I'm a little concerned that the finish is still gummy. That suggests a
ruined finish. A gummy finish is usually indicative of dirt, grime, and
oils. It is removed by cleaning. Varnishes to not usually turn sticky when
exposed to water unless they are incredibly dirty in which case, it just
needs to be properly cleaned. You most likely have a lacquer finish unless
you know that it is shellac or something else. Your finish became sticky
due to water exposure. Unless this hardens by the end of a week, you may
have a ruined finish that will have to be redone. Assuming that it hardens,
you will probably have to fix the remaining blemishes. If so, you can try a
very quick and light wipe with a cloth lightly dampened with anhydrous
alcohol. You will probably have to rub out any remaining roughness.

As for the heat rings, the heat caused whatever water there was in the
wood to come up and turn the finish cloudy on the bottom of the finish where
it meets the wood. I am assuming that there was no water on the bottom of
the hot drink when it was placed on the table. This is difficult to repair.
I would first try the dampened cloth above assuming the finish is lacquer or
shellac. Sometimes, the finish is thin enough that the trapped water can be
released. If that doesn't work, you may need to rub out the damage with
very fine abrasives. If that doesn't work, the blemishes are too deep and
the finish would have to be stripped.

Good Luck.

To reply directly, remove the NGs.

"Terry" wrote in message
om...
One the front corner of our buffet, a leaky water pitcher was placed
and left over night, and unfortunately was rubbed briskly when it was
still soft. The varnish is a bit gummy now and the surface is less
than smooth. Is there any way to fix it with out having to refinish
the whole top?

Also have a Cherry dining table with water rings from hot drinks.
Still perfectly smooth, just a white haze left behind.

Would greatly appreciate help in restoring these items. Thanks!