biting off more than I can chew? Mother-of-all pecan slabs...

[Charlie Fox]

so my son decided on this 53" x 13'+ x 2.25" slab of kiln-dried pecan for his "statement" dining room table - to counter the "Mother-of-all farmhouse tables i made his sister 3 years ago. the difference is i put $500 of my cash in for their housewarming gift- that covered most of hers but only a fraction of his. no worries - he has a good job and can afford the surplus. ;-)

but holy cow this is a behemoth. we lopped off 5 feet, that will be end tables or such to match in his open-air home design leaving the 8'6" x 53" main slab for the dining room table. took 3 strong men to move it from my truck bed to the work table. the final shape will somewhat mirror the left side as seen on the forklift. the 3rd image is the slab in a full size pickup bed minus the 5' section that was lopped off enable planing.

at least we got it to the work table!

First order is to install some 1x1.5" pecan strips across the bottom, about 2' apart, to strengthen the spine as you can see some axial cracks that need some support. then a little poly to seal the bottom. then a ONE TIME flip to give the final shape (~350 lbs), add a couple of bow-ties, then fill cracks and the larger void with black epoxy (small cracks) and casting resin and polished river-rock from the same river bed where it has spent its 350-some odd years of life near San Marcos, TX.

aiming for a lot of hours of hand rubbing raw tung oil for the finish, trying to avoid poly but may add a spray-on top coat for water-ring resistance as this is going to see a few drinks on it in its days. . when i get to that point i may be asking for some sage advice... ;-)




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[Matt Day]

Wow, awesome project! Looking forward to following along and seeing what kind of base you put under that slab.

[Nick Decker]

Man, I wouldn't know where to start! :eek:

[Brian Holcombe]

Make yourself some long winding sticks and straight edges then start flattening the bottom of that slab before you join anything to it.

[David Eisenhauer]

Charlie: Are you located in San Marcos (or nearby)? If so, I can probably assist with slab moving/flipping from time to time as I live just outside SW Austin and make a run down through Wimberly as required if the need arises. Looking forward to the build thread as I am working my way through the leftovers of approx. 1,000 BF of pecan I bought several years ago and am noticing that hand tool working on pecan is different than power tool working. Hard stuff, grain switching, lots of opportunity for tear-out, etc.

[Charlie Fox]

David: No, i am in Houston - the table's final home is near you though - Oak Hill area. Bought the slab from Troy Swift - if you dont know him go pay a visit. Two metal buildings the size of gymnasiums and 2 full-time operating kilns. lots of wood but all retail, i get most of my stuff on my own but something this big just had to be sourced from someone with far more capabilities than I.

[Charlie Fox]

Make yourself some long winding sticks and straight edges then start flattening the bottom of that slab before you join anything to it.

the top was fully planed, the bottom about 75% to give a majority flat surface and retain as much thickness as possible.

[Charlie Fox]

The base will be something along this design, i also got a 4.25 x 3.25 pecan beam for the trestle. The metalwork is his responsibility. ;-)
the tops of the frames will be broad, planning on letting the weight of the tabletop provide its own stability with minimal fastening if any at all to avoid any shrink/expansion issues. like my farmhouse tables - i make a free-fitting loose mortise and tenon base-to-table connection, the weight of the tabletop provides all the stability needed. My daughter has actually given hog-butchering seminars on hers - seriously. ;-)




http://rupurupu.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/salvaged-live-edge-walnut-dining-table-with-metal-base-with-dining-table-with-metal-legs-prepare.jpg

[Brian Holcombe]

Unless this was face jointed, then it is not flat. You can run a board or slab through a thickness planer and it will be consistent thickness but it won't make it flat. If bow, twist or cup are present before thickness planing, they will again be present after thickness planing.

The big effort of making slab tables is making them flat first. The trouble with slabs is that they have great influence over their bases, and so the base must be built to help maintain flatness (against cupping and bowing) and the original jointing removes twist.

The second purpose of flattening the slab is so that you can finish it evenly.

[Andrew Hughes]

That's a beauty.

[Charlie Fox]

Unless this was face jointed, then it is not flat. You can run a board or slab through a thickness planer and it will be consistent thickness but it won't make it flat. If bow, twist or cup are present before thickness planing, they will again be present after thickness planing.

The big effort of making slab tables is making them flat first. The trouble with slabs is that they have great influence over their bases, and so the base must be built to help maintain flatness (against cupping and bowing) and the original jointing removes twist.

