Arm R Seal adhesion question

Posted this in the finishing sub, but I wanted more people's opinion:

Twice now I've seen a method by reputable sources for applying Arm R Seal to complex pieces (Greene and Greene style) where they apply it and then wipe it "bone dry", 6 - 7 coats.

On flat surfaces, it's obviously unnecessary and wasteful, but I'm wondering: once the wood soaks up all the finish it can, do later coats actually partially stick (even if just a little) if they are wiped "bone dry", or are you just wasting all consequent coats? The wood soaks up finish in the first three coats, so the other 3-4 coats should be for the purpose of forming a film.

I'm currently finishing a Greene and Greene style piece, and it is practically impossible to do it any other way without a sprayer (there's too many nooks and crannies for a regular finish application), but I get the feeling that after the first couple of coats, the following ones aren't really adding to the film. I just wanted to know your thoughts before applying more coats and possibly wasting finish.