Zinsser 304H Bulls Eye Shellac Traditional Finish & Sealer, Quart, Clear

First time using Shellac and was applied to a workbench. It gave MDF a dramatic dark hue while being quite clear. On a cold dry day it took about 30 minutes for a coat to harden and allow sanding. On a hot but humid day, it took several hours instead. Once dry, a light sanding gives way to the next coat. Three coats have proven to be quite hard and dropping liquids shows no sign of leakage. After some use and abuse, Shellac seems to be quite durable, however, additional coats might be needed in the future.

This works so much better than polyurethane. Quick drying so you can recoat in 10-15 minutes. Leaves a hard surface that looks amazing!!

Used this on rough cut pine walls and it was super easy to apply and absolutely beautiful. I was afraid amber pine would look orange but it does NOT. It is a true amber, rich and fine. I will use this product again and again. All this time I've been using stain and poly but this is one beautiful, easy coat and it's finished and it looks 100% better than stain and poly.Shipped in good heavy boxes, no damage at all to the cans. One can did about 310 sq ft of wall on thirsty rough cut pine. Would take a lot less if used on slick wood like T&G or shiplap.

Great, works well..

Follow-up (19 July, 2017);I had another project that requires this shellac, and my experiences were much more positive this time around. However, the reasons are mainly because I actually got the right accompanying tools, of the proper quality, to make everything go relatively well.First off, despite having multiple grits of sandpaper that were even finer than what was suggested to use between coats of shellac, I went and got what they specified - 220 grit. I also got a "high quality" brush - something that can be used with stains, oil-based finishes, and so on. I also went with an angled tip - these seem to be par for the course with a lot of projects that *might* involve something like shellac. Also, despite having numerous types of thinners and cleaners, I got a can of denatured alcohol - this was also explicitly referenced in the directions for cleanup.While the results weren't perfect, they're actually pretty good. I really chalk up any shortcomings to my (still) limited experience using this stuff. Anyway - I think I mentioned it initially, but one of the big benefits of shellac is that if you mess something up, it's easy to sand it off and try again. It's also just an hour between coats, so the time lost can be minimized, too....As I mentioned previously, I'm primarily using this shellac on guitar necks. While many other users may not be using it on the same thing, something worth noting is that even though you can put it over top something like a poly or acrylic clearcoat, I would advise you to thoroughly sand off the clear first, unless you're doing something that is flat/horizontal, with no vertical cutouts/holes, etc. If you don't the shellac is likely to drip/sag/run down any vertical or rounded surface. Even though it doesn't stain the grain, I think the shellac tends to hold best if it's making good contact with the wood. Beyond clearcoats, some wood is also grain filled, so just be advised that you may have not sanded it all off - the grain fill will cause the same phenomenon as if there were clear finish on the wood - the shellac might drip/sag/be blotchy/etc.Original review (6 June 2017):This review might be best taken with a grain of salt or two. First of all, I want to highlight the big pluses - this stuff has a nice amber color to it, and you can actually sand it off or re-work it. Also, you can put on subsequent coats to tweak just how deep you want the amber effect. Also, you can put this on top of just about anything (seriously).Now - where my aggravations come in is with my specific projects that I use this for (guitar necks). Other than one success story (a spot repair roughly 2"X2"), I'm having a tough time getting this stuff to go on evenly, and w/o having to deal with clumps and drips. If I was just varnishing floors or tables, I'd probably have no issues. Part of it is probably simply a matter of me learning how to work with this stuff, so thank goodness it can be removed. I just want to highlight that for some projects, there's a bit of a learning curve. I've done a bunch of woodworking projects using Minwax or similar stains, and they went easy and fast - something to think about if you don't really want or need the amber color....Another thing to consider is that I've heard that some applications might need some kind of more durable clearcoating on top. That's just something to keep in mind - some folks like an all-in-one finishing product.My last complaint might not apply to others, but this can is friggin' BIG if you're just doing little projects here and there. The issue may not be obvious, but if you don't get the lid on tightly, you might find that the contents of the can have turned to a thick, unusable goo. For me, it's kind of a mental value lost thing - you finally have a project for this stuff, only to find that 80% of it is unusable...and if you really want to finish it with this particular stuff, you'll have to order another 1-qt can...I wanted to point out that it doesn't seem to be just Amazon that only stocks this stuff in the big 1-qt size. I initially passed on buying this from Home Depot because that's the only size they have it in, too.

Dries fast which is what I wanted and doesn’t take much.

This is my first time using this shellac. I had polyurethaned Brazilian Rosewood, but the polyurethane never set. I stripped this finish off and applied the shellac. It was dry within house, with a nice finish. I lightly sanded it and then re-applied polyurethane. Worked like a charm. Great product!

Easy to apply, great product. I used this to finish off our homemade picnic table. Very pleased with the results.