This is a post in a series of 31 Days of Wood Finishing. See the intro post with all the topics here.
Lacquer, and urethanes are very smelly. They bother me much more than Shellac. I have made it a point to always wear my respirator when working with these finishes.
I want to encourage you to use your respirator. You may be made fun of, ( I am your father jokes) etc. Or if you are working in public you may scare people. Hey buddy do you have a mask for me? Also the respirator is uncomfortable, heavy, and can make some feel claustrophobic. These are some of the Cons.
There is one Pro. You will live. So hands down Wear the Respirator. Who cares what people think. Anyway, Click here for a blog post I wrote in March. I missed 3 months of work because I did not wear the respirator.
Zeke Willard