I sanded the scales down to remove any delamination and wonky bits.
Then I misread Mike’s sequence and put them in neatsfoot oil for 3 days while I waited to get to where my tools were. After cleaning the oil off with denatured alcohol, I repaired the bug bites and resanded and polished them. For polishing, I used the abrasive spongy things they use in. manicure shops to sand down nail ridges and put a final polish on the finish. They seem much gentler than high grit sandpaper.
They then went back into neatsfoot oil for another 2 days. So, I guess they were i oil for a total of 5 days.
I was surprised at the generally good condition the scales were in after sanding and sitting in the oil. They were quite flexible.
Next time I try this, I’ll wait until I’m where my tools are and be more patient.