My finish for Cherry is to scrape smooth, sand to 600.. drench the surface with Danish oil.. wait… as the oil sinks in it will go dull… put more on.. wait.. put more on.. wait… put more on.. wait… until the oil stops soaking in… wipe it dry… Let cure for 48 hours… sand to 1,000, polish with steel wool until it shines… soak with oil… put more on.. wait.. put more on…wipe it dry… let cure over night… a few coats of wipe on Poly. Though what I use on Cherry trim is a Naptha/oil/beeswax finish… makes it very soft to touch.. it vibrates in color and darkens nicely.
The truth is.. people who like oil.. just like the way it works with wood.
I guess one can sand to 320 and varnish…it’s like a tiny fraction of the time, but it looks like it was.
-- ~ Eric P Jorgenson: Jorgenson Design
