Best Prep for Lacquer Finish?

[Babylon5]

Hi, I've been reading a lot about lacquer finishes etc and grain filling. But I think my head is about to explode with all the information.

I'll be applying the precat lacquer to bandsaw boxes and just wanted to know if the following methods are okay. The main issue I seem to have is that the open grain causes the lacquer to have an uneven finish. I can use timbermate for a grain filler but with the different timbers and colours in the wood I would like to use a transparent grain filler.

First Question: Shellac it seems can be used as a sanding sealer/grain filler. Can I use Shellac but still bring out the rich colour of the timber that occurs when lacquer is applied directly to the raw wood? Will the shellac cause issues with the lacquer bonding to the wood?

Second Question: Pumice? Can this be used successfully under lacquer finish to fill open grain? I've heard it has great properties as a grain filler but on the other hand it can take a fair amount of elbow grease to achieve filling the grain.

Big thanks if anyone can provide some answers and at least put me in the right direction by offering another grain filling solution that works with a lacquer finish.

Cheers,
Shane.

[chowcini]

The easiest way is 2 coats of sanding sealer,sanding in between and then coat with lacquer until the level of finish is desired
regards chowcini