New to shellac, I want a bit of ambering before spraying water-based polyurethane. The first effort was Gen'l Finishes oil stain, waited 7 days then brushed two coats of one-lb cut shellac, sanded very lightly, then sprayed 2 coats of TopCoat.

Next project won't have stain. I'd like to spray shellac as well as the TopCoat. How do you judge whether to use a 1-lb or 2-lb cut? Why is there actually a row on charts for a 1.5-lb cut? How badly refined are my judgments about finish quality??