Weird spots on wipe-on poly finish

[Bennett Ostroff]

Hi all. I'm working on a live edge bookmatched walnut dining table. Here's what I've done so far.

-Sanded to 180
-One coat of Minwax Antique Oil (oil varnish blend). Dried for three days in warm dry conditions.
-Sprayed a thin coat of Zinsser/Bulls Eye wax-free shellac. Dried for a few hours. Sanded lightly with 400.
-Brushed on a coat of gloss wipe-on poly with a foam brush.

I'm planning another brushed coat and then a final satin coat wiped on. I've done this routine dozens of times and it always comes out great. But on this piece I ended up with these weird spots. It seems like something might've dripped but I can't think of what it could've possibly been. Seems like the finish isn't absorbing maybe.

I'm wondering a) what it could be, b) if you think it'll improve with more coats, or c) do I need to start all over, ugh. Any possible fixes?

[Wayne Lomman]

It's a contamination issue and could be from your initial coating. It looks like oil rather than silicone. You need to rework at least that area and the whole top if it won't blend in. Wash with an alcohol solvent before recoating.

As a general observation to all, I sincerely do not recommend coating systems made up of quite different products. If you need a tie coat of shellac, you are taking a risk. I am aware this will not be a popular point of view, especially taking my by-line into account, but I strongly recommend simple coating systems using compatible chemistry. Research coating manufacturer's websites as a starting point. Cheers