I refinish furniture with either shellac or lacquer. I refinished an antique baby grand piano with amber shellac. I added a flattener agent to create a satin finish. I do not like a gloss look in old or new furniture but that is just my opinion. If you had not added the wax, another couple of coats of shellac with a flattener agent would have added the "waxed" look without all the effort. I would never use poly on furniture of any importance. Polyurethane does not bond well to existing finishes. It is impossible to repair a chip as poly, once dry, will not amalgamate with itself or other finishes. This post was edited by lsst on Tue, Sep 9, 14 at 4:04

Hi Marvin, Seedlac eh? Seedlac is the most unrefined form of shellac. It containing all the processing impurities, including bug parts and most importantly, wax. This and buttonlac are the two most durable forms of shellac and a topcoat is not recommended. They've historically been used for french polishing and for finishing stringed instruments. Pls remember to strain the impurities and stir the seedlac to fully blend the wax into the solution. Most shellac flakes (there are yet a number of grades) are sold decanted, meaning they're dewaxed. You can safely put just about any topcoat you wish over dewaxed shellac except waterbourne poly. Alcohol-based finishes will raise the grain so be sure to lightly sand between coats. Now for the alcohol. Isopropyl alcohol will work, but not very well. Drugstore bought rubbing alcohol contains too much water (among other things ) for it to be used successfully with shellac. You'll want to use denatured alcohol as the main carrier for shellac. However, if you're in a pinch, ammonia can be used to dissolve the flakes, although I can't condone its use because of the inherent health risks. Most woodworkers use shellac as a sanding sealer, or conditioner prior to staining. It helps to minimize blotching that can come from staining. A spit coat is all that's really needed - usually no more than a 1/2 lb cut. Before I get any more long winded than I already have, I'll direct you to a friend's website, Jeff Jewitt. He's one of two people that are considered the top finishing gurus in the US. I get all my shellac from him btw. http://homesteadfinishing.com/htdocs/articles.htm Don't hesitate to email me if you have any more questions. best of luck

"Could I remove the shellac with the alcohol and start over? " No. You need to put this project aside for a few days and let all the coats of shellac harden. Do not mess with it until then. Alcohol will soften the finish and redissolve just the surface layer. Then it will quickly get sticky and messy. The places it is globbed will get bigger globs and the places it is thin will get thinner. Alcohol will make the situation worse and then set you back more drying time. The best approach is to sand off the excess product. It is time to sand when the finish sands off with dust. Shellac has a tendency to gum up the paper, even when completely dry, so change the paper often. Once the surface is smooth, put a coat of DE-WAXED shellac (Zinsser seal coat). The next day, give a light sanding, and then put on a topcoat of varnish, polyurethane, or water-based urethane. I do not recommend shellac as a table top-coat, but it is an excellend sealer and grain filler. I would recommend water based urethane for your choice. It has all the qualities you seek in a wood coating: no odor, fast drying, gloss finish, and very durable. My favorite water-based wood finish right now is "Sierra" made by Rust-oleum, available at Kelly Moore paint store. Sierra is a clear paint base without pigment added, for use indoors and outdoors. Untinted paint bases are generally viewed, by woodworkers, to be more durable than all other clear wood finishes.

Not necessary to strip off the shellac. Varnish binds to shellac very well. Once you get the dirt and gunk removed with the DA, it's ready. Varnish is the way to go. General finishes makes an excellent water based varnish. For traditional oil based varnish, try Waterlox. Get some nice China bristle brushes for the job. If you use the waterlox, soak the brushes promptly in turpentine to get them clean. Use a wire brush to get the paint brush bristles clean and straight. Good paint brushes should last for many years if cleaned properly.