[markm]

I'm relatively new to plug building and enjoy this particular forum very much. I have started to seal my plugs using Zinsser SealCoat, which is a de-waxed shellac sanding sealer. "De-waxed" is the key here. Contrary to what you may have heard, Shellac is actually one of the most robust and best sealers for wood. Most regular shellac does have some naturally occuring wax content, which can be a problem when putting on top coats of paint or clear. The beauty of this sealar is that it dries in about fifteen minutes. I usually dip three successive coats. Another nice property of shellac, in general, is that each new coat completey bonds to the previous coats because the solvent alcohol partially dissolves the previous coat. Also there is no spontaneous combustion risk. You can apply SealCoat under or over any clear coat. In furniture finishing de-waxed shellac is often used before applying a top coat of varnish or urathane.