[TheFightingHellfish]

True enough Arran, and in particular burls etc that are impossible or expensive to find in solids, as well in going around rounded corners, often veneer is the only route. But as with my Philco there, there were a couple reasons I like using solids -one being that veneers are in limited supply locally, while a local hard woods store could make me 1/4" or thinner planks of solid walnut cheaply. With the Philco having bad water damage on the bottom 6 inches or so, I routered out a couple of those patches to almost the full 1/4" in depth, so it would tie the expanded plys back together and make a nice solid glue joint. The final reason for me that I like working with solid woods so much is I can cut a piece to fit, then score the joint end slightly with a razor and lightly tap it into place so its end grain meshes with the ragged edges common to where many missing veneer strips have broken off, then when I plane it off smooth, there isn't so much of a straight line, so the edge hides well to the eye. They also cheaply sold me some assorted scraps, odds and ends that I was able to use on one of the inlaid bands that was missing a 1/2" chunk at the back edge, just out of frame -not sure what species the inlay was, but a piece of scrap mahogany color matched and blended in well enough. Plus, I did not have to buy a large roll of veneer to do a penny size piece; the $0.50 wood block I got could do 10 or 15 more and fits in a drawer.

As for the finish, it looks like candy to me, and I will keep it as is; but I know you and Ron and a few others are purists -and I value keeping things reasonably original too. If I had read this forum before finishing what to me was 'just another piece of vintage furniture' I would have probably used toner. I was just acknowledging my mistake and letting you know that I value and respect your expert advice.