Hello everyone , I am new to this forum and in need of some advice with finishing my bar top made from an old maple bowling lane.

 To start off I am in no means a proffesional wood worker. I did take many years of woodshop in school a decade ago. 

 I am opening a pub on a very limited budget and have been doing all the work myself and very happy with how this bar is turning out.

So I have been debating on how to finish the bar. I originally have been convicted by other people on doing epoxy. However the closer I get the less I want to do it. I understand this is the most durable option, but also the the hardest and least attractive to me. I don’t want to deal with all the headache of epoxy and I would really hate to cover up all the beauty of this wood with plastic.  

 So here are my questions..

What should I use to seal all the gaps before finishing?(wood putty,)

will something like 6-7 coats of Waterlox  or possibly the rock hard countertop stuff hold up for a co.mercial bar use? ( I wouldn’t mind refinishing ever few years)

 What are your opinions on finishing the bar?

And btw that is walnut trim around the entire bar with some salvaged 100 year old bead board cladding it.