"The best advice I can give you in regard to care of the apparatus is this: If you can see a difference after carefully applying a small, lightly oiled 'test patch', then the wood has dried out and definitely needs attention. The frequency with which the apparatus should be oiled is a tricky one and very much depends on the atmosphere (natural or centrally heated) in which the pieces are kept. It will also make a difference if your collection is housed near a central heating radiator! This can have a quite marked 'drying out' effect on the teak." "Be careful not to apply too much oil. A light rub over with an oily rag, followed by a polish with a soft cloth every now and again will ensure that the wood is kept in tiptop condition. I hope the above will be helpful."

"There are many schools of thought on the subject of which oil to use in the care of various types of wood; however, I have found that these opinions generally relate to furniture and not to small pieces of wooden magic apparatus with sliding parts! This is something to watch... If oil is applied too thickly, the movable parts will not slide smoothly and may even stick. I personally have always used teak oil, but even this needs watching as it can thicken if it is old, or if there is not much of it left in the tin. I make a practice of using only two-thirds of a tin and then I throw the rest away - it's simply not worth trying to dilute it. Always apply the teak oil very sparingly, and then buff the apparatus with a soft cloth. You will find this is all you need to do to achieve the 'Warner' hand-polished finish!" (June 2002)