Stubborn stock stain, how to strip?

[Old Time Hunter]

Guys, looking for technical assistance pertaining to sucking the 119 year oil, dirt, and stain out of a stock without sanding (maybe very lightly).

Here's what I tried:

1. washed with extreme hot water/Murphy's Oil Soap....multiple times.
2. used chemical gel stripper and washed off with Scotch pad and hot water (per directions)
3. multiple scrubbings of MS
4. multiple wipe downs of Denatured Alcohol

Probably went through this ten times and can not get the "dark" out and as soon as I touch it with BLO, the wood turns almost black again. This is the rifle, it is all apart now:



The stock still has faint cartouches that I do not want to disturb(hence no sanding). I should show what it looks like now as if this shade is a 10, it is maybe a 7 or 8 now and I would like to get to at least a 5.

Some one suggested Easy-Off Oven cleaner....any less intrusive possibilities?

[Rusty]

You might have to sand it ever so slightly but two things to try first would be bleach. Wiped on with a rag then wiped off and the one that really seems to bring the old oil out is heat.

Get a big wad of paper towels handy and start with a high powered hair dryer and heat the stock. As you heat the stock you'll see beads of oil pop up on the surface. Stop from time to time and wipe it down with the paper towels. You could also hold it over a stove or near a wood burning stove to heat the stock but I've usually used the wife's hair dryer.

[Blaine]

I like them old and crusty looking.

[marlinman93]

Use Kleen Strip, two part wood bleach. If it wont do it, then nothing will. You should consider you'll need to sand, but simply cut a small circle of painter's tape and place it over any cartouches to protect them. Once the sanding is finished, remove the tape, and just blend it slightly with 400 grit paper.

[Blaine]

cartouches

Made me look it up.....

I thought changing/refinishing took away value and desireability?

[milton]

I have used this method several times,sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't.Get some lime from the hardware store.This should be a white powder that chemically is calcium hydroxide.Make a paste with warm water and paint in on the stock. You want a thick paste to cover the wood enough to pull the oil. Allow to dry and remain on the stock for a day or so.If the white dry lime turns brown or brownish it is pulling the old oil out of the stock.Continue by brushing off the old powder and re-painting until you get the desired color.

[Modoc ED]

I use Easy Off oven cleaner for the really tough stuff. So as not to be too intrusive on the wood, I spray the Easy Off on good and thick and let it set for only an hour before thoroughly rinsing it off with warm water. Let it dry for a bit (an hour) blot it with paper towels and soak it with Easy Off again if necessary.

[flatnose]

I think I would soak the thing in laquer thinners. Go get 5 gallons of gunwash thinner from an automotive paint supplier. Make up a tray to hold the thinners and lay the stock in it. It will get a lot of the crud out, and may drive some of the stain deeper into the wood, but the overall effect will be to lighten the color of the wood. The thinners will get most of the grease, oil and dirt out of the stock. It runs about 40 bucks for 5 gallons.
Automotive paint suppliers also sell wax and grease remover(prep-sol, or something similar). This is more expensive, but works even better. A good alternative to wax and grease remover is windex.I use it alot to clean panels before painting.
Simple Green, is a good cleaner, and works even better in a hot tank.
Pick up your yellow pages, and see if there is a furniture restoration shop in your area. They may have a caustic tank which is used for stripping and cleaning wood trim, chairs etc,etc. This would be the best method by far, and the cheapest. That's what I would do.

[flatnose]

p.s.
Any of the full immersion soaking methods that use water based solutions(caustic hot tank), will need to dry out completely, as the wood will swell from its original size. Depending on where you live, temp and humidity, you may want to air dry it for two or three weeks before finishing.

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

I use the Easy-Off first then go to the Lime paste but I use denatured alcohol. If it's two piece stocks I will micro-wave between lime coats.

[jnyork]

I use Easy Off oven cleaner for the really tough stuff. So as not to be too intrusive on the wood, I spray the Easy Off on good and think and let it set for only an hour before thoroughly rinsing it off with warm water. Let it dry for a bit (an hour) blot it with paper towels and soak it with Easy Off again if necessary.

I have done several old Nagant stocks with this method, they were REALLY dirty and covered with oil and other mung from a century or so of loving attention from Russian peasant soldiers. It works really well, leaves you with a nice dry clean stock ready for final sanding and finishing. You will need to dry very thoroughly for a couple weeks in the sun. Try it, you'll like it.

[Old Time Hunter]

Thanks guys, going to try the Easy Off route. Called a "antique" furniture restoration business that has multiple high line museum recommendations. The gent said "we use special non abrasive agents that are time consuming to apply and take special skill with experience to bring the wood back to its natural clean appearance" i.e. very costly. Then I told him it was for cleaning a 1890 gun stock that I bought for a $100...he said "use Easy Off Oven Cleaner...it's our special non abrasive agent".

If it doesn't work, he suggested the wood bleach way as a last resort, but that alters the natural wood color.

[J Miller]

OTH,

There is one NON chemical method I didn't read here. If I missed it I'm sorry.

I once had a WW II Enfield with a stock so saturated with oil it would run oily anytime it got warm. Living in AZ I just hung it out in the hot sun and it literally boiled the oil out of the wood. Evey couple hours I'd blot the oil off the surface with a paper towel. At night, I just set it up under a heat lamp. Turn it often and that oil will boil out. Takes a while, but it sure lightened up the wood for me.

Joe

[Jaguarundi]

I use Easy Off oven cleaner for the really tough stuff. So as not to be too intrusive on the wood, I spray the Easy Off on good and thick and let it set for only an hour before thoroughly rinsing it off with warm water. Let it dry for a bit (an hour) blot it with paper towels and soak it with Easy Off again if necessary.

+1redone many a old war trophy by that method.

[Rusty]

I'd try the heat first... cheaper you know.

It will leave the Easy off less to do.

[Alan Wood]

I'm in the try heating it crowd before oven cleaner. If you look around on the surplus rifle forums youll find tempurature recomendations for it. Don't get it too hot though. I wonder if this is actually cosmoline?

[Bear 45/70]

I like them old and crusty looking.

That's because you like things that look like you!

On that note, I do love my leverguns but will not give up my bolt guns as I have it fairly well whittled down to the bolt guns I like to shoot and have modded them to work for me.

Mauser 98 in 22-250 with set triggers


Mauser 98K in 308


Mossberg 46B(b) 22LR

[Bruce]

I have done many old military stocks w/ the Easy-Off. Just let it sit awhile, wash it off real good, let it dry and repeat. After you have gone as far as you care to go, place the dried stock in a black plastic bag (trash bag) in a heated area - car trunk - metal outbuilding etc.. and a little more (old oil) will come out. Don't over due the heated area idea and check the stock to note when the oil has stopped seeping out. Too much could result in the stock starting to crack. I finish the process by a good washing w/ acetone or something like it to remove the remaining surface oil.

[Old Time Hunter]

Gosh dern Easy-Off works!

Took 'er down to a bout a level 4 except gotta try a little more in the wrist. I am impressed!