Quote Originally Posted by timoteus View Post
I have a pair that are similar to Nipper's. They were "Pledged" by the original owner for their entire life and that has been how I've continued to take care of them. They look great but are considerably darker than when new. Nothing wrong with that and I will probably just continue treating them this way even though the proper care for a hand rubbed oil finish is an occasional recoat and wax.

I also have another pair that when I got them were completely dried out and sun bleached on top. I kept the Pledge away from them until I was ready to refinish so as not to put any silicone into the dry veneer. Recently I pulled all the components and started the refinishing process. I thoroughly wiped them down with mineral spirits to strip the dirt, hand oil/sweat and mystery chemicals out of the veneer and then sanded them with 220 grit and feathered out a few superficial scratches. I then followed this procedure which I highly recommend. Super Smooth Oil Finish | Article | Woodworking While I'm not quite done, I can tell this is a superior method and the results of wet sanding are well worth the extra effort. This is going to be the same as the factory finish but even better because of the extra care, time and effort that Altec couldn't spend on them in an assembly line setting. I'm using Watco Medium Walnut Danish Oil but I'm sure the Light Walnut would look just as good if you prefer a lighter and more golden look, I opted for the Medium which is a little richer.

Super Smooth Oil Finish | Article | Woodworking
Any (before and after) pictures?