Need birch installation advice

Wow... OK... 

Where are we attaching these panels? Is this the wall? The Ceiling? I've only seen glued panels on the ceiling, front and rear so far. But someone could have glued the walls too... I have some photos of the one I did with glue. You pre-manufacture the panel with framing glued to it then install. I used Locktight Panel Adhiesive... It doesn't bleed through.

1/4 inch staples will work fine as long as you don't shoot them through the paneling. Get he air pressure set right by trying some test pieces with scrap first. Us half inch because that's all you need. This is just to attach the paneling to the framing for the time being until you nail up the seam covers. 

when stapling gimp in I use a hand stapler with T-50s I think? or T-30s. I have to look because I have both. But they are quarter inch hand staples. Not air. Be careful around edges. Not too close. Too close and the grain will take one spike of the staple and run it out the side and right into your finger. Ask me how I know this....

Staple each piece at the seam seperately. do not span staples. It's too close to the edge and won't hold. But stagger your staples. Don't put them right next to each other. That creates weakness in the framing and may not hold.

I have added framing in order to use larger panels. No problem there. If anything it adds more framing to the top usually. That's a good thing. With 4 foot panels I use 16 inch on center framing. Glue it on, set something on top of it overnight, I even shellacked them first and then install the panel. Nothing is pre-installed on the seams those you install after. This makes installing the panels much easier because they are not so flimsy. better chance of the walls lining up too. Do one panel at a time. Remove one, replace it and then move on to the next.

You don't... You attach the field with twisty nails but you don't do anything but clamp the paneling around the outside while the glue dries. You only use staples on the edges because those will get covered up. In the field you use twisties and only one per foot if gluing. At the most.

I probably have enough to do one panel at a time, but forgot to load up at harbor freight last week. I'll try the Depot Saturday for some cheap spring clamps.

You're going to be saying to yourself, "It would have been faster to just build new walls".... And you may be right.

Im just now creating a video on using the French Polish method on a door. I pre-shellacked the whole 54 Aljoa with a brush and it was great. But I've since fell in love with using a rag instead. Pre-shellac everything. By the way using a rag and John Palmer's method instead of a brush gives you a much smoother and shinier finish. No more brushes for me.

I wondered about the rag system for shellac. I'll definitely take a look at the new video. My pad system is probably a lazy man's rag alternative. 

For shellac application we tried brushes, rags and the HVLP. We prefer the HVLP both in terms of finish quality, ease of application and speed. If you are laying everything out and doing it at once (of course we didn't do this) it would be even better. Keep in mind that you need to keep it clean for the best finish quality (no bubbles etc). 

Next time we would finish the paneling prior to wall/ceiling install. Even with the HVPL finishing the ceiling and working in an enclosed space with shellac is not the best (even with a respirator).