Cleaning Burnt Wood

[lkydvl]

Dealer friend got in an old Marlin single shot shotgun. Model 60. Yep that's right, 60, big and bold stamped into the receiver.

Barrel has a matted top and is in very nice shape as is the receiver, springs etc. Stock was painted black on one side as was the entire forend. Looked like the wood had been charred and partially burnt off.

Was butt ugly so I decided to try some restoration/preservation. The metal cleaned up readily and looks very good. The butt stock was cleaned then sanded to clean off the paint and the charred wood.

That charred wood contained all kinds of soot, oils and God knows what from the fire. Clogged sandpaper to beat all. Went thru so much I had to look for an alternative to regular sandpaper. Found some drywall screen in the sandpaper drawer.

Lo and behold...it cut the charred wood slicker than anything used previously, did almost nothing to the good wood. When it started to clog a simple swat against the trash can cleared it for more use.

The forend was worse off, having lost a substantial amount of wood along one side. It too cleaned up much quicker. Some light sanding afterwards and both are ready for a new finish.

This may not come up often but its a handy tip you might be needing at some point.

Andre`

[I'll Make Mine]

If there's a chance that gun went through a fire, I'd solder up the firing pin or weld over the firing pin hole in the receiver, and make a wall hanger out of it -- you do not want to put a factory loaded shell in a barrel that might have been annealed.

Failing permanently disabling the gun, you owe it to yourself and anyone who might have the gun from you to get the barrel hardness checked by a gunsmith who knows what value it should be -- and put a new barrel on it if the original is softer than it should be.

[lkydvl]

There was no loss of temper in any of the springs either in the receiver or the forearm retainer spring. SInce that did not occur there is no chance the bareel or receiver themselves were damaged.

[lkydvl]

Good Lord guys...

This post was about how a certain material was usable for work on charred wood. NOT about the particular firearm it was used on.


The gun is not collectible, depends on what you collect. It's not valuable, what is your definition of "valuable? it's not unique, since Marlin has rarely if ever before used the same model number on two completely different firearms I would disagree. and its been through a fire.


You want to clean it up nice and purdy and with both eyes open, press your face against it while touching off a modern shotshell....why?!?! Where did I ever say I intended to fire it?

You gents missed the point of the post completely.

Andre`

[Mooseman]

Thanks for the Info Andre !
SBowers and Seabeescotty both clean up lots of guns that have been thru house fires , usually in a gunsafe. The wood chars first before the actual temper of the