Before poly, shellac was a common wood floor finish.
It was durable enough, dried quickly.

Shellac's downside is alcohol resistance.
As far as fixing spots, shellac beats them all. Why?
Because it repairs easily remelting the previous layers for repairs.
Lacquer does this too, but it requires more prep, and smells.

But yes, Poly is more durable. But can't be repaired. Poly won't stick
to long cured poly.

On 2/19/2012 9:46 AM, Leon wrote:
On 2/18/2012 3:42 PM, Steve Barker wrote:
I'm fixin' to sculpture some stair treads from some rough cut red oak i
practically stole from an Amish auction ( 85 cents per BF). What i need
to know is what finish i can use that meets the following criteria:

1. not water based poly
2. natural (as clear as oil based can do)
3. not too slick to sock feet

Things that don't matter:

1. odor while applying
2. cost
3. time takes to finish properly

thanks in advance! ,
You need a tough finish, shellac as mentioned would probably be a less
than desirable finish.

A lot of what you want is not going to be easily achieved.

You need a hard finish and a hard finish tends to be slippery.

To make a surface less slick you can mix in sand. but test with and with
out for desired results.

The clearest finish will be water based.

If you absolutely must have an oil based varnish consider General
Finishes Arm R Seal

http://www.generalfinishes.com/retai...base-top-coats


Simply put, you need to be careful on stairs. Solid wood stairs and
socked feet are going to add an element of risk.