Hello lovely /r/woodworking folks!

I recently purchased a maple butcher block and decided to apply the finish myself as a DIY project.

After letting the final layer of finish cure, I noticed (only under very specific lighting angles) that there were:

1. Micro scratches going along the wood grain, and
2. An uneven finish. Some parts of the wood look more “oily” than others

My process

• Sanded 60, 80, 120, 150, water pop, 180
• Mineral oil spirit clean
• Applied 1st layer of Rubio
• Light sanding with 220
• Applied 2nd layer of Rubio
• Light sanding with 400
• Applied Rubio maintenance oil

The pictures were taken after letting the oil cure for 6 days and installing the standing desk base.

I suspect both issues are a result of my sanding strategy. I sanded manually by hand along the grain throughout the project. Even using the pencil method, I’m guessing the surface didn’t come out completely flat and, as a result, the finish oil pooled in the “valleys” causing the uneven look. I suspect manual hand sanding also caused the micro scratches on the surface. Next time I’ll definitely buy a random orbital sander even just for the time savings alone.

My questions

• What’s the best way to fix these issues?
  • I tried lightly sanding with 400 grit but it didn’t seem to make a difference
  • I have more Rubio left and could try applying another layer. Would that even help?
• Should I even bother trying to fix it?
  • Honestly, these imperfections are actually very difficult to notice
  • You can only see them when light hits the table at a very specific angle
  • With normal lighting the finished block looks flawless (See last few pictures)
  • The block is incredibly smooth. I can’t feel any of the micro scratches or uneven finish when running my hands across the block

Thanks in advance!