The sanding smoothes out the grain lines, eventually. They make clear filler that you can use but i've never had any luck with it. I usually just sand the rough off with a 600 grit between every few coats. After the last coat i'll go 600-1000-1500-2000, then a good automotive polish to bring it to gloss. With the laquer I use i'll put about 6 coats on & let it sit for a couple weeks. Then another 5-6 & sit for a couple weeks before finish sanding. At this point the laquer has hardened up enough to where it will polish out really nice. With a steering wheel, depending on paint, you may only need a couple days, then polish it out. It will get hand polished with use
Thanks for the compliment, it's something I enjoy.