Jerry have you ever used Spar varnish as a base coat/sealer prior to using the Tru Oil?
I apply a slop coat of spar varnish and let it tack up a bit, then wipe most off across the grain. Let it dry well and then sand back down to the wood. This fills the pores nicely. It may take more than 1 coat, depending on how open the grain is. You can also add rottenstone to the varnish for filler. On the final sand make sure you are down to the wood surface. If you don't get all the varnish off, you will more than likely see splotches in the finishing coat.
