SG jr Build: Finishing-- The 3rd Time's The Charm

Ok, it has taken 3 tries, but the padded on Shellac/dye finish is looking good. Heeding my own advice to be patient has paid off.  That, and reading some fine articles on modified French polishing techniques.  Steve has some great info on applying shellac here.  A few things I've learned along the way:

1. Shellac is in a class by itself as far as behavior.  Excellent technique with varnish/paint/poly/etc. won't help.  You must learn a whole new way of thinking about/applying finishes to be successful with shellac.
2. The effort is worth it.  The finish is beautiful, doesn't require expensive equipment, and the fumes won't drive you out of the house.  Then why don't the major manufacturers use it you ask? Because it takes lots of time and lots of skill, something that just doesn't fit into a corporate business plan.
3. When you make a mistake with shellac-- and it is "when," not "if," a small pad with a bit of alcohol is the magic eraser.  Not something you can do with other finishes.
4. All denatured alcohols are not created equal. The percent of ethanol (alcohol) and other ingredients added varies greatly.  The purer, the better, I've found. I imagine the 190 proof Everclear from the liquor store would be great, but the local Home Depot had 95% pure denatured alcohol under the Klean Strip Green brand.  Much smoother application than the "regular" denatured alcohol I 1st used.
5. Heavy, food-grade mineral oil sold at your local grocery/pharmacy makes a great pad lubricant.  Use sparingly!
6. Zinnser Sealcoat shellac (dewaxed) cut 1:1 with the alcohol makes a great mix for slowly building a finish. 

Sanding everything back down (again!) because I wasn't happy with the color went quicker than I expected, thanks to a pad sander.

Dust collection a must! You can see the neck isn't sanded back yet.

To raise the guitar off the table and to protect the finish, I use pieces of scrap wood wrapped in rubber shelf liner and a clean cloth.  a scrap block inserted in the pickup rout does a great job also.

Sanded, ready for dye.

Almost done applying shellac. Wood block fits in pickup rout to raise body off table and protect new finish.

 The finish has a nice even glow, and a great, deep amber/orange color.

 I'm going to let it sit about a week before final polishing.