That kind of varnish shouldn't be too difficult to remove with a little patience but I've been fooled before. May not even need sanding, just oiling when you're done depending on what and how much you use. Only thing I can't recall is if you run any risk of damaging of the glue in the laminate with certain finish removers... someone else will know. Only concern would be metal parts scratching it along with the wood underneath when taking them off as it looks like it's on really thick though it does not appear to have been applied with the metal in so you may be alright.