I recently found an early A grade 20xx which apears to hve spent the last 50 to 100 years in the woodshed. The metal is not to bad other than being pretty dirty, good bores ,locks of tight, etc. However the wood is really dirty with the usual nicks and abraisions, but not too bad.
My question is how to clean the wood without doing damage to the originality of the stock and forend?? What product to use, etc.
Any help is appreciated. Thanks.
Found old Fox
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birdhunter
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Twice Barrel
I would start with a good scrubbing with mineral spirits followed by a repeat scrubbing with Murphy's Oil Soap.
It would be best to remove the wood from the metal prior to using the Murphy's as moisture will seep into the the inletting and cause rust. If you cannot take the wood off stop after the mineral spirits.
Let the wood dry a day or two and rub it down with a good wax.
It would be best to remove the wood from the metal prior to using the Murphy's as moisture will seep into the the inletting and cause rust. If you cannot take the wood off stop after the mineral spirits.
Let the wood dry a day or two and rub it down with a good wax.
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birdhunter
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B. Cleaning and Coating Historic Firearms
1. Cleaning Wood Stocks
* Separate wooden and metal parts. They are cleaned and coated differently.
* Unless absolutely necessary, leave unfinished interior wooden surfaces alone.
* Clean exterior of stock as follows:
o Use a few drops of a mild detergent[iii] in a gallon of warm, distilled water, applied with a slightly damp soft cloth, and rinsed with clean cloths dampened with distilled water.
o Dry with soft cloths immediately after rinsing.
o Clean again with mineral spirits, using a soft cloth to apply. Work in fresh air or a well-ventilated area.
o Avoid using “oil soapsâ€
1. Cleaning Wood Stocks
* Separate wooden and metal parts. They are cleaned and coated differently.
* Unless absolutely necessary, leave unfinished interior wooden surfaces alone.
* Clean exterior of stock as follows:
o Use a few drops of a mild detergent[iii] in a gallon of warm, distilled water, applied with a slightly damp soft cloth, and rinsed with clean cloths dampened with distilled water.
o Dry with soft cloths immediately after rinsing.
o Clean again with mineral spirits, using a soft cloth to apply. Work in fresh air or a well-ventilated area.
o Avoid using “oil soapsâ€
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birdhunter
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Twice Barrel
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Researcher
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Taking a totally different approach for a complete refinish of the wood, I got these to items off the board at doublegunshop.com. I'm a big fan of getting all the old oil out of the head of the stock.
From – Wonko the Sane – Cleaning old dirty gun stocks.
Pretty, old guns do not have to have unpretty, old wood. If you like grimy wood go for the whole schmeer and leave the gun grimy too. I noticed that the pics of Ripon's Purdey in Shooting Times and Country was grime free, by the way. Wiping with acetone will get the surface stuff off fine but it takes a soaking to really get it clean. Be aware that using a brush on old oil soaked wood can damage the wood a bunch. Soaking and wiping (and a thorough sealing as detailed in Newell's book) will not do that. This is how I do it. You can e-mail me if you want, but Newell's book is really the source you need. Check the posts below somewhere about it and then hit a book search engine to get a copy.
THE METHOD This is a word.doc now so I will never have to write it again but can post it every week. Oh boy! Anyway, here it is. Get a disposable aluminum roaster pan at the supermarket that is large enough for the stock. Stop by your Home Depot or whatever and get a gallon of acetone and a gallon of alcohol. If the stock has a plastic finish you might want a can of some paste stripper too. Use that first if the outside finish requires it. If the stock has a varnish or oil finish the acetone will lift that with no problem. Then toss the stock in the roaster and pour in the acetone (it will also neutralize the paste stripper). Cover the wood until it floats. Then pull off a good length of aluminum foil and make a cover for the "tank", sealing it as well as possible. Be aware that acetone is highly volatile and smoking the cigar over the top of it is not recommended. I let the things soak for several days, turning the wood over a couple times a day. When you feel like you're tired of that, and the acetone looks like it has quit changing color, pour the acetone back in the can, rinse the roaster out with alcohol, and then soak the stock in the alcohol just like you did in the acetone. When you yank the baby out of the alcohol bath it will be CLEAN! And you can seal it and refinish it anyway you want after you let it dry a couple days.
works for me
Charles
A Good Sounding Method For Stock Finish – from the Double Gun BBS –
I realize that there may be several other suggestions, but for a finish which can be easily repaired for scratches, I like Tru-Oil. I also use a rather old fashioned preparation for the stock:
After preparing the stock - sanding until perfectly smooth, then de-whiskering, I heat a good marine spar varnish in a double boiler, getting the varnish water-thin and very hot (I do this over an electric hot plate on the stove with the overhead vent on. Don't use a gas stove, because the fumes are very flamable). Then I stand the stock up in it and liberally brush the varnish onto the stock, letting it fill the pores. I take some time doing this and kind of brush on then poke the bristle ends onto all the stock surface, inside and out. When finished, I let it hang to drip for a moment, then I wipe dry using a varnish wipe cloth, and hang it up. Wipe well, because the more left on, the more you have to sand off. I screw a cup hook into the butt to hang it upright.
