Q: Can I varnish over shellac?
Answer. Background: shellac contains a naturally occurring wax which prevents adhesion of certain clear coats.
Shellac, because of it's quick drying and good sealing properties is commonly used as a sealer over stained wood work. Shellac can be used as a sealer and final finish if so desired. Many professionals like to use shellac as a sealer and then go over the top of it with a oil varnish for the final finish because shellac is not very resistant to water (will water spot if water is left standing on it) or to certain chemicals commonly used in household cleaners (alcohol and ammonia).
Conventional oil based varnishes will adhere to shellac. Polyurethanes (oil or waterbased) will not adhere to shellac. I would not use any other finish over shellac than either 1) another coat of shellac itself or 2) an oil based varnish.
If you want to use a polyurethane over shellac you will need to use a "de-waxed" version of it such as Zinsser's "Seal Coat".
Q: What is the best way to apply paint to a wall with a roller?
Answer: Apply the paint to the wall with in a "W" pattern. Work in 4' x 4' sections. Re-roll over the "W" pattern to fill in the unpainted space. After applying the paint in this manner to the top 4' x 4' section of the wall do the bottom 4' x 4' section in the same manner. Finally "lay the paint off" by rolling from top of the wall to the bottom with light strokes and in a tight "w" pattern to smooth out both 4' x 4' sections together, removing any roller marks.
Q: I want to apply a coat of furniture wax to my varnished trim how do I do this?
Answer: I often "finish the finish" by using a final buff out and applying a coat of finishing wax.
After the varnish is dried hard, do a light final sanding with 400 grit sand paper. Apply the wax (I use minwax brand) to the piece with 0000 steel wool. Dip the steel wool into the wax and apply it to the surface with the steel wool in light circular strokes, finishing off in the direction of the wood grain. Let the wax dry for 30 minutes, then with a soft clean cotton rag (or a buffing wheel) buff the wax in circular strokes to a good luster.
If the finish after one coat is a bit uneven - apply a second coat in the same manner as the first.
Hand rubbing with 400 grit sand paper and steel wool without wax will dull most varnishes down to a "hand rubbed satin" finish. By following this up with a coat or two of wax you can raise the sheen back up to a semi gloss. To achieve a high gloss finish on a properly built up lacquer or shellac, you will need to use a different approach of rubbing out using progressively finer abrasives and finishing off with a rubbing compound and polish.
Questions and Answers -4
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