Originally Posted by unworthy1

I don't have any pics to show what good shellac looks like, but I need to make one correction: you can recoat the first coat after 30 or so minutes, but further coats are best applied with 8 hours between coats. I dissolve my own shellac flakes, and strain/filter them. I toss any leftover after 6 months shelf-life. Sometimes it lasts longer, but if you mix just enough for the job, there's little waste. If you want to tint shellac to add color, it's best to lay down one coat of clear, then lay on color-tinted over it and follow with a top coat of clear. It's not good in high heat (it WILL soften) and direct sunlight is not so cool, either (so Arizona sunshine may not be ideal, but the low humidity is good).