To fill or not to fill…
Walnut species do have significant pores which will be very visible if not filled, but some prefer the more natural look of the wood when the pores remain.
You’ll struggle to pore fill with just shellac; the pores a relatively deep and the shellac will only lay down very thin coats. Using pumice to pore fill is time-consuming but not as much so as just using shellac.
On my last build I employed Z-Poxy finishing resin as a pore fill on Indian rosewood. It was quite successful and certainly quicker than using pumice, but required quite a lot of sanding back and three coats of epoxy to achieve a flat finish, and it still wasn’t perfect.
As to shellac recipes: 2-pound cut is ideal, you can use it neat or dilute further with additional alcohol as you progress.
Good luck with then finishing.
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