Thanks for all these responses. I passed on the names of the nail products and I think he's already ordered some of them. As for finger-picks - I'm not sure why he prefers using his nails/fingers. I know he has fingerpicks, but doesn't usually use them. I don't usually pay close attention, but it's possible that he uses the picks more for classical/flamenco and prefers his own fingers/nails for jazz. I'll have to ask him. Petaloid - thanks for that info on biotin. My husband is a supplement fiend, so if he's not already taking extra, I'm sure he'd be happy to try it. Lynn.

Yeah...this almost gets into the "urban-legend" kinda thing! ...a "half (AT BEST...)-truth" gets sorta blended somewhere along the line. After awhile, it just seems to be accepted! ESPECIALLY by people that only have occasional forays into similiar projects. The MAIN reason to avoid clearcoating: (the part that's NEVER addressed anywhere...) >>> CURE TIME. Paints/primers, as a coating-"system", need to fully cure b4 being "trapped" by a clear topcoat(s). * Depending on many factors, this can be a MONTH OR MORE! * If coated too soon, moisture in the paint gets re-wetted by the clear-coat, and may start to peel. * Clouding may also occur if clearcoats are too thick. >>> Soooooo...to summarize...Not many people are gonna want to haul out the painting equipment a month later to do some clearcoats! >>> The benefit is just too small vs. all the re-work. >>> If you've used top-notch paints with a higher-sheen, there's almost ZERO benefit. Faron

Check Rustoleum's product line.

I certainly understand the time and space constraints but I still think that working at waist level is a lot easier and will generally result in a better end product. I'd also use a quality water based finish like those from General Finishes. At normal room temperature and humidity, you can expect the finish to be dry to the touch within 30 minutes and completely dry within 2 hours. What I would do is use a series of saw horses in each room that would hold roughly 1/4 of the material needed for that room's ceiling. Finish that first 1/4 in the first room, then move on to the second, and third room. By the time you're done in the third room, the first room's material should be at least dry to the touch. Move that material to the floor, placing it on some scrap lumber, and start on the second 1/4 of material. Depending on how much time you have that evening, you could move onto the third 1/4 (which, in theory, should leave you roughly 1/4 of the room to move around in). You may find that you'll want more than one coat on each board which will require a light sanding between coats and a wipe with a tack rag.