I'm nearing completion (I hope) of my first finishing project, an alder table that I bought unfinished. I stained it with a gel stain and finished it with Behlen's Rockhard varnish. The first coat of varnish was thinned 50/50 with mineral spirits. After determining that unthinned varnish left too many bubbles, I brushed on 2 coats thinned with 15% mineral spirits with 3 coats on the tabletop. I scuff sanded between each coat except for the tabletop which I completely smoothed and leveled with 000 steel wool before the final coat.
I have started rubbing out the finish after letting it dry for about 3 weeks and am having a problem getting an even sheen. I am starting my rubbing using 000 steel wool without lubrication. For the most part, it does a good job. However, there are shiny areas on the wood that I can't seem to dull. These aren't the little dots from the bubbles that popped, I can rub those out. These are larger areas that almost seem to get shinier as I rub them.
Am I somehow softening the finish as I rub it which is creating the shine? Should I be starting out with something more aggressive such as 0 or 00 steel wool?
Thanks,
Andy