The second purpose of flattening the slab is so that you can finish it evenly.

i follow you and your input is appreciated - but this was certainly not planed with a thickness planer. i cant even imagine a 56" or bigger planer. I have probably made about 50 slab tables and bar tops, coffee tables and such to 30" wide but nothing on this grand of a scale.

pretty sure we are on the right track with this slab, being step-kiln dried to 8% immediately after milling then acclimated several months to the ambient environment. below is the planing system used.


http://www.swiftriverpecans.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Peterson-ASM.jpg


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpM8urbBZ40

[David Eisenhauer]

Thanks for the Troy swift contact, I will check it out. I call Oak Hill home, though it has been effectively swallowed up by Austin.

[Brian Holcombe]

i follow you and your input is appreciated - but this was certainly not planed with a thickness planer. i cant even imagine a 56" or bigger planer. I have probably made about 50 slab tables and bar tops, coffee tables and such to 30" wide but nothing on this grand of a scale.

pretty sure we are on the right track with this slab, being step-kiln dried to 8% immediately after milling then acclimated several months to the ambient environment. below is the planing system used.


http://www.swiftriverpecans.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Peterson-ASM.jpg


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpM8urbBZ40

I should not give advice before having my coffee, Wide belt sander is what I mean to say.

Ah, very cool planing process. I misunderstood the title of this post and expected that you were seeking advice.

Still, I will play devils advocate and suggest the best course of action is to at least check for wind. That is a big slab and so even a minor twist will be a lot.

[Charlie Fox]

I should not give advice before having my coffee, Wide belt sander is what I mean to say.

Ah, very cool planing process. I misunderstood the title of this post and expected that you were seeking advice.

Still, I will play devils advocate and suggest the best course of action is to at least check for wind. That is a big slab and so even a minor twist will be a lot.

will take any advice into consideration always! that said i am good pretty much with construction,not a lot to do really but shore up the bottom and put in some butterfies and inlay, cut to final shape and of course sand. .

the finish is another story. must hold up to water rings and other dining use. i have 1'2 gallon of tung oil i need to use up, so will definitely do that - just wondering if a top coat of anything would be bad or good...

[Brian Holcombe]

I've not found tung oil to resist rings, even over hand planed tops. I just live with the rings and ask people to use coasters, which is something they do so long as I am in the room. That said, you're likely best bet is a poly finish.

[Leo Graywacz]

so my son decided on this 53" x 13'+ x 2.25" slab of kiln-dried pecan for his "statement" dining room table - to counter the "Mother-of-all farmhouse tables i made his sister 3 years ago. the difference is i put $500 of my cash in for their housewarming gift- that covered most of hers but only a fraction of his. no worries - he has a good job and can afford the surplus. ;-)

but holy cow this is a behemoth. we lopped off 5 feet, that will be end tables or such to match in his open-air home design leaving the 8'6" x 53" main slab for the dining room table. took 3 strong men to move it from my truck bed to the work table. the final shape will somewhat mirror the left side as seen on the forklift. the 3rd image is the slab in a full size pickup bed minus the 5' section that was lopped off enable planing.

at least we got it to the work table!

First order is to install some 1x1.5" pecan strips across the bottom, about 2' apart, to strengthen the spine as you can see some axial cracks that need some support. then a little poly to seal the bottom. then a ONE TIME flip to give the final shape (~350 lbs), add a couple of bow-ties, then fill cracks and the larger void with black epoxy (small cracks) and casting resin and polished river-rock from the same river bed where it has spent its 350-some odd years of life near San Marcos, TX.

aiming for a lot of hours of hand rubbing raw tung oil for the finish, trying to avoid poly but may add a spray-on top coat for water-ring resistance as this is going to see a few drinks on it in its days. . when i get to that point i may be asking for some sage advice... ;-)




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I'll be playing that game with a large slab too. Building cabinets for a house including an island which is getting the slab. In my case the slab is Bubinga aprox 65"w x 10'L x 2" thick. It weighs 480 lbs. It had a big check in it 18" from one side and the owner wanted me to continue the check by splitting it the rest of the way. The 18" section will be used as a raised eatery counter on the island. I'll also be cutting 8" off the remaining 46" to make the main area about 36" with a 6" tall backsplash that will support the 18" eatery table.

