I'm shellacing some clear Fir drawer fronts I made for our closets. I used Bullseye Amber out of a can as my days of mixing my own button-lac are long over. I started with a spit-coat of 30/70 shellac to alcohol. Then a second coat of 50/50, and a top coat with no thinning. Sanding with 600 between coats, and applied with a pig bristle brush. It came out great. Why are you using shellac on a bicycle again?

Actually, as silly as I think shellacing bar tape is, I have done it. Again using Bullseye right out of the can. I never put more than two coats of the stuff on. It was dry enough to ride in a day, and held up very well. You are putting it on cloth tape, right?