Reply by a1Jim

I think shellac has it’s uses but it does not have very good protection against moisture so I don’t think it’s a good finish for large projects, even though it was used on many classic furniture pieces from days gone by, but there choices of finishes in the 19th centry and before was very limited. But Shellac does have it’s positive attributes that includes: it’s easy to use and apply plus it’s quick drying and the fact that almost any other finish will adhere to it makes it a great tool to use when you need to apply a different finish over an existing finish that other wise would not be compatible. I think Tommy Mc Donald uses shellac because he does not have a good working knowledge of finishing. At least that’s what he has stated in the past ,I’m guessing the same is true with Scott Philips.

-- W James Brokenbourgh Custom furniture maker http://artisticwoodstudio.com/