wooden cross finish -asap

[cossi]

hey guys,
I have been given the task of making a wooden cross for my grandmothers grave. Understandably i want to do a perfect job, but i am on a bit of a time limit. I have to get it finished by wensday and i am going away for work tomorrow night. So i will be woring into the wee hours tonight to finish it, as i have only just found out.
My question refers what would be the best finish to apply. I have never used any oils so any help would be great ( i was thinking danish oil ). i will only have about a day get the finish done so preferably something with quick drying times but with still a bit of sheen. i was thinking oil would dry quicker than varnish? please correct me if i'm wrong.
Would you also be kind enough to recomend how many coats would be needed/minimal (time permitting). - i will be using jarrah for the wood!
any replys would be greatly appreciated asap!
cheers in advance,
steve

[johnc]

If you are after a clear finish for outside use a marine varnish, such as one of the spar varnishes. Anything else such as poly is a waste of time. The old war graves commission crosses always looked nice, white paint finish but a rebate along the edges stopped short was painted in black along with the lettering, a dignified look and slightly understated.