Reply by johnstoneb

It takes a lot of coatsof finish and a lot of rubbing between coats. If you use a paste filler before the finish that will fill a lot of the pores. I just put a coat of finish on then sand with 320grit dry. The next coat I go to 400wet or dry depending what I feel like. Then next few coats I will sand with 600 grit wet. When the finish is looking pretty deep and smooth I will switch to 1200 grit wet. After the last coat I use a 0000steel wool and soapy water to get rid af any dust then polishing compound to get the shine back. The number of coats you need will vary with the wood and the type of finish.

-- Bruce