Just to clarify.
"Shellac" is made from the excretion of the lac bug.
In the trade terms as they apply in Australia, if you apply a shellac finish to timber you are using this resin dissolved in methylated spirits and applied with a brush. This finish is applied to internal timber fittings and cheap furniture --- or at least it used to be, there are now cheaper & better synthetic finishes that can be used.
"French Polish" is also made from the excretion of the lac bug, it is also dissolved in metho, the difference is that french polish is applied with a rubber made from fine cotton and filled with cotton wool.
"French Polish" is a technique, it is not a material. There are two major schools of French Polish technique:- French and British, the major difference is in the way abrasives are used during application.
The polish is applied in an over lapping "figure of eight" pattern. The complete process requires a number of steps and takes time and hands on tuition to learn. French polish is --- or maybe "was" is more accurate --- used on fine cabinet work and musical instruments. Basically, you apply many very thin coats of the polish over a period of time.
A good quality wrongko in Solo would have perhaps 5 or 6 coats of polish.
A good quality french polish taken to "piano finish" would use a minimum of thirty coats of polish.
French Polish is the absolute best way in which to bring a fine wood grain to the peak of display.
It used to be a distinct trade with a minimum three year apprenticeship.
The "cloudy" areas that can appear in a french polish finish when it is damaged by moisture can be removed with heat, but again, this is a specific technique that needs to be taught.
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