Carl,
The padding "technique" is fairly easy to master. In an earlier thread I explained that I load my rubber/pad from the back. My rubber, ( I use the term I was brought up with) has a centre of unmedicated cotton wool and I use a squeeze bottle to charge the reservoir. Thus the shellac is filtered and controlled in it's delivery by the fact that you can squeeze the rubber to express more shellac as needed. Dipping it in a container means all the shellac is on the face of the rubber and varies in the amount, each time you dip it and variation is not what you want. I use a sort of touch and go but am more concerned with applying the shellac in a circular motion. I also use a light shellac mix. You get a better finish with lots of light coats and it dries faster. Don't know about these cuts you use. I always mix my own and make it by just covering the dry flakes with meth. If it's too thick simply add more meth. Also I use two rubbers. the general purpose applicator and a finishing rubber. The finishing rubber is one where I just use meth. It cleans up mistakes without sanding and as it's name suggests I use it on the final coats to smooth out the finish. When applying shellac I don't do much sanding after the first rough grain raising coats, all smoothing is with the finish rubber.
Jerry
War does not decide who is right. War only decides who is left.