arw01 wrote:
Getting ready to put the finish on some curly cherry plywood I am using
for a curio cabinet. I was wondering, since veneer is so thin on
plywood these days, how to prep the surface for the shellac?

I'd _lightly_ hand sand with 120 or 150 and a block. Then, I'd apply
the first coat of 2-3 lb. shellac, followed by another _light_ 220 hand
sanding. One more coat of shellac, followed with a scuffing with 320.
Continue as necessary from there to really finish.

The coats of shellac will seal the surface, start to build the finish,
and give you a warning if you get heavy handed with the sandpaper.

The finishing of the finish could include wet sanding to 6-800 with
mineral spirits as a lube, with more coats of shellac, or french polishing.

Grab a scrap of the ply to do each step on before you do it to the project.

Barry