Convo with an old refinisher changed how I see shellac

I was chatting with a guy named Pete at a community shop in Portland last Saturday. He said shellac isn't just for antiques, it's actually better for kitchen cabinets than poly because it's easier to repair. He told me he did a full set of cabinets 8 years ago with shellac and they still look good with just a quick touch up every 2 years. That hit different because I've always used poly and hated fixing scratches. Has anyone else here switched to shellac for high use furniture?

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lindahunt5mo ago

Yeah but poly is WAY more durable for daily use cabinets.

3

tylerlane5mo ago

My buddy re-did his kitchen with poly cabinets about two years ago. He has three kids under 10 and a dog that sheds like crazy. Last week I saw him scrubbing spaghetti sauce off the cabinet door with bleach and a scrub brush. No joke, it looked brand new after he wiped it down. He said the old painted cabinets would have peeled and chipped just from that one cleaning. I'm telling you, that stuff can take a beating like nothing else.

1