Originally Posted by
Doug Hepler
Shellac is the hide glue of finishing. Excellent for the right application but severely under-respected. Even Zinsser severely undersells Seal Coat. Wayne Lomman's view is interesting as always. I am willing to defer to his experience, but I think it was colored by many factors such as working conditions (ventilation, lack of impermeable gloves). Proper ventilation is a must for any organic solvent based finish but I would much rather breathe a low concentration of alcohol vapor than mineral spirits or lacquer thinner. I would add that I prefer it for the insides of drawers and casework. A coat of shellac followed by paste wax makes drawers slide effortlessly. It does not stink up casework as does lacquer and varnish. I have done a bit of French polishing and the resulting gloss finish is very difficult to achieve by rubbing out varnish.
I do not know the book or author referenced but my personal favorite authors/experts are Flexner and Jewett and they both recommend shellac highly for some applications.
Doug