“I, too, have a relatively small one-car detached garage shop. But, it’s bigger than any shop I have ever had, so it’s a luxury to me. I use roll carts for my benchtop machines so I can get them out of the way when not in use. My table saw, band saw and drill press are stationary, so they have a dedicated location. I’ve also found that my tool wall has saved me hours of time. When I can’t find my tape, I reach and get another. Same with my ‘behind the ear’ pencil and other tools I use frequently. One thing I have learned is to put everything in its place at the end of each day, whether I intend to use it the next day or not. I also clean up at the end of the day. I am losing fewer and fewer tools with that discipline.” – Tony Newman

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The cherry piece is a dresser with drawers. The Internet tells me that using oil-based finishes will give off fumes for a long time. This is why I was going to use shellac, but if there is another product that could be used on the inside of drawers without fumes and would not discolor the cherry, I would be open to trying something else.

– R. Clark

No, you don’t need to worry about blotching with shellac on cherry. And yes, oil-based finishes can leave a lingering odor, especially on interior surfaces. For that reason, among others, it is traditional to leave the insides of chests of drawers, and the insides of the drawers themselves, unfinished. However, if you choose to seal them, shellac is an excellent choice and will not impart any lingering odor once it is dry. In fact, shellac is often used to seal in odors that one can’t remove.

I’ll just add one unsolicited comment. While shellac is wonderful for many things, I’m not sure I would choose it for the top of a dresser. Spilled cologne, perfume, nail polish, nail polish remover or anything strongly alcoholic (rubbing alcohol) or alkaline (many mirror and “all surface” cleaners) can all damage and even remove shellac. Shellac is also prey to moderately high heat, from a hot coffee cup to a curling iron. Thus, for a top, you might want to seal it with one thin, flood-on/wipe-off coat of shellac, but for more durability, I’d top the top with polyurethane or conversion varnish.

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