David, I understand how you feel but agree with the others. When you are dealing with 120+ year old parts, perfection is tough to achieve. Just the fact that you have found a full length intact rifle stock is pretty amazing. I have been at the same point as you many times. Assemble the rifle and put it away for a while. Come back to it later and it may look a lot better. If not, there are many great threads on this forum regarding stripping, staining and finishing a stock (BLOetc.) I feel for you regarding the family issues. Been there--what a pain. I hope you have some help from someone who has your back. Good luck. Salt Flat