Shellac over thin poly. Any problems?

[Jameel Abraham]

I've got one coat of Minwax Poly on a cherry cabinet, and I'd like to switch over to shellac (dewaxed, Zinsser Seal Coat). The poly isn't thick or even a film, just one coat, most of it soaked in (Minwax poly is pretty thin stuff for poly). It's dried for a day, so can I go ahead with the shellac? Given than shellac sticks to anything, and anything sticks to shellac, I don't see a problem. But I thought I'd ask....


I've actually been reading up on poly lately, and combined with some sound advice from Jeff Jewitt, I'm looking to eliminate poly from future use altogether.

[Howard Acheson]

I've got one coat of Minwax Poly on a cherry cabinet, and I'd like to switch over to shellac (dewaxed, Zinsser Seal Coat). The poly isn't thick or even a film, just one coat, most of it soaked in (Minwax poly is pretty thin stuff for poly). It's dried for a day, so can I go ahead with the shellac? Given than shellac sticks to anything, and anything sticks to shellac, I don't see a problem. But I thought I'd ask....


I've actually been reading up on poly lately, and combined with some sound advice from Jeff Jewitt, I'm looking to eliminate poly from future use altogether.

Yes, you can let the poly varnish coat fully dry (3-5 days), scuff sand it with 220 paper and then apply shellac.

The question is why you want to do this? What is the use of the cabinet you are finishing?

Why not just use a non-poly varnish? Varnish is a more durable finish than shellac and it is much easier to apply.