On a similar note i've had good luck with Danish oil over oak - it comes up a lovely honey colour that accentuates the grain and really glows. It doesn't have that 'coat of plastic' look of the heavy lacquers that sit on the surface because it works by impregnating the wood while building only a very thin film on top.
It takes a lot of coats (maybe 5 or 6) if you want to bring it up to a smooth surface, but coating is quick - you rub it on with a rag or a piece of sponge (the latter builds faster) per the instructions.
Sand it well before coating, as you will otherwise have problems filling the fairly coarse grain. Even sanded and with many coats you tend to get pores left unless you sand every second coat with say 320 grit while the oil is still wet - this fills the pores. It's very attractive left unfilled too, but it may not be what you need.
Then a quick cut back finishing with something like 1200 wet and dry to flat it, and a finish rub with a super fine scotch brite pad. Then wax when you are certain you don't need to coat it again. Turtle Wax do a clear synthetic liquid car wax in a bottle that polishes very well over Danish, but it's quite smelly for a few days.
Rustins Clear Plastic Coating two pack is a very good option if you want a brush on finish that looks well too, but builds much faster and is bullet proof. You can spray it too.
It's big advantage is that whatever the polymer is it has the resistance of polyurethane, but unlike it flats back as above with very little effort with wet and dry and a Scotcbrite pad. You determine the final finish this way - flat with a fine Sctoch Brite pad before waxing for a deep satin, or polish it up all the way with a fine rubbing compund if you want a high gloss.
Plan B would be to talk to one of the professional suppliers of wood finish like Becker Acroma...
ian
