Varnish or wax for old bannister

[martyc]

Hi,
Ive just sanded down my bannister...i think its pine(the rest of the staircase is plasterboard..ie no thimbles i think they called!)
Anyway the colour of the wood is really light and there is a nice grain in it and plenty of knots...i want to keep it light in colour..should i wax or varnish it?
Im not terribly up to date on different finish types so go easy on me!
Cheers,
Marty.

 

[spice]

Personally I would go for varnish, if you like the idea of a natural look, then use clear varnish.
Varnish, specially oilbased is more hardwearing, and easily wipable, if you want a more natural finish, then go with matt, or at a push, satin, which has a slight sheen.

 

[Robbie uk]

Think you mean "spindles". Waxing looks nice but is very labour intensive. I personally would use satin finish varnish like "Translac" very hard wearing.

 

[martyc]

Thanks Guys for the tips,...ill see what varnishes are available.
Appreciated...yeah spindles!!