[gary rabbitt]

Hi Pepper,
All good info here.
But I always heard that sanding sealer is not grain filler. Yes, it can help to fill in minor pores in the wood, but larger pores should have grain filler applied. That will smooth out the pores. You can tint the filler.

Spraying on Deft right after your stain , you will end up with surface where the pores really show depending on the light. Almost a "sparkly" appearance with all the pores reflecting back at you.
With the filled grain, the surface is totally smooth. Whether glossy or satin,the surface looks a lot better.

Layering on too much sanding sealer can cause issues because it is 'softer' than your lacquer.
I never had any trouble applying one coat of sealer, then using Deft.
Again, if there are pores left after your sealer, you should apply filler. Trying to fill in the pores with lacquer can be time consuming and waste a lot of lacquer.
Good luck!