Consumer vs. Pro Finishes

[Rob Cunningham]

Sal, both the Target and Zinsser shellac will accept Trans-Tint dyes if you want to use them for toning or shading. The Target shellac does have an amber tone to it but not as much as Zinsser. (It is available in garnet and golden red also but I haven't tried them) Unless you are spraying in an enclosed room with no air movement, I wouldn't be concerned about explosion with shellac either.
As far as sandpaper, I have had good results with 3M 216U sheets, purchased from Homestead Finishing. I use it for sanding raw wood before finishing and also for between coat sanding. Never had any contamination problems using it with waterborne finishes.

Bill- How did you like the EM-8000? Did it spray and level out well?

[Sal Giambruno]

Rob, thanks for the great info. I may pick some of that 3M 216U up when I place my order. On a related note, do you know if there's any real difference between steel wool you buy at the Borgs versus some of the premium steel wool that claims to have a super-low oil content? I've used off-the-shelf stuff for rubbing out shellac and once attempted it on PolyCrylic, with less-than-consistent results, and am wondering if "oily" steel wool might be the problem, or if that's just marketing hype.

[Bill Arnold]

...
Bill- How did you like the EM-8000? Did it spray and level out well?

Rob,

Yes, spraying and leveling with the EM8000 was no problem at all. I sprayed it straight from the can and it worked just fine. I thought about adding about 5% SA6 retarder, but it went on well without it.