Post #775859 by Prikli Pear on Thu, May 11, 2017 12:36 PM

Is the white stain powdery? I'm no expert, but it appears to be some type of mold to me. If it was stored in damp conditions before you rescued it, that's possible. There are lots of ways to get rid of mold, but I'll let the more experienced folks here offer their advice for this artifact.

As for a protective coating, my inclination is for tung oil. It's a penetrative oil, so it'll get into the pores and help protect the interior, but one that also forms an external protective coating as well. Plus, it looks good. Regardless, you'll want to use some type of oil to rehydrate and restore the wood--it looks excessively dry to me. Food grade mineral oil, beeswax, or a combination of the two are other options to protect and waterproof it, although those choices aren't as lasting as tung oil.

Regardless, that's a fantastic find. I am envious!