Reply by Cosmicsniper

BTW, Mark says that he can’t get the depth with poly that he can with shellac. I believe this is because a lot can go wrong with the clarity in a finishing coat during the time it takes poly to dry vs. the time is takes shellac to dry. Plus, because there’s no burn-in characteristic with varnish, subsequent coats just produce less and less clarity compared to shellac…hence, the reason why French polish is done with shellac.

-- jay, www.allaboutastro.com