For the finish I would recommend some type of wipe on oil finish and I went with an all natural oil that I use for cutting boards. There are a few great brands out there and Im using Howards. I figured that this all natural finish would be easy to apply, bring out the grain the in sapele, and I liked that thought of it being an all natural finish since kids and such will be handling and messing with these things trying to figure them out. Ill let these sit for about 20 mins before wiping off the excess and then they will be good to go.