After waiting for it to completely dry (24 hours minimum), I sand down to the wood using wet 400 grit paper, then 600 grit. Some like to use steel fur, but I prefer wet sandpaper. When I have the stock smooth again I sometimes have to repeat the above because all the pores are not filled flush.
Once I have the stock sealed and pores filled flush, then I apply Tru-Oil, one drop at a time and rub in about a 3 " square, continuing until the stock is covered. I let dry for at least 24 hours, then apply another coat. I do this in the evening, watching TV, with a tack rag on my lap to keep lint, etc from my clothes getting into the finish.
The key is to make very thin coats well rubbed in. I generally apply at least 6 coats, sometimes more depending upon the figure of the wood and the amount of apparent depth of the finish I want to appear.
For normal scratches, a little wet 600 grit will remove it and you apply another coat of Tru-Oil.
I realize that others like to use the Tru-Oil and sanding dust from the stock to rub in to fill the pores. Some even like microballoons in a stain. But I started finishing rifle stocks years ago in Colorado (courtesy of Colo. School of Trades), and it was paramount that we try to seal the wood to prevent shifting of aim point as the stock got wet or dried out. Marine spar varnish applied as above did the trick. I found that it worked well for me on shotgun stocks also. Hope this helps answer your question. Jim Haynes
From – Wonko the Sane – Cleaning old dirty gun stocks.
Pretty, old guns do not have to have unpretty, old wood. If you like grimy wood go for the whole schmeer and leave the gun grimy too. I noticed that the pics of Ripon's Purdey in Shooting Times and Country was grime free, by the way. Wiping with acetone will get the surface stuff off fine but it takes a soaking to really get it clean. Be aware that using a brush on old oil soaked wood can damage the wood a bunch. Soaking and wiping (and a thorough sealing as detailed in Newell's book) will not do that. This is how I do it. You can e-mail me if you want, but Newell's book is really the source you need. Check the posts below somewhere about it and then hit a book search engine to get a copy.
THE METHOD This is a word.doc now so I will never have to write it again but can post it every week. Oh boy! Anyway, here it is. Get a disposable aluminum roaster pan at the supermarket that is large enough for the stock. Stop by your Home Depot or whatever and get a gallon of acetone and a gallon of alcohol. If the stock has a plastic finish you might want a can of some paste stripper too. Use that first if the outside finish requires it. If the stock has a varnish or oil finish the acetone will lift that with no problem. Then toss the stock in the roaster and pour in the acetone (it will also neutralize the paste stripper). Cover the wood until it floats. Then pull off a good length of aluminum foil and make a cover for the "tank", sealing it as well as possible. Be aware that acetone is highly volatile and smoking the cigar over the top of it is not recommended. I let the things soak for several days, turning the wood over a couple times a day. When you feel like you're tired of that, and the acetone looks like it has quit changing color, pour the acetone back in the can, rinse the roaster out with alcohol, and then soak the stock in the alcohol just like you did in the acetone. When you yank the baby out of the alcohol bath it will be CLEAN! And you can seal it and refinish it anyway you want after you let it dry a couple days.
works for me
Charles
A Good Sounding Method For Stock Finish – from the Double Gun BBS –
I realize that there may be several other suggestions, but for a finish which can be easily repaired for scratches, I like Tru-Oil. I also use a rather old fashioned preparation for the stock:
After preparing the stock - sanding until perfectly smooth, then de-whiskering, I heat a good marine spar varnish in a double boiler, getting the varnish water-thin and very hot (I do this over an electric hot plate on the stove with the overhead vent on. Don't use a gas stove, because the fumes are very flamable). Then I stand the stock up in it and liberally brush the varnish onto the stock, letting it fill the pores. I take some time doing this and kind of brush on then poke the bristle ends onto all the stock surface, inside and out. When finished, I let it hang to drip for a moment, then I wipe dry using a varnish wipe cloth, and hang it up. Wipe well, because the more left on, the more you have to sand off. I screw a cup hook into the butt to hang it upright.
After waiting for it to completely dry (24 hours minimum), I sand down to the wood using wet 400 grit paper, then 600 grit. Some like to use steel fur, but I prefer wet sandpaper. When I have the stock smooth again I sometimes have to repeat the above because all the pores are not filled flush.
Once I have the stock sealed and pores filled flush, then I apply Tru-Oil, one drop at a time and rub in about a 3 " square, continuing until the stock is covered. I let dry for at least 24 hours, then apply another coat. I do this in the evening, watching TV, with a tack rag on my lap to keep lint, etc from my clothes getting into the finish.
The key is to make very thin coats well rubbed in. I generally apply at least 6 coats, sometimes more depending upon the figure of the wood and the amount of apparent depth of the finish I want to appear.
For normal scratches, a little wet 600 grit will remove it and you apply another coat of Tru-Oil.
I realize that others like to use the Tru-Oil and sanding dust from the stock to rub in to fill the pores. Some even like microballoons in a stain. But I started finishing rifle stocks years ago in Colorado (courtesy of Colo. School of Trades), and it was paramount that we try to seal the wood to prevent shifting of aim point as the stock got wet or dried out. Marine spar varnish applied as above did the trick. I found that it worked well for me on shotgun stocks also. Hope this helps answer your question. Jim Haynes
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birdhunter
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