More experimenting has been completed, time to share results.
The product label makes clear that "drying" is different from "curing." May not have been necessary, but I waited at least 36 hours after applying anywhere from 2 to 10 coats before sanding, and the dried finish sanded easily.
On black walnut had to start with light green 800 Micro Mesh (MM) to get level surface. There were some scratches from the light green that were very deep, perhaps because the finish was not yet cured.
On cherry, was able to start with orange 1500 MM and move quickly through gray 12000 MM because the cherry grain was much tighter than the walnut.
Four to six coats the first day seemed to work well, with eight to ten two days later, but that was without raising the grain before starting. Hopefully I will remember to raise the grain with distilled water next time.
After 12000 gray MM the finish is very uniform, but I don't feel capable of identifying whether it is high gloss. Regardless of what it is, the finish likely will have a higher gloss after the finish is fully cured, which might take up to 7 days.
For a comparison I applied a friction polish mix (dewaxed shellac and a bit of linseed oil) on a couple small diameter rods of America Elm. I'm not a finish expert but I think the EnduroVar clarity is pretty close to the friction polish, but again the EnduroVar likely will polish up a bit better after about a week to cure.
May not be even next week, but I am looking forward to making a first few pen blanks and trying to learn how best to apply EnduroVar to seal the end grain, build thickness on the sides of the pen blanks without excessive build on the ends, and how it responds to the various grits of Micro Mesh after a week to cure.
I don't expect EnduroVar to be as fast/convenient as cyanoacrylate looks on videos, but I think it will be a more than adequate alternative without the fumes, risk of chipping in use, et cetera.
