Can this oil-based poly finish be saved?

First, off you sanded too high for oil I stop at 180..

Couple things about oil 1) you have to make sure you’ve wiped it off. Lots of people thin it. 2) you’ve got to make sure it’s dry. 48 hrs up to 4 days depending in environment.

I am no expert but I suspect this might be the issue.

Another thing, sanding to 400 is way too much IMO. I sand to 180 prior to oil, 220 or 320 max between poly coats.

Remedy-give it plenty of time to dry and sand with 180 wipe down with mineral spirits and leave it for 3-4 days.

Careful not to sand thru oil layer or you’ll end up sanding the whole thing back down to bare wood. Which might be the best option anyway.

Others more knowledgeable than me will chime in soma I’ll be watching.

-- Everything is a prototype thats why its one of a kind!!

I like what Flexner says here about leveling, and rubbing a finish, he is suggesting grits between 320, and 600 to finally get rid of the scratches courser grits have made on the wood.

https://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/rub_to_create_a_great_finish/

Wondering if your finish was old? Old oil isn’t in your best interest. Or if drying time wasn’t long enough between coats? Especially Watco products.

But only going to 180 in my experience is a finish I don’t want to introduce to a raking light. It would look like the proverbial scratch and dent sale.

Everyone has their favorites. I am not into doing a LOT of work on a finish if I can help it, so I gave up on Watco products a long time ago. I’ve become quite the fan of General finishes Arm R Seal, especially the Satin.

-- Think safe, be safe

First the grits. You went further than you need to at 400, but it would only be too far if you were applying stain. Danish isn’t heavy on pigments, so it doesn’t matter as much. Whether you stop at 180 or 240 is generally immaterial. With either one, a finish that forms a film like varnish, shellac and lacquer have sufficient solids that those scratches will get filled. Three coats should be sufficient, but when asked how many to use, I just say keep going until you like what you see.

Rubbing out your finish would serve no purpose, since you don’t currently have anything to rub. I don’t bother with rubbing out a finish unless I’m going for absolute perfection. For that I use a 6” orbital polisher and wet sand to whatever sheen I want. Around 1500 grit is a good satin sheen (approximately 35).

Properly applied, any of the film finishes will give you a good result. I prefer lacquer since I have a HVLP turbine and pressure pot, and lacquer dries so quickly, I can get several coats on in a day. Spraying also eliminates any issues with brush marks.

Now, as to your specific issue, I’m concerned that you thinned your varnish with mineral spirits. These days mineral spirits are so dumbed-down in an attempt to be eco-friendly that it’s useless. I assume from your username that you’re in CA, so that might be all you can get. But, if you can find paint thinner, naphtha or turpentine, that’s the solvent to be using, not mineral spirits.

Frankly, if you use a good varnish, you don’t need to thin it anyway. Rather than wiping it on with a cloth, go with a good quality foam brush. It’ll be less likely to leave brush marks.

It’s hard to tell from the photo, but there’s a good chance you can just apply varnish over what you’ve got. Go for at least three coats. Arm-R-Seal is one of the best out there. And when you store it between jobs, you need to deal with the oxygen in the can. Since varnish is reactive, oxygen will shorten its life. I use Bloxygen which is just an inert gas that won’t react with the finish and is heavier than air, so it lays down on the surface to block oxygen from reaching it—hence the name. Don’t be fooled by suggestions to store the can upside down. There’s still oxygen in there and it accomplishes nothing.

-- Half of what we read or hear about finishing is right. We just don’t know which half! — Bob Flexner

I never use Danish Oil when refinishing. I would use a coat of clear shellac, let it dry, a very light sanding and then wipe on poly. I do not try thinning poly because I do not know what is in the mineral spirits. I have had good results with Minwax wipe on product. After the final coat, I will sometimes lightly rub with brown paper bag.

imo, if you want a satin finish, make the satin the last coat- gloss for all previous coats.
and make sure the satin is stirred real good before applying

... # I then bought Watco s Wipe-On Poly. The consistency surprised me, it was like honey and would not “wipe” like my home-made 50-50 mix. It kept “catching” and rolling my folded t-shirt in a way the 50-50 mix never did. I could not apply this product smoothly.
...
And did I get a bad batch of the Watco Wipe-On Poly?

- SoCalBonnie

I really like using Watco Danish Oil, which has part polyurethane. It should NOT be like honey, that happens when it has almost fully cured in the can. Adding mineral spirits will thin it, but will not un-cure it. First get rid of that can. I have had porous woods have blotchy, wet-and-dry looking spots. I usually sand with 220, and after a day apply another coat.

Your problem sounds like you got a poor distribution of finish, so it might be saved. I don’t think it would hurt to sand with about 220 and try again with a new, liquidy bottle. The directions say ‘do not shake’, but it should slop around as you move the container.

Just my opinion.

-- Mike (near Boston) ... Laziness is the mother of invention, necessity is the mother of exhaustion - me

Thank you, everyone, I really appreciate your input. Lots of information I can use for the future.

I’m so ticked-off at this table I think I’m gonna let it sit for a bit before I figure out what to do. Probably will sand the top down again.