castor oil in a rosin sealant recipe? Why has castor oil been the default?

I recently obtained a couple of vintage Parker 51s, both working excellently. I am concerned however, that I may be looking at breather tube replacement on one of them. I am confident that I can do these repairs if necessary.' I am, however, out of NEW shellac. I've read a lot of posts from various sources about a replacement for shellac as a sealant on Parker hoods, barrels, pumps and sacs, etc. Like most things, the responses cover all sorts of opinions. I will use shellac on my Parkers for now. Now, to the question. I have an old can (old = more than a year old) of orange shellac. I'm told that the shelf life of shellac is short. WHAT exactly happens to retired shellac? A friend who restores antique furniture says it gets hazy and loses it color properties. Question is, does it retain its ability to seal a pen barrel or hood? It's color is not necessarily a priority in this case of course. I drizzled some of this old shellac on a glass surface. It hardened by the next morning. Will this suffice to seal the hood on a vintage Parker 51? I find it a little frustrating to have to pay 18 dollars for two brush strokes of shellac, knowing full well, the next time I need it, if ever, it too will have turned to a useless vial. Thanks!