I'm still in the final stages of surface prep, but wanted to start researching finishing. I'm making a kids Twin Bed out of Hard Maple and Cherry. It is mission style so the head and foot boards have slats which are cherry, everything else is maple.
After all the reading I've done here, it seems like there are two preferred finishes for this type of furniture:
1. BLO with a Shellac top coat (but not dewaxed)
2. BLO, Shellac sealer (dewaxed), lacquer top coat
It seems that the lacquer is favored as being the more durable, but also seems to require spray equipment, which I don't have.
So I settled on #1, since everything indicates it easier to do by hand.
But I want to know if there are any good reference materials that show detailed steps on the proper application of Shellac. I have many magazine articles and SMC advice, but was looking for a single consolidated reference. Any ideas?
Also, did I make a good choice for a finish?