Do you think I can brush poly into the cracks, pin holes instead of covering the whole top?

No as then you will have different finishes that will look different. And may not be compatible which will cause adhesion issues.

This is due to your materials choice, not the finish. The holes are finished. Just not filled. You don ‘t fill in in the termite and beetle holes or it looks like you poured plastic over it. Which you could do, but why bother paying a premium when you could have the same look of plastic over a printed piece of paper.

That holey rotten wood simply sn’t a material suitable to everyday use as a kitchen table. And I hope that that wood was kiln treated before being fabricated. There will be major issues with creepy crawlers otherwise.

If the farmer who built that barn could see what you were doing with the cheap, dirty, rough-sawn wood he put into it, he'd be absolutely flummoxed. I am, too. But as the French say, à chacun son goût (to each his own).

I sell these kind of tables in my store, Urban Barnwood is the brand and they are extremely well-made. The wood is kiln dried and treated to ensure the bugs and critters are gone. These are typically custom made and rough-hewn models are by far the most popular. They could be made belt sanded smoothly and then totally filled and sealed, but then the whole look has changed, they are not nearly as attractive. Major holes like the one in the lower right of the detail photo are typically resin-filled, and all the small ones left as is, and the top is wavy. We refer to these as "open" finishes. The wood used is re-claimed Oak out of old barns in the Midwest.

I had a customer recently custom-order one a few months ago fully-sanded smooth and everything "closed-finish". Even my delivery guys said "This table doesn't look so great, did the maker do it this way on purpose? The other ones we delivery are much nicer!" My customer was happy with it, so that's all the really matters.

This is a photo of my floor model.

YES 🥰 That’s exactly what I custom ordered. I LOVE the look and the finish... just wish I could fill those tiny holes in a little to make wiping off a tad easier. I’d NEVER sand it down, it’s gorgeous just like that!!

Here's what I would suggest you try. Simply put a coat of Minwax Paste Wax on the wood, that will give you a very light coating (non-permanent) on the top to aid in clean-up. It will slightly increase the shine a little as well and last about 4 months. When your clean up rag starts to drag on the top, then clean the old wax off with Mineral Spirits and re-apply. The wax will keep things from embedding quite as much. Try it !

Thank you so much. Appreciate your help!!