Can shellac be applied after a single coat of Danish oil?

[jihhwood]

I'm working with a simple panel for a frame-and-panel box lid measuring roughly 4 1/2 x 8. I veneered the panel on both sides, and wanted to bring out the grain and darken the color of the veneer a little. However, one light coat of Danish oil (applied not by soaking, but by brushing-- that is, not a heavy coating) has not given me the hue o or the "popping" woodgrain, and I'd like to try shellac. I don't know whether shellac can safely be applied at this point without creating problems. Can it? Thank you in advance!

[MichaelMouse]

Sure. I do it all the time. Shellac will give you the depth you want quickly if you use a French Polish simulation, rubbing a 1or2# cut in with a soft lint-free rag lubricated as required with an occasional drop of olive or grape oil.

[jihhwood]

Reassuring, MichaelMouse, thank you. I feared I might have closed off the option of using shellac when I applied the oil. I make my own 2 lb. cut, and use it for most everything, at least as a sealer coat. Again, thanks!

[jteneyck]

Shellac has been used for a long time as a sealer over BLO. It sticks to almost everything, and most finishes will stick to it (at least the dewaxed ones). It's often called the universal sealer.

John