Refinishing Tripod Legs

I was given an older Super Polaris mount. The wooden legs have suffered a bit and need refinishing. Would some of you wood knowlegeable folks give me some advice on how to get them looking nice, preferably with a finish that will hold up well.

Thanks.

Clear skies, Alan

Strip off old finish with some sort of chemical furniture
striper (Formby's, etc). Follow directions; use protective
gear. Fix any gouges or dents with
wood filler -- get color that matches wood color
-- overfill the area, let dry, trim off
any large excess with sharp knife, sand smooth.
A penetrating stain will help protect the wood
-- I've used Minwax "Woodfinish" stains -- select some color or
just clear. Resulting color is never quite what the
samples show -- so try bit on some hidden spot
first. Sand lightly, remove dust, top coat with
3 coats Minwax Gloss Polyurethane. This produces
a very hard glossy surface; may take several months
for surface to fully harden. For a really polished
look, can give it a coat of furniture paste wax (Butchers
or Minwax) after a couple weeks. Re-wax every couple
years. The wax helps to seal any defects or cracks
that develope. The gloss poly seems to shed water the
best, but there are also semi-gloss and satin grades.

Another approach is to use a penetrating oil finish instead
of stain and poly, like Danish Oil (eg Watco brand).
It makes a beautiful, natural-looking finish without
the "wet" high gloss look. It is less durable in hard use,
but you can wipe on a new coat later to renew the finish.