Problems with Tabletop French polish not drying properly.

[Grahamemes]

I'll give a quick explanation of the technique that I use.
I apply some sort of drying oil first, usually something like Tru oil. If the wood has open pores I'll fill it with the Tru Oil and pumice or use the oil sand fill. I won't start applying shellac until that has thoroughly dried and hardened. Sometimes it takes two applications to fill the pores. I also try to remove as much of this from the surface i.e. in the pores rather than sitting on top of the wood. I do want the oil to pop the grain of the wood, so if I cut through in any area it does mean that I will have to wipe that area with more oil, otherwise it will start to look patchy when applying the shellac.
I use a 1 lb cut, all the way through right up until the 'glazing' stage, where I switch to something a little less than a 1/2 lb cut.
I do little cutting back between sessions, only when it is necessary and with 800G used wet. There really shouldn't be any need to use a coarser grit (unless things are really uneven) and why remove shellac that you've just put on?
Once I think that the finish has built up sufficiently I let the surface harden for a week or so. I then cut back wet with 1,000G, using random circular patterns. Of course that leaves scratches. This is where I differ from a lot of 'modern' French polishing. It seems as though many now go through all the grits, then to fine polishing compounds and even buffers. I'm not that fond of the resultant glass or plastic looking wood that this gives, it's too extreme for my tastes. Others have a different attitude to this. Instead I switch to the 1/2 lb cut and use the pad in slightly overlapping very straight lines, going with the grain. It takes a minute or less on the back of a guitar. Then I let it dry for a couple of hours. I continue to do this cycle until all the scratches are filled in, so multiple times at these very mini sessions. May seem fussy but very little actual time is spent on each surface. Eventually I'm left with a glossy surface but with very fine micro lines (NOT scratches) left from the cloth, just enough to take the hard glassy edge off. You might call it more of an organic look although you shouldn't see any whip marks, just very straight micro lines. I'm perfectly happy with that type of effect.

Thanks for that, I get the jist of what you are saying, I will give it another go on the next guitar, Interesting about your grain filling, I apply a thin sealer coat and then use alcohol and pumice to fill the grain, sometimes adding a drop of shellac to help bind the slurry. I have tried other techniques but this feels the most natural to me and once you get the hang of it it you can fill quite aggressively, you have to wait a few days and redo it a few times as the grain tends to reopen though.

I really appreciate your sharing of your methods, it's always good to hear other techniques and sounds like you are well experienced in this field. I may give it another go on the next guitar without oil, to be honest, what you described after the grain filling sounds almost identical to my own method except for the use of oil as a lubricant and I have probably less but longer sessions. I also try to finish with strokes going with the grain. Although this is where it's tough on guitar tops as there is a bridge in the way lol!
Thanks again