Beautiful wood. You need to set up the tree and hang it there. Since you already filled the grain I would rub in five coats of PCO and then wet sand with 400 or 500 grit lightly to even it out followed by 800 to 1000 grit to get a sheen. sometimes I use the PCO as the sanding oil. I have seen a lot of variation in the sandpaper between the different suppliers so be careful. Some people tape over the checkering but I prefer to be careful and then lightly cut the checkering. If you want more coats I would add them after the light sanding with the rougher paper.
This has worked well for me however I think someone who does this professionally will chime in and tell me I am doing it all wrong.
