Paul Moore wrote in message ...
Hello all,

I've been varnishing an old oak cabinet that we've had for years. I started
out from scratch by sanding off all the old grunge back to the bare wood.
I've applied several coats of varnish and it gives the appearance that the
varnish is not evenly applied. That is, the darker grain seems to repel the
varnish, whereas the lighter areas have taken the varnish no problem. To
the
touch, it feels as if the varnish layers consists of a series of tiny hills
and troughs, instead of being evenly smooth.

Should I have used some kind of primer or preparation before starting? Can
I
use it now, or do I have to restart from the bare wood.
If we're talking polyurethane varnish, it sands well so I'd flatten it with
a 180 grit on an orbital sander and then by hand with a fine paper. Lastly,
wipe a *thin* coat of varnish on with a rag. It sounds like you've simply
put too much on and not rubbed down between coats.