Sam, the reason that I said that shellac should not be used on any piece of furniture is because it is not durable. On valuable antiques that are of museum quality I have used shellac and at one time I was quite good at French Polishing. I have only used shellac on display pieces that would not undergo any use at all. When I had my shop in Little Rock, Ar. I had 2 MD's that invested in fine pieces. Myself and an artist that worked for me restored these pieces. These were auction pieces slated for Southerby's and Christi's and the restoration and repair played a large part in the value and selling price. I am not new to Antiques.
Shellac has been around for thousands of years but I feel it has outlived its purpose as a finish. That is why industry has abandoned it almost 100 years ago. In this original post, we are not talking about a museum quality piece that was orininally coated with shellac. In my opinion, to put on a lesser quality finish that wont last very long is what I find rediculous.
As for the dont read books thing, it was not a statement that was meant to be taken so literal. My point was that maybe as an alternative to books, one might read technical stuff such as Product Data Sheets.
BTW, I am a N.A.C.E. certified Protective Coatings Inspector so I know a little about coatings. Although my expertise as a Coatings Inspector is mainly for steel structures, it encompases a little bit of everything.
I also have a woodworking business and I do lots of refinishing so that is not new to me.
I am not trying to start an arguement and I realize that we are trying to help eachother on here. Just because opinions vary, that does not mean we have to be hostile.
As for a finish, I still stand behind my original statement that shellac is the least durable of any finish. That is my opinion.
Retired, living and cruising full-time on my boat.
Currently on the Little Tennessee River near Knoxville