[Dave Paine]

+1 with the others that wax is not a good finish. It will not last long.

Since you mention sensitivity, I would use a low odour water based polyurethane.

I have been very happy with the General Finish Endurovar product.

It will not change the colour of the wood, but will bring out the grain.

http://www.woodcraft.com/search2/search.aspx?query=Endurovar

Easy to apply with a brush. Feathers well.

Follow the instructions. 3 or 4 coats. VERY light sanding in between. I use wet-dry paper and a wet sponge to get small amount of moisture. I am looking to remove any rough spots or nibs not to abrade the entire surface.

After the x coats leave a few days for the finish to cure.

 

[Dave Paine]

The OP may be MIA, happens a lot for new posters.

The last sentence was "What do you think" and I for one responded with my thoughts.

This is a forum, we can, and should expect a range of opinions which may or may not agree with each other or the original poster.

 

[Dave Paine]

Wow, thank you all for your thoughtful replies. Like most things worthwhile, it seems like this is as much art as science. I only wish I had this depth of knowledge on something besides handling toddler temper tantrums.

If I try something like poly or shellac, will it be shiny? I like the way the wood looks and feels now.

Alternatively, I was wondering if I could just try the wax. If it doesn't work out, could I hire a pro later to sand it down and seal it using poly or shellac? (I probably wouldn't dare poly or shellac it myself. Seems a lot more irreversible than wax, and harder to do correctly.)

Also, turp sounds "chemically." Could I do the wax+carnuba+turp thing every year or so, then do something more natural like the wax+carnuba+oil paste for touch-ups every few weeks or whenever it loses its water-beading abilities?

Polyurethane is sold in gloss, semi-gloss and satin.

Most finish will not adhere to wax.

If you use wax, it may be difficult to remove all wax if you later want to apply a hard film finish like poly or shellac.

FYI shellac contains wax. If you want to topcoat shellac you need to purchase dewaxed shellac. If the container does not state "dewaxed" the shellac will contain wax. Zinsser "SealCoat" is readily available at the big box stores and is a dewaxed shellac product.

Shellac does need to a top coat to be water proof.

I happen to like the way shellac brings out the richness of the grain in wood, but I then apply a top coat.

Turpentine is a chemical solvent. The smell does not bother me, but it may bother you.

You can apply a wax or wax mixture as often as you like.

I do not use wax often, but when I have used wax, it initially has more shine than a satin poly. The shine fades over time.