8. What can I do about the tiny bumps I get in my finish after I varnish?

Those tiny little bumps are particles of dust, and if they are not coming from your brush or up out of the pores of the wood, then they are dropping down out of the air. Since there is no practical way you can completely avoid dust in the air, the final solution to your problem comes after the varnish has dried. After your first coat has hardened (no less than twenty-four hours later), buff the surface with dry #000 steel wool. Repeat this after the final coat, but with #0000 steel wool moistened with lemon oil.