When I was in the service, we used gallons of water-emulsion wax, buffed to a fare-thee-well on every floor. When the all-volunteer concept was adopted, the duty of maintaining floors was one of the first to be contracted out. Civilians used acrylic rather than the high-maintenance soft wax. It shone brightly enough, but any attempt to buff it only succeeded in dulling it. I always presumed it was because the stuff was brittle. Light bending around sharp edged scratches, no matter how small, looks very different from light returned from softly rounded edges. We were back to GI within six months. Seems the bigwigs were more interested in the effort indicated by buffer marks than actual shine.
I suspect that your problem is similarly based, but you're not likely to get the same effect you'd get with solvent-based poly or alkyd finishes, which are softer and flow a bit under heat to give rounded edges. Difference in refractive index between the wax filling the scratches and the finish would give a different result. You would, of course be able to see buff marks in the wax. Maybe that would be enough? Worked for those zebras with their clipboards who inspected our floors.