Thank goodness for the cleaving off of the different sections. Now the individual parts can be handled by 2 men. I built a cart just for this slab. All my other carts I figure are rated for about 200lbs or so. This cart should be good for about 2000lbs.

Your project came out nice.

[Matt Day]

Very cool planing operation, I have not seem those before.

I like the table design you're going for. Personally I might beef up the metal a bit - not for structural reasons of course but just for balance. Might not need it with that big trestle beam, just hard to tell from the angle.

[Jim Becker]

...um....wow...{jealous!!}

[Jeff Ramsey]

I recall visiting a woodworker not too far from my home who was in the process of building a very large slab table for a local client made of California Walnut that was being shipped to him. He told me he flattens the slabs by building a custom sled that lets a router ride on top of the slab supported by his own structure, and slowly runs a large HP router over the slab. He said it's time consuming but the slabs come out dead-flat, once the sled is done. Winding sticks seem simpler, but I'd be very tempted to pay someone to flatten a slab if they had a setup like the pictures Charlie shows.

[Ben Rivel]

Wow! Just wow!

[Charlie Fox]

I've not found tung oil to resist rings, even over hand planed tops. I just live with the rings and ask people to use coasters, which is something they do so long as I am in the room. That said, you're likely best bet is a poly finish.

so what about 3-5 coats of tung oil then a thin sprayed on poly top coat?

[Charlie Fox]

......um....wow....are you really jealous Jim? jealous of how my back feels after loading this beast? and jealous of how i "wanted" one flip but we will have to do a couple to find the right final cuts in relation to the solid vs rotten sapwood. some of the sapwood and transition wood is slightly spalted and very valid - other sapwood is chalk. obviously we want to maximize the good parts! that means several "flips".

be careful what you are jealous of Jim! i am just blessed to be a fairly big and strong guy at 60! lol!

[Charlie Fox]

yeah - something like this. i could so use this - but its a whole-nuther project to build it and then store it! most of my cedar elm, osage orange, mesquite, and walnut slabs dont need it - but now and then i get a slab and REALLY NEED this!

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://cdn.instructables.com/F8M/2BHP/IDBHY19O/F8M2BHPIDBHY19O.MEDIUM.jpg%3Fwidth%3D614&imgrefurl=http://www.instructables.com/id/Plane-your-wood-slabs-with-a-Planing-Sled-that-you/&h=412&w=620&tbnid=676qJCnv6MSBsM:&vet=1&tbnh=160&tbnw=241&docid=PrC_BLdkjUm6mM&usg=__hNPmccOvTpegltph1sBoM72DvAc=&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj9mYy-n6DRAhWFi1QKHTtWBwsQ9QEIIDAA

[Charlie Fox]

oh yeah the metal will be "beefed up" quite a bit! this is just the "general" idea
my son is a BS mechanical engineer and the base is his responsibility. pretty sure he doesnt want to make me think his college costs were in fruition....lol

[Joe Adams]

Charlie,

I deleted my post recommending a different sawmill. I am well aware of the source you used and have toured the facilities on more than one occasion. That being said, I prefer the one I recommended because of the quality of their kiln drying operation, massive flattening equipment and in my personal opinion a superior selection of Texas hardwoods. No ties with him at all - family, friend, or financial. Sorry that it offended you. I only posted the photos of my work to back it up. I make furniture for a living and don't even have my website in my profile or signature so it was not about self promotion. I also deleted the follow up post where I offered to advise you on a European hardwax oil finish. However, the offer still stands.

Joe

[Jeff Ramsey]

Joe, I'd sure be interested in your Euro hardwax oil finish recommendation. Others probably would, too.

[Jerry Wright]

General Finishes Arm r Seal is great for this application. Can be rubbed up or down to whatever lustre you like. 5 coats and it is quite impervios. I have used it on several heavy use church surfaces.

[Jim Becker]

......um....wow....are you really jealous Jim? jealous of how my back feels after loading this beast? and jealous of how i "wanted" one flip but we will have to do a couple to find the right final cuts in relation to the solid vs rotten sapwood. some of the sapwood and transition wood is slightly spalted and very valid - other sapwood is chalk. obviously we want to maximize the good parts! that means several "flips".

be careful what you are jealous of Jim! i am just blessed to be a fairly big and strong guy at 60! lol!

