"nautilus" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi all!

I'm building a wooden trunk. I added some details, and it has some
mouldings, beads, grooves, etc.. I'm almost ready to glue the whole
thing up, and I'm wondering what to do with finish. In some other
projects, I always end up by having to deal with shellac on akward
areas, with complicated access for the brush, etc, and many times,
that result in a poor finish.

I'm thinking in just putting the shellac to every single piece, BEFORE
assembly, which would be much easier. Then maybe just give one general
touch to the whole trunk once assembled, to fill the hairline gaps.

Is that a good idea? Or I'm going to screw up the project?

As a turner who applies shellac with a rag on one of the most difficult
forms out there, a bowl, I say finish afterward. Be sure to sand, set with
water, sand before assembly while things are more accessible. The shellac
will stand up whiskers too, so be prepared for one final knockdown after
assembly. Then use a mock French polish technique, adding hundreds of thin
coats quickly with a rag made slick by a drop or two of oil so it won't drag
and stick.