A major problem with shellac is the 3 year or so shelf life when premixed. That means the cans can sit on a store shelf for more than 3 years and be useless.

It is a bit of a hassle to buy flakes and alcohol to mix fresh---but fresh means no worrying about the age. And a one pound cut simply means one pound of flakes is dissolved in a gallon of alcohol. That takes less than 24 hours as a rule.

I'm not a fan of sanding sealer used as a pretreatment for staining. Sanding sealer is intended to smooth the wood surface, not condition the grain differences so stain works more evenly---as the 1# cut does.

Another reason to use fresh shellac is color. Shellac flakes come in several different shades, from clear to dark brown. That can actually help you with the pinkish color.

The best way to find the color you want is to practice. You can use the insides of the doors or buy several pieces of knotty alder wood(from real lumberyards or online suppliers who will ship to your home). Make up a gallon of the #1 cut(after exploring the different colors available below) and apply one coat to a board(door inside). Use a good brush and apply quickly but evenly---as shellac dries in several minutes.

Let it dry for a couple hours and gently hand sand with 150 grit sandpaper. Higher grits(200 and up) can actually smooth the wood too much and prevent the stain from sinking in. All you want to do is smooth the nubbies from the surface---since the stain will also create more anyway.

You can buy small cans of stain at Home Depot/Ace hardware/Lowe's/etc. Look at the color chart provided by the stain manufacturer, but don't rely on getting the same color, since the same stain on different woods will look completely different.

With the washcoat(the 1# cut), most stains wind up being lighter, so select a couple just a bit darker. Really dark(like dark walnut probably won't get the shade you want, but be prepared to try as many as 5 or 6 stains.

If you use an oil based stain, apply and let dry 24 hours, then wipe off any excess---and there will be excess.

Water based stains do not need 24 hours, so read the manuf' recommendations.

Sand again with the 150 grit.

Now apply the finish of choice. Oil based finishes(varnish or polyurethane will change the color by adding an amber tint. That is often what folks like.

Water based finishes(polyurethane) and lacquer do not add color and can look washed out compared to the oil based versions.

I prefer regular varnish(from a real paint store)---Sherwin Williams is my go to source, but Ace non poly varnish is good. Reason? Real varnish can be spot repaired, where poly is more plastic and much harder to spot repair.

There is a lot to finishing. Finishing can often be more work and take longer than building the piece. But, studying and practicing can make a huge difference---and the job will be seen for decades.

Oh, one other thing. Most businesses that finish their own work use recipes of finish, they seldom use only one stain. That is the reason we DIYers cannot match their colors.

Here is a link that might be useful: My shellac supplier

Handyman - Thank you so much for the step by step guide. Extremely helpful. Going to check out the link....

I would take a look at Target Coatings and ask this question in there finishing forum. Tons of great info over there and there products are top notch. The owner is also very helpful if you have any questions. They make a much higher quality coating than you are going to find off the shelf at a hardware store