I'll start with the pictures....
It was recommended that I use mineral spirits and 4/0 steel wool. I did that but it didn't do much. The was some yellow/brown that came off on the clean-up towel but it didn't affect the hazing/whitish coloring on the butt and other places. It really looks like water damage to me. I feel like I want to clean some more with denatured alcohol and then use a little BLO. But I DO NOT want to put something on it that will lock that whiting stuff under it and make it even harder to bring back. The wood is extremely smooth. To the point it seems like it was sanded at some point. But I don't think it would have been with the rack numbers on there. What am I to do?
The two hand guards look to be just grungy. Something like my Lee Enfield was. Some light rubbing with denatured and fine steel wool got that Lee Enfield to even out and look nice. I also put the lightest touch of BLO on the Enfield.
It was recommended that I use mineral spirits and 4/0 steel wool. I did that but it didn't do much. The was some yellow/brown that came off on the clean-up towel but it didn't affect the hazing/whitish coloring on the butt and other places. It really looks like water damage to me. I feel like I want to clean some more with denatured alcohol and then use a little BLO. But I DO NOT want to put something on it that will lock that whiting stuff under it and make it even harder to bring back. The wood is extremely smooth. To the point it seems like it was sanded at some point. But I don't think it would have been with the rack numbers on there. What am I to do?
The two hand guards look to be just grungy. Something like my Lee Enfield was. Some light rubbing with denatured and fine steel wool got that Lee Enfield to even out and look nice. I also put the lightest touch of BLO on the Enfield.