fender3x: yes! Let us know how it turns out. I'm soon to hit the cure stage as well. I am impatient, so we'll see how that works for me. I plan to work on the neck and headstock while the body rests though.

McCreed: thank you for all the information! It makes total sense about the deglossing and polishing. I have read (so anecdotal here) that if you use too many layers of satin poly, the substance that makes it less shiny builds up, and it makes your finish cloudy. Which is why it was advised to only do the last 2 layers in satin. I haven't experienced it personally, but that was the reasoning. But if I don't have to sand it all down at the end, I probably won't need as many layers, so it might be moot.