Nah--you don't have to start over--just do a bit of backtracking. That's the beauty of using penetrating oil finishes!!

I'd hold off on putting any more tung oil on it. Give it a few days to dry & then try sanding it with wet/ dry sandpaper. The black stuff. See what 220 grit does. Probably going to need to wet sand (with some of the oil finish for lubricant) to keep the paper from loading up.

It sounds like the top was maybe built up in two sections & then the two halves were jointed together (and the halves were passed thru the planer in different directions.) Or that the top didn't make full contact on the final passes thru the sander.

Or, if it was sanded after it left the factory, then different grits were used on different sections.

Question: tung oil finish What, specifically, are you using? Brand, etc.?

If you use the oil to sand with, you don't need to wait for the finish to dry. If you're going to use water for lube, then I'd wait a few days.

I can't remember the name of the product but it was a pure tung oil that I got from Milk Paints, and of course it is at the new house not here, so no help right now. I have been thinning it with a citrus solvent as reccomended. I used the same mixture with each coat so it wasn't a matter of variation in mixes. Thanks for the help I will try the sanding and see if it helps.