I have an abiding love for shellac inherited from my mother who used it
extensively with the furnitures she refinished. It is sad that it is so
under appreciated in our polyurethane obsessed world. About the only
thing I would caution you with shellac is that it can be addictive to
use once you begin with it. As for how you plan to use it, if it is
going to be an indoor piece there is no reason to ever use another
finish over it with the possible exception of potential water damage as
in table tops. My advice is use shellac under clear lacquer for that
possible hazard. Remember to test your shellac on some scrap because
shellac is not colorless and comes in a variety of cuts and colors. If
you really want to know more about using it (and finishes in general)
buy this book: Amazon http://tinyurl.com/ot2oa Have fun and best of
luck ...

eclipsme wrote:
I have never used shellac. I have used lacquer, varnish, polyurethane
- both oil-based and water, danish oil, tung oil, mineral oil, but
never shellac.

I have read that shellac will bring out the grain and depth of woods
like cherry and walnut when used as a first coat. Is this true? What
is the procedure? Can I/should I do this with cherry cabinets? Can I
do it with water-based poly as the top coats? Is this a good idea?

Thanks,
Harvey