I have no idea where I got this idea from. It's definitely not from my experience as I never used the stuff until recently and it's too soon to make any judgements about it.
What I'm talking about is I've always had the idea that shellac is a low-quality finish. Any time I see old furniture with a clear finish that's chipped and flaking/peeling off I've assumed it was shellac.
I've also always thought of furniture lacquer as a very high quality finish.
But it seems they're both made out of the same bugs and from what I can tell the difference is mostly the solvent.
So someone please set me straight on shellac in general (I've read all over the internet and haven't come up with anything that really rates its quality) and then shellac vs. lacquer. Is lacquer a superior finish assuming both finishes are used in appropriate circumstances?
Thanks,
- Paul