I'd have to agree with that last on several points.

Varnish is quite a bit harder then shellac or lacquer. Poly even more so,
something that makes varnish more prone to cracking from wood movement then
shellac or lacquer. It's the reason spar varnish (a long oil varnish) is
marketed. The additional oil makes the varnish not quite as hard so it can
accommodate the movement of wood that is exposed to the greater extremes
found out of doors.

Further, while it is far more labor intensive rubbing out the harder finish
the harder the surface it can be rubbed out to as good a finish as lacquer
or shellac. If you want glossy don't rub out the finish. Glossy is not the
aim of rubbing out the finish. Rubbing out is a process who's aim is to
remove the reflective gloss of a newly applied finish then refine it so the
light passes through the surface and reflects off the wood giving the finish
a sense of depth and the wood grain a 3D effect..

--
Mike G.

Heirloom Woods
www.heirloom-woods.net
"Preston Andreas" wrote in message
...
If you are math oriented, the finish cures with a logarithmic curve. This
means that in a month, it is 98+% cured, however, within a week, it is
probably 80% to 90% cured. It is best to wait a month, but realistically,
you can rub it out in a couple of weeks. You must remember however, that
poly is not as hard as lacquer or shellac and cannot be rubbed out to as
glossy a finish.

Preston