At this point, I did a major cheat. I've done this before, and never regretted it--it's the one-hour beginning-to-end shellac-and-wax finish. About 10 ultra thin coats of shellac applied a few minutes apart with a pad that's sort of set up as if you're french polishing. These coats dry almost instantly. Then 20 minutes to let it dry a little bit more thoroughly, apply some paste wax, adjust sheen with some steel wool and buff with a cloth.



Is it the nicest finish on earth? No. Should you use it for high gloss applications? Definitely not. Is it the nicest finish you can do beginning-to-end in an hour? Probably not too far off. It looks nicer than wax by itself, and it's simple enough to revise/repair later. Do I advise it? Only if you're short on time.