Guidelines for refinishing and maintaining furniture finishes are based on discussions with John Melody, conservator of furniture and wooden art objects at Winterthur Museum, Delaware, and Harold Sack, president of Israel Sack, Inc., New York. Topics include climate control, the question of refinishing, the use of waxes, use of polyurethane for cases requiring protection from water or alcohol, the disadvantages of oil finish and spray polishes, and techniques for cleaning hardware. -- AATA