Bill,
This is an area where many of us are weak, and especially me. I think it's because there's such a confusing array of products and claims, and it's hard to keep it all straight because people cloud the issue with details about each finish.
"You can use Y, except for Yz, and if you do Yz use X first, or you could use 22a, but 22b is not a good idea because of incompatible reactions..."
People get confused and testy, it's understandable. It's like explaining Deconstruction to undergraduates, I've seen smart people get lost in their own details, and lose the whole class, when the truth is Deconstruction's pretty simple stuff. If you stick to the basics, all the details follow.
So, can you take us (me) to school on this one? I've got lacquer (water and oil), poly (water and oil), shellac, and a whole bunch of other things (mostly oils and thinning driers like naptha) in my shop. What should I be using, what combinations are good, and what should I avoid?
Seems like every durned time I do a project, I'm doing an experimental finish. And every time I settle on something, in the back of my mind I'm hearing Smith and Jones saying 'I hate that look', and if I switch to what they advocate, Brown says 'I can't believe you didn't do X"
HELP!
Thanks,
Bill