Put denatured alcohol on the wood to see what it looks like under clear.
And slotted screwsAren’t junk;
Most drivers are junk.
I annoy my Snap-on dealer with my constant blade changes, but I don’t mangle screws.
Day two of watchmaking is taking care of the blade tips (those are all slotted screws). I just keep new blades on hand but I don’t have time to keep them pristine.
They still use slotted bronze screws in wooden boat construction.