CWS, I agree we can take that subject up next.. Its would be a good discussion I think, however when you refer to a resin finish , many of these oils are just that ,. they have resins in them particulary the varnish oils .
Wolf and Rabbit.. no your not going to explode the piece, however I would suggest a good varnish oil, it will be absorbed and dry well.Not sure what you have available in your part of the world, I would not use BLO,, A good varnish oil would do well, do you have minwax poly oil, or Formbys. If you can list some of the oil products you have available , we may be able to get you in the right direction, I would only use the shellac as a sealer if your looking to top coat. Shellac while good for projects that will not recieve hard use, is not ,in my opinion a good choice for a table top that will see use.