DanofNJ

I have been pondering this issue.

I am finding that lacquer stabilizes and fills in cracks better than the shellac. That is not to say that the final coat can't be shellac to give the machine all the authenticity that is desirable. I am working and nearly finished with a 201-2 that was in horrible shape. I will post but I like the results. The main issue is the decals. I don't trust the french polishing with them, and yes, I did see your strategy for dealing with them. If you lacquer, they are safe forever and then you can shellac over the lacquer. Let's keep in mind that these machines are 50 to 75 years old on the average. I think that you can get a nicer result if you don't have to worry about the decals, and also the finish will be very smooth. I'd be interested to know your thoughts. I know that a purist would probably disagree with this, but we are doing reverse engineering. Clearly, Singer put on the decals after the machine was shellacked and hence the problems we now face. To shellac over them really is not authentic either, so I err on the side of preserving the decals as best I can. Lacquer is difficult to use. I spray it with a compressor and get decent results, then sand, then will apply the shellac. Just some thoughts.

Dan