C.L. Berger Wye Level

I have attempted to "clean up" several old wooden tripods over the years.?ÿ ?ÿIMHO the worst thing to do is try sanding the legs right off the bat.?ÿ It breaks the patina and you wind up with the sanded areas discoloring and showing badly...and sanding the entire surface makes it look like an amateurish "refinish".?ÿ I have 'polished' some rough legs before with 000 steel wool though.?ÿ Just make sure you don't use any water-based product on the wood after using steel wool.

I've found the wood can be really thirsty especially if it's been stored in a closet for years.?ÿ I've gotten good results by washing (no scrubbing with abrasives) the legs with a cloth and turpentine or mineral spirits.?ÿ Let it dry completely and give it a good couple of coats of your choice of oil.?ÿ I've used linseed oil, tung oil, Watco Danish oil and even lemon oil.?ÿ They all give the wood a good meal and provide a finish that doesn't take away from the "warrior patina" that the wood has earned over the years.?ÿ You might try the oil of choice on a small inconspicuous spot before diving in on the whole thing.?ÿ

Jim, that's beautiful.

Nate

An old tripod with screws simply needs to be clean and hand-rubbed to have charm.

Sanding a tripod is beyond aweful. Wood needs cleaned and treated, not reshaped. If the surface is rough use fine steel wool sparingly. Remove all hardware. Apply a citrus based stripping agent, wiping it off with rough cloth. Repeat until clean. You can stain it at this point if you want but it will change the look. Rub in amish wood milk vigorously or apply several thin coats of urethane. Metal hardware will take years to look good again if you clean aggressively. Soapy water with an old tooth brush at most.