Here is how I do it, not necesarily the best way, but,,,,,,
Finish sanding
Leave lathe on slowest speed possible. Using a papertowel, I tear the towel in three pieces, then those pieces in half. Roll the piece up, then put a drop of glue on the towel and apply to wood. Add more as needed. By the time you get to the other end of the wood, it should be near dry. I add 3-4 coats, no sanding between coats. Once I get the desired amount of CA on the wood, I speed the lathe up and sand with 400gr paper to get the ridges out of the finish, then hit with 800gr. Once that is done, I then use EEE polish and wipe that off ( all while the lathe is spinning)