Trust me, I struggle with even medium sized projects at this point and I have that very "zero" birthday coming up in a couple months. :) I had to call Professor Dr. SWMBO out to the shop yesterday to help me lift my current project back onto the bench, as a matter of fact!

Living only a few miles from the Nakashima "compound", I certainly have a great love of big, natural edge furniture creations. I also know the man who supplies a good portion of their stock as he's a local sawyer and tree company. He uses a very large Lucas setup to mill and surface big slabs. The material barn at Nakashima is an amazing, amazing thing to behold with what seems like "miles" of major slaps waiting for their individual special project to come along and I'm thankful for the "extended tour" I was blessed to get a number of years ago as part of a charity event.

[Malcolm McLeod]

350461
Everything's bigger in Texas!;)

[David Eisenhauer]

I use water-based products and would put a coat of WB shellac over the tung oil (after letting it have very ample drying time), then put two-three-four coats of WB poly over the shellac. The shellac would seal the tung oil and prevent incompatibility between the oil and WB finishes. In my particular case, I would look at using a clear WB stain base instead of the tung oil. I use Target coatings products with a HVLP spray setup.

[Brian Holcombe]

so what about 3-5 coats of tung oil then a thin sprayed on poly top coat?

There are folks more qualified to answer that than myself. I use shellac or oil based varnish, both very much susceptible to rings but easily repairable. Waterlox becomes less susceptible with a build of many coats but I prefer only enough to seal the wood.

I would seek the advice of John TenEyck.

[Charlie Fox]

General Finishes Arm r Seal is great for this application. Can be rubbed up or down to whatever lustre you like. 5 coats and it is quite impervios. I have used it on several heavy use church surfaces.

are you rubbing it in with wet/dry sandpaper? or just a cloth? heating it first?

[Chris Fournier]

I would not use a finish quite like you are proposing. Simply put don't build with oil then put a hard coat over top. I would definitely use oil to bring out the beauty of the wood but then go to a film finish to build a protective coat. Personally I'd use double boiled linseed oil and then a spar varnish. You can go gloss or stay matte or anywhere in between really. Lovely project, I'd enjoy the metal work involved!

[Joe Adams]

Joe, I'd sure be interested in your Euro hardwax oil finish recommendation. Others probably would, too.

The finish of choice in my shop is Osmo Polyx-Oil 3011 - Gloss. http://www.osmona.com/Techinfo/Polyx.html

There is something lost in translation (Glanzend) from German to English as this leaves a satin sheen at best. Because it is a penetrating finish rather than a build finish, it imparts very little depth but instead produces a warm richness that makes people want to rub the surface. It's a very natural look that conveys the inherent beauty of wood. For a matte finish, use 3054 which "claims" to be Satin but is really matte.

This is a German hardwax oil designed for floors. They call for two coats on most surfaces but I occasionally use three. The biggest mistake you can make is over sanding before you begin because it will not penetrate. The second biggest mistake is over application as any excess finish turns gummy when it dries and looks shiny.

I generally sand to 180 with a Festool ETS 150/3 for large slabs (the 6" size covers 44% more area than a 5" diameter), has great dust collection hooked to pretty much any vacuum (reducing sanding scratches) and has a minimal 3mm stroke (reducing the size of any scratches). That being said, I am am well aware that other brands of sanders do a good job as well so whatever works for you is what you should use.

I apply the Osmo in small areas (about 2sf) really rubbing it in with a small white Scotch-Brite pad (1/8 of a 6x9 pad). Use the Osmo sparingly. Don't soak the pad and flood the work. Then I do the same to an adjacent area keeping a wet edge. When the first starts to dry, I strike it off with a clean white cloth and then buff it clean. I apply the next adjacent area (to the second) before wiping the second. And so on and so on until the whole slab is done. It's important to keep a bright light set at a low, raking angle at one end of the work so that you can see any finish left behind or that might reappear from open pore woods. Keep checking through the whole process and lightly buff any shiny areas. Finish the piece and let it dry 12 hours. Remember - Work In. Wipe Off.

There is no need to sand between coats unless you notice a glossy area where you accidentally left too much finish. Then hit it with a dry white pad (or gray if a little more abrasive action is needed) until it looks like everything else. Apply the second coat the same way and let it dry 12 hours. You should have an even stain sheen when it is dry. If I decide on a 3rd coat, I apply it sparingly and wipe almost immediately.

