Re: Advice on top coat/Shellac

Actually poly will not out last Shellac! Poly is made from a plastic crossbinder that breaks down in UV about 4 times faster than a good shellac. While in Az. I watched people bring back outdoor furniture that was only five years in use and the poly was just shedding like dandruff. I asked a chemist from 3M about this and he said that they can't make a plastic film that will hold up more than 20 years. Shellac is found to be in good condition after 100 of average care. Also the stuff about poly being harder is just the advertising way of saying brittle. Poly won't flex with the shifting of the wood, over time the fine cracks in poly allow water and alcohol spills to seep into the wood below, causeing stains and lifting the finish off the surface. When poly looses it's body from eventual outgasing it will colapse as a finish, and this will require refinishing, since there is no restoration for this finish.