Thanks fretworn seemed they used poly to finish it.
Recovered after much sanding and application of the tinted liming paint again. Thankfully I tinted enough to be able to do it again. Since this is an experiment I am applying straight FW poly with a foam brush as I have found in the past it leaves less marks than a brush. After 3 coats its looks Ok but will need a few more coats with more sanding with finer grits. I read somewhere where people use wipe on poly for the last few coats to get a smooth finish so might try this as well. At least the poly adheres to the liming finish.