Shellac is a great product, it makes a good sanding sealer for traditional topcoats. its a barrier coat as well. Dries lightning fast 9 to touch 10 min to sand 4 hrs) Been around for CENTURIES. Its a excretion from the Lac bug and harvested by hand mostly in Pakistan and that area. It is the only stain killer that really works (aside from freshly made aluminum paint which is impossible to find now).It is always soluble with alcohol which makes it easy to repair. it was the primary finish for 18th & 19th century furniture usually in the form of a french polish. Clear shellac turns white when water is left on it like a drink glass.9 but the ring goes away if you wipe it with alcohol. Its a dated product ie it goes bad (never really dries if it gets to old but a fresh coat on top will usualy fix it.) You will get drunk from the alcohol fumes if you doing a large enough piece without a booth though. Shellac is a mainstay in most shops but as a finish? well i guess its better than stain alone. P&L made the best varnish a few years back but lately it hasnt been that good from what i hear. Todays Polly's are a huge improvement over just a few years ago and most high solids varieties are a uv barrier but it takes quite a few coats for outdoor exposure but inside is no problem even on cherry. Its a good idea to familiarize your self with all these finishes as they each have their place and all have their shortcomings. It is always best to think about how a piece will get used and abused and how much time you want to spend keeping it up and that usually will determine what finish it gets.