Hi all. Rookie woodworker here with a rookie mistake. After gluing and biscuiting my first table top, I had a few seams that were not flush (kinda far off). I used 40 grit sandpaper to sand down the joints and then proceeded up to 400 grit. It felt smooth to the touch and I went ahead and stained and put a coat of polyurethane on. After the poly, the subtle rough edges became very apparent. Is that normal? (ie for a poly to enhance mistakes)

I thought a couple more coats of poly would smooth them out since they are not too deep, but did not do much. Any recommendations? I am not sure if there is a special lacquer that could fill in the scratches, or if I just apply a heavier amount poly and sand out, or just go back to square one and resand to the way it should've been.

Any feedback would be most welcome. Thank you.