I tried waterborne polyurethanes a decade ago and absolutely hated how they looked. I'm hoping they've gotten better. I'm also contemplating a leap into spray finishing, something I haven't really done except for unhappy experiences with rattle cans. I've got a restoration project now with a lot of complex carving where a sprayed finish might, I think, be easier. I'd also enjoy breathing less solvent.

Which of the available waterborne finishes will give me a look closest to Arm-R-Seal or a BLO/tung oil/poly blend? Does anything approach the look of a French polish with shellac (not that I'm any good at that)?

I corresponded with someone at General Finishes and they suggested Enduro-Var. I'm concerned that it appears to be incompatible with a dewaxed shellac undercoat, a technique I've used frequently to seal in dyes. Any thoughts on that?