Depends on the wood and the finish you require. Are you oiling or using a varnish/gloss finish . Some woods will soak up like a sponge ,others will be patchy and yet again some will hardly take any at all ,no matter what you apply. Always best in my experience to apply a couple of light coats to seal the surface and rub down again untill you start to get a good base surface that you can then build up to the finish you want.