I was thinking about shellacing the thing .
Shellac isn't very weather proof, and it is a hard shell as well. I would stay with a penetrating oil type of product. I think you can get both tung and teak oil at Home Depot or Lowes, etc. Probably even Walmart. Teak oil is more of a pure penetrant and you generally have to buff to get a gloss. It is also more expensive than tung oil, but it sounds like a quart will do what you have in mind with either product so it shouldn't be much difference.
Also , this will be an interior piece .
I would still avoid shellac. Both for the hard shell aspect, and it has horrible chemical resistance qualities. An alcohol spill, for instance, will turn it permanently white. This goes for lacquer as well.
The biggest enemy to teak is sun and heat. It’s very weatherproof just from its natural oils, that’s why it is used so extensively in the marine industry. If it has been inside it might dry out a little but I would think most of the damage or dryness would be superficial. Teak oil is the right answer. I had a swimstep on a ski boat that I thought was a write off. Teak oil made it just like new. You would be surprised at how far a small bottle of oil lasts. The previous owner had put some sort of hard lacquer over it and it just peeled of in long strips so I would avoid that route.
So I can teak oil after the penetrating stain ?
I think it depends on if it is an alcohol or oil based stain. I would try it on a small inconspicuous spot before going crazy with it. I believe it is the alcohol based that is incompatible and the oil will basically leach the stain back out of the wood. If I remember correctly the alcohol based stains dry the wood out to open the cells to accept stain, that’s why it needs a protective coat after staining. In essence the stain drys the wood out to do it’s job. I didn’t stay at a Holiday Inn last night so I am no expert, there is probably someone on here that knows more than I do.
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