[Beardyman]

This is from my own personal experience & I'll be the first one to admit I am NO woodworking guru!
On my wooden radio cabinets I have used either Acetone or cellulose thinners (dependent on what type of varnish) with fine wire wool pads (like Brillo but without the soap) & paper towels. Lots of ventilation required! It can be a lot of hard work but very rewarding nonetheless. The "melted" varnish can also fill blemishes too. I did think about the scraping method but felt there was too much chance (in my paws at least) of causing more damage.