: Im new to varnish. Yesterday afternoon I put on the first coat. ~95 degrees
: and 60% humidity in a barn. There are some drippings. I tried to sand the
: dripping and my paper got gummed. the varnish was still soft. I tried
: sanding the smooth parts and the paper agained gummed. I was using 220 at
: first then 120 grit. same results. Should I give it another day to dry? Or
: is this normal?

Hi Aaron,
Varnishes take time to cure fully, time varying depending on which varnish. Regardless of what type it is, if the varnish feels soft, it isn't cured enough to sand.
This happens with the slower drying oil-based paints as well.
Leave it for another day or two and test sand one of the runs.

Mike Savage
South West Cork