what you do if you varnish them first you have to deal with the plugs getting less varnish on them then the fiddles themselves. I've found that this is OK in our galley and head because it's out of the sun and the varnish last longer anyway. I usually put a couple of coats on every few years anyway because it's a galley or head and gets nicks over time. It eventually gets built up and it's a non-issue.