where to start with this k98 stock!!!!

[adrians]

hi ,
this k98 stock arrived at my door today i hope you can see how nasty it looks (oily,, grubby,, almost black,) ,
anyway underneath all that sttuff i believe it could look pretty good so i have a couple of questions for the stock experts.
#1 is this laminated or not (i can't tell)?
#2 how the heck do i start to remove all the age old gunk of this wood ?
#3 what materials ect do i need to use so i don't ruin this stock?
the stock is suprisingly in good shape (not many dings or cracks visible (yet!).
any help on this clean-up would be greatly appreciated.
there will be no sanding happening and i intend to BLO it when de-greased.
thanks in advance ,,,,adrian.

[cheese1566]

I like 0000 steel wool and either Formby's Furniture Refinisher (or lacquer thinner).

"Scrub" lightly. I also like to steam the wood to get the light dents out.

Good article on military stock care and finishing at the CMP website: http://www.odcmp.com/Sales/askarmore...rticle.htm#64b

Good reading.

[adrians]

thanks for the quick reply cheese,
i'm going to check out the link you gave me in just a moment.
thanks again and have a great night

[Nelsdou44]

Yep, it's laminated beech. Looks similar to those imported from Israel, typically very dark.

Is that a couple of brass pins in the wood near the rear action screw? If so I have its twin. Believe me it has a lot of oil in it.

I use a paste made by mixing garden lime powder with denatured alcohol. Paint it on and as the alcohol evaporates it pulls the oil and grime out of the wood pores. It is a slow method and takes many applications. Use no water! Wood cells are like a sponge and as you pull the oil out, it will readily accept moisture afterwards.

Good luck

[leftiye]

Wash it down with solvents first. I'd start with paint thinner, and end up with laquer thinner. Then wash it with a good soap and water - good soap, maybe even hand cleaner. Before any abrasion (steel wool, sanding). Stock looks straight, maybe steam out dents after washing. If it turns out to be soaked in grease or oil, look for previous threads dealing with this. There is some stuff (I've never had this problem) that you put on it to absorb the oils. Putting solvents on it and leaving it out in the sun on paper towels is one approach.

[rtracy2001]

Wrap it in clean paper towels. Place wrapped stock in black trash bag. Place trash bag on dashboard of your car then park in a nice sunny spot for a day or two. Change paper towels and repeat until no more oil comes out. In cooler climates place wrapped stock in corner behind woodstove or over heater.

[adrians]

leftiye and rtracy i think it's gonna need both of your methods ,,this baby is dirty/oily ect.
it will,i think come up pretty good there are no major nicks or dents (it really is pretty straight )..thanks guy's.

dou44 ,yes they are brass tacks and it is from isreal,, good eyes.
and talk about you having it's twin well take a look at what is going in it.
yal have a great night and thanks for the advice fella's

[rtracy2001]

Can't believe I was so blind! this is a sticky in the gunsmithing tips and tricks forum that gives an excelent step by step/ dos and don'ts of stock work. Including oil/grease removal.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=55638

[El Gato]

I have had luck with a stiff nail brush and some Orange Pamolive Dish soap washed off with some very hot water. Looks like it will be a nice stock.

[flounderman]

I believe you use whiting to lift the oil out of a stock, if memory serves me correctly.

[flounderman]

you can also heat the stock with a hair drier or heat gun to raise the oil. I wouldn't use any abrasives on it until you have removed the oil. I wouldn't use any water. you can heat it and wipe it off, working on small areas at a time.

[adrians]

duh!!!
heck i missed that sticky too,thanks rtracy (all you guys basically said the same as the sticky poster, thx gunfreak, )
the consensus is heat and more heat and tons of patience .
to the truck it goes ,,,,tommorow
now if i can only get some sun i'll be set (it's raining here in ar,but we need it i quess)

[Char-Gar]

Use Formby's strippedr as per instruction on the can. Then steam stock and lightly sand with 220 grit to even up finish and get off any whiskers and then refinish. Do some research on how to finish that wood. It will require an alcohol stain and maybe more to prep the wood. Regular oil based wood stains will not work on that stuff.

[adrians]

thanks for all your advice guy's ,
i used a piece of everybody's info and this is waht i ended up with.
i stopped at this point because i was happy with it , i didn't need to go further (i could have but i liked the color as is)
the first pic is afor the clean up .
yall have a great day and thank you

[plainsman456]

I cleaned a butt stock for a SMELE with murphy's oil soap and hot water.
I rubbed with my hands first ,then used an old sponge/Scotchbrite to rub a little more.
It is not as oily as yours was but it cleaned up.