On Mon, 19 Jan 2004 16:37:30 GMT, "js"
wrote:

Shellac is extremely water resistant. and yes, its durable, and easy to
repair.


SNIP

Flexner, in his book Understanding Wood Finishing, says "Because of
shellac's POOR resistance to water, alcohol, heat and alkali, it's not
the best finish for tabletops or other surfaces that are subject to
frequent use."

I'd vote for a polyurethane finish which has highest resistance to
water damage and most duraable finish altho v hard to repair - usually
requires stripping/sanding if top gets really messed up.