The stuff you get in the store is typically a 3 lb cut. Using denatured alchohol, I thin it down to a 2lb and 1 lb cut (two separate jars). The shellac is not separated; it's well mixed - just thinner cuts.
Then, using the 1 lb cut, I rub on a few spit coats to seal and fill pores. After that I start rubbing on the 2 lb cut. If you do it correctly, each coat should dry extremely rapidly such that you can start the next coat immediately after you finished the previous with no fear of leaving prints. Proper curing takes a few weeks for as thick as I put it on - serious luthiers building acoustic guitars will let the instrument cure for about 4 months to ensure that the finish has set up properly. This isn't so much to avoid the finish taking a print as it is to make sure it won't soften up too much in moderate heat (like on a sunny day). This will always be a concern that you have to be mindful of with a French polish, though.
So are you separating the shellac? that is, letting it sit and then using the clearer top portion? I also found that this stuff [Zinser Bulls Eye] takes about two days to fully cure enough not to leave fingerprints. Same for you? Or do you have some really cool method for curing it quickly. I'm not doing "french polish" like you would, so my coats might be a little thicker. Dunno. Thanks.
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Then, using the 1 lb cut, I rub on a few spit coats to seal and fill pores. After that I start rubbing on the 2 lb cut. If you do it correctly, each coat should dry extremely rapidly such that you can start the next coat immediately after you finished the previous with no fear of leaving prints. Proper curing takes a few weeks for as thick as I put it on - serious luthiers building acoustic guitars will let the instrument cure for about 4 months to ensure that the finish has set up properly. This isn't so much to avoid the finish taking a print as it is to make sure it won't soften up too much in moderate heat (like on a sunny day). This will always be a concern that you have to be mindful of with a French polish, though.