Cockpit table restoration

The teak table that hinges upward from my Edson steering pedestal is made of solid teak.  Over the years it has had successive coats of varnish, but no sanding/refinishing   

As a result, the finish is very thick, but uneven.  The varnish has become quite orange.

Here is a photo of the table removed from the boat, sitting on my kitchen bench:

You can see how proud the wood grain is, and how the pores of the teak have gone black.

I started by stripping and scraping 95% of the varnish off, then spent an evening sanding the table back to a smooth surface.  I'm using plain old spar varnish, because this table resides under a cover, and a flawless finish is more important to me than durability.

I should have some "in progress" photos soon.

Update 2/12/13

Work is underway - a lot of sanding

UPDATE 13/12/13

7 coats of varnish, sanding lightly with 320grit paper between each coat.  Varying temperatures and conditions have caused me difficulty, as I have had to thin or not thin on a 'best guess' basis.  I will need 2 or 3 more perfect applications to get the result I want (10 coats total).  It is extraordinarliy-difficult to get a mirror-smooth finish...I don't know how the pros do it.

UPDATE 17/12/13

DONE!

...and that's 10 coats

...mandatory before and after...