Finishing pine furniture in a hurry

Since I know there are some carpenters/woodworkers here...

A buddy is helping me build a stand-up desk from scratch. We used pine with a hardwood plywood work-surface.

I need something quick and non-messy: I need to be using this desk last week and I live in a carpeted apartment with only a cramped balcony for outdoor space.

I was thinking of getting a tub of Butcher's Bowling Alley wax and going to town on this sucker. The rest of my apartment furniture is unfinished Indian rosewood (sheesham), I think an un/under-finished appearance would match that well.

Any objections to just plain wax? WWGRMD?

Shoot it with a coat of shellac-based primer which dries quickly and won't raise the grain as it's not water bearing. After it's dry, sand w/ 240 grit then spray w/ a couple coats of clear urethane. Done.

You can wax. Or do a coat of shellac or sanding sealer than wax over that for a bit more protection.

I might be inclined to do a tung or Danish oil with a finishing pad which is clean if you are careful

T

+1 for Danish oil. Looks great, and dries fast.