Shining and dull spots on walnut table top

[Mark Chybowski]

Hello all
wondering if you guys can give me some insite into my issue.
i have a roughly 3 1/2 x 7 ft walnut tabletop I am attempting to hand plane finish. When I put together my panel I laid out the boards strictly by appearance. It's a walnut top. It's not real straight grain lumber so I've had to attack it from different directions. Had some tear out spots so sometimes I've had to change direction in the middle of a board to correct that . Now that I have it relatively smooth I notice dull spots and shiny spots. I presume the dull spots from planing against grain? My question to you is that normal or my iron dull or what?
Also will that show up in the finish?
Question also but maybe not for this forum what finish would you use knowing this table is gonna get its share of clean up wipe downs . I've used homemade oil turp varnish a lot in the pass but noticing the surface gets sticky after prolonged cleanings.
thanks

[glenn bradley]

It is possible that your tear out or snags were due to reversing grain; not uncommon in walnut. This same reversing grain will return light differently and give a different appearance from different angles. Spot one of your dull areas and walk around the piece staying focused on that spot. If you notice the chatoyance changing that is normal and not a finishing defect. Let us know what you find please.

[Warren Mickley]

Quite a few people suggest planing sections of a board from different directions to deal with reversing grain. This is not a good idea, because there will be noticeable light effects where the planing directions change. What looks best is when all planing strokes are in the same direction. A well placed cap iron will enable you to plane without tear out. And even if the patches of reverse grain will be noticeable, it will look better than a patchwork of planing strokes.

[David Eisenhauer]

And, as to the finish, if this table will see lots of typical kitchen/dining/general kid life duty, then the poly finishes are a good way to go. Lots of woodworkers tend to stick with oil/wax type finishes, but those finishes are not very protective or durable. Shellac is nice and dries fast, but does not hold up to wet and alcohol as well as poly. The poly finishes are made for getting used/abused/wet/wiped down. Take the time up front to put several (four?) coats on and be done with it for a long time. Note that they don't all appear "plastic" if done right.

[Curt Putnam]

Warren gave the correct answer, AFAIK. If you cannot get it to plane in a uniform direction, then you might try scraping. If scraping doesn't do it for you then you will have to resort to sanding. If you do not know about the cap iron effect then you would be well advised to read up on it. A close set cap iron and an uber sharp iron should be able to handle any walnut out there.

[Jim Matthews]

If the panels were assembled such that grain patterns oppose, you may be seeing variations in chatoyance, a firm of iridescence from light refraction.

If you have a point source for light, and move laterally while observing the table surface, the refraction may appear uneven due to the "direction" of the boards.

A picture of your table may help.

****

If the problem is only at the surface, the following approach may help (presuming you're ready for finish).

Consider applying Watco "Danish oil" with progressively finer abrasive pads such as offered by Mirka. Each successive layer should be rubbed briskly to polish the surface.

Refer to the linked article for the basics.
I substitute abrasive pads for the cotton rags.

Watco has a coloring agent I prefer on Walnut, but behaves much the same as Waterlox.

https://www.popularwoodworking.com/finishing/flawless-finishing-with-waterlox/



I

[Michael J Evans]

And, as to the finish, if this table will see lots of typical kitchen/dining/general kid life duty, then the poly finishes are a good way to go. Lots of woodworkers tend to stick with oil/wax type finishes, but those finishes are not very protective or durable. Shellac is nice and dries fast, but does not hold up to wet and alcohol as well as poly. The poly finishes are made for getting used/abused/wet/wiped down. Take the time up front to put several (four?) coats on and be done with it for a long time. Note that they don't all appear "plastic" if done right.

My very first WW project I did is sitting right next to me. It is a very simple fir night stand. I finished it with poly, I would agree with David that the stuff is remarkable. I have used this for 6 years now. Setting all manners of wet / hot cups, spills, etc. I've never noticed any defect in the finish.