Dynaco A25 Speaker FInishing Question

I got the tops of a set of my A25's sanded lightly and they were just sanded and left with no stain. First one I got back I just put teak oil on and it looks great but should have a medium sheen on top to seal it. The other looks great when I first apply the teak oil but when it dries the grain sort of looks greyish and unclear. When it is wet though it looks great. Is there something I can apply like a varnish or laquer that will keep it looking wet on top but that will dry? I don't really want a major sheen but just a med to flat one to match the rest of the speaker. Prefer nothing that is like a varnish and a more natural product. Any ideas? Also the one that looks grey or dull is too dark and I want to lighten it. I wonder if I added too much teak oil too fast or if they sanded it wrong? It is odd. THX for any input.

bubbasweet wrote:I got the tops of a set of my A25's sanded lightly and they were just sanded and left with no stain. First one I got back I just put teak oil on and it looks great but should have a medium sheen on top to seal it. The other looks great when I first apply the teak oil but when it dries the grain sort of looks greyish and unclear. When it is wet though it looks great. Is there something I can apply like a varnish or laquer that will keep it looking wet on top but that will dry? I don't really want a major sheen but just a med to flat one to match the rest of the speaker. Prefer nothing that is like a varnish and a more natural product. Any ideas? Also the one that looks grey or dull is too dark and I want to lighten it. I wonder if I added too much teak oil too fast or if they sanded it wrong? It is odd. THX for any input.

Tung oil is a very good application, albeit expensive. It dries at about the same slow rate as real spar varnish so keep the windows open, but you'll get a good finish. Don't attempt more than one application per day. Real tung oil is a bean product, 100% natural, but sticky as all get-out so use gloves. Best sources for it are in China or Oz. Most "teak oil" applications are synthetic these days.
There's no way I know of to lighten a dark finish from the top. Your best bet might be to apply a little turpentine or paint-thinner with 5-ought steel or bronze wool to remove the existing finish, and if that isn't good enough, a quick wipe with a bleached towel might be in order. Then try a couple of test strips.
I would not advise any more sanding. Those veneers are paper-thin and you'll be down to particle board before you know it.