If you want to stain the wood, Osmo sells tinted Polyx in solid tones (Professional Color Oil) and transparent tones (Wood Wax) that can be mixed to achieve the desired color. I mixed 5414 Graphite with 3168 Oak Antique to get just the right shade to reproduce "Mid-evil Oak" for a French Country kitchen island countertop. The color coat goes on first just like Osmo Polyx and after drying is followed by a coat of Osmo Polyx.

I usually discard my applicator pad after a big job but sometimes keep it overnight in a ziplock bag in the Fridge. Use an old toothbrush to handle textured area like work holes. Clean up any mess with mineral spirits. Discard oily rags in a safe manner as they can spontaneously combust like any oil-based finish.

I buy Osmo mail order. There are several good sources online. (PM me if you want a referral.)

These are my two favorite videos on this product (from WoodWorkWeb) -

Part 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7cgv0l4k8U
Part 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vi5TJogqc7o

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vi5TJogqc7o)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


General Finishes Arm r Seal is great for this application. Can be rubbed up or down to whatever lustre you like. 5 coats and it is quite impervios. I have used it on several heavy use church surfaces.

I am a big fan of General Finishes products and have used Arm-R-Seal with good success when a varnish or built up finish is needed. It says oil on the label but thats a misnomer. It's actually a wiping polyurethane with better resins than the big box store products. Always use Gloss for your initial coats and then flatten it to semi-gloss or satin with the final coat. If you use a lower sheen on your initial coats, the built up layers of flatteners can leave the finish cloudy.

I have sprayed their High Performance with great success using a HVLP rig. They used to sell a cross linker additive that made it appropriate for kitchen cabinets. This finish is CLEAR! Very nice. I have also used Enduro Var when I wanted to impart some warmth because it has a slight amber tone. This is a better choice than High Performance when spraying figured woods. It is also a little more robust and does not need a cross linker.

[Jerry Wright]

Neither. Apply with a wide foam brush. 600-1000 wet/dry paper in between. On a 55"×70" natural edge beech conference table I built from two slabs (one edge saw cut on each and glued up) I rubbed down between coats with a 5" ROS. It still has a finish smooth as glass. It is in a public space and folks still ask how I did it. GF has great products.

[Jim Becker]

Personally I'd use double boiled linseed oil and then a spar varnish.

Spar varnish is quite soft as it's designed to bend when, well...spars on boats...bend in the wind. I'd not use that on an indoor furniture project. I agree with the BLO, however...it's almost always my first step and then followed by de-waxed shellac as a barrier coat and then water borne top coats sprayed. But if one is going to use an oil based finish, it's worth testing a scrap with just the oil based finish as quite often, it will look identical to the multistep process since the first coat will enter the wood just like oil will.

[Jeff Ramsey]

Joe, thank you very much for sharing this!

[Charlie Fox]

I would not use a finish quite like you are proposing. Simply put don't build with oil then put a hard coat over top. I would definitely use oil to bring out the beauty of the wood but then go to a film finish to build a protective coat. Personally I'd use double boiled linseed oil and then a spar varnish. You can go gloss or stay matte or anywhere in between really. Lovely project, I'd enjoy the metal work involved!

ok, i can do the oil - i have 1/2 gallon tung oil that i will thin with MS at first and will gladly purchase more - but please explain more about what is a "film finish". i have finished dozens of smaller slabs and larger tables of old pine flooring with ArmrSeal, Minwax poly, and with or without tung oil bases and really have no problems with any. but this is easily 4X the surface area of previous slab works, and must stand up to the "signature" piece that it is destined to be. so my most ambitious project to date must have my best finish ever.

funny - to the layman out there - they would never understand how with a major project challenge like this the biggest anxiety i have is with the finish. they seem to think thats the easy part - just get some Formby's for a "Tung Oil Finish". yeah. right.

[Jerry Wright]

You are correct to worry about the finishing stage. My father (a 45 year career in teaching woodworking) drilled into me that "90% of the apparent quality of a piece is in the last 10% of the effort." Modern finishes have come a long way from the religion of 10 coats of tung oil:) I have been playing with GF water based finishes (polycrylic). Dries in 2 hours. It doesn't replace Arm r Seal, if you have the time, but is extremely hard, levels well and is amazing stuff. Looks terrible (milky) going on, but in two hours it looks great. As usual , all IMHO:)

[Jim Becker]

but please explain more about what is a "film finish".

A "film finish" is more-or-less any finish that builds on the surface of the project...oil based varnish (including so-called "poly"), water borne products like Minwax Polycrylic and Target Coatings EM6000, paint, shellac, lacquer, etc. In the context of your project, you really only need one light application of any penetrating oil, be it pure Tung oil or BLO, and then move on to your protective finish. If it's an oil based product you can wipe or brush it on about 24 hours after you apply your oil and wipe off any excess. If you choose a water borne product you'll need a barrier coat between the oil and the finish...de-waxed shellac is the usual suspect for that. But if you're going to use an oil based finish, you may very well be able to actually skip the penetrating oil step since the first coat of an oil based finish often provides exactly the same look as I mentioned in a previous post. Try anything you are going to do on scrap FIRST before you commit to your project.

[Charlie Fox]

I like GF finishes as well, and i am leaning this direction due to the durability needed, HVLP. i like your reasoning for initial coats of gloss to avoid a cloudy build up - but questions:

1) what is your sanding sequence? i use a Festool ETS 150 - usually aggressive mode until done then finishing in passive, if that is worthwhile not sure, it just seems good
2) are you sanding with 400 between coats? i do this in passive mode always of course
3) do you sand your final coat? if so what grit? or just wax? or else?

--------------------------
I am a big fan of General Finishes products and have used Arm-R-Seal with good success when a varnish or built up finish is needed. It says oil on the label but thats a misnomer. It's actually a wiping polyurethane with better resins than the big box store products. Always use Gloss for your initial coats and then flatten it to semi-gloss or satin with the final coat. If you use a lower sheen on your initial coats, the built up layers of flatteners can leave the finish cloudy.

I have sprayed their High Performance with great success using a HVLP rig. They used to sell a cross linker additive that made it appropriate for kitchen cabinets. This finish is CLEAR! Very nice. I have also used Enduro Var when I wanted to impart some warmth because it has a slight amber tone. This is a better choice than High Performance when spraying figured woods. It is also a little more robust and does not need a cross linker.[/QUOTE]

[Joe Adams]

I like GF finishes as well, and i am leaning this direction due to the durability needed, HVLP. i like your reasoning for initial coats of gloss to avoid a cloudy build up - but questions:

1) what is your sanding sequence? i use a Festool ETS 150 - usually aggressive mode until done then finishing in passive, if that is worthwhile not sure, it just seems good
2) are you sanding with 400 between coats? i do this in passive mode always of course
3) do you sand your final coat? if so what grit? or just wax? or else?

Since you mention aggressive mode, I'm betting you have the Festool Rotex 150 rather than one of the ETS models. Great tool. I have one as well.

I know some guys that sand exclusively in Rotex mode all the way through their sanding progression. I know others who run each grit in Rotex mode and then repeat the same grit in Random Orbit mode before moving up. Both claim their method is the best and I can't say myself because I use the ETS series for most of my work. Here is a video from Festool that shows their recommendation and also proper techniques. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZZyypf-Qqk By the way, if you're not doing a penetrating oil, you can sand as high as you want to get a more polished appearance.

I have not sprayed the Arm-R-Seal. I apply it with a folded up lint-free cloth and wipe it on like varnish. As I recall, Marc Spagnuolo, the Wood Whisperer, has an excellent video on using this technique for Arm-R-Seal.

I have sprayed Enduro-Var using HVLP and it lays down nicely but is not quite as forgiving as High Performance in terms of self leveling. It's a water-bourne crosslinked polyurethane that looks a lot like an oil varnish. I used a spit coat of dewaxed Shellac first to pop the grain followed by a light sand with 320. I called their tech department and they said this would not effect adhesion.

I lightly sand between coats by hand using 320 grit to level the finish on the first coat or two and then use a white Scotch-Brite pad just to create better adhesion. Be sure to use a micro-fiber tack cloth (not sticky cheescloth) to remove any residue. I do more sanding after early coats and very little to none as I get to final coats. For Arm-R-Seal, I apply five coats. I only do three with Enduro-Var.

I try not to do anything after my final coat because it's usually a satin sheen. I rarely do gloss but have seen guys polish to a piano finish. I would not risk waxing until the finish has not just dried but fully cured. This can be days or even weeks depending on the finish and environmental factors. Personally, I don't wax over Poly but some folks feel it adds an extra layer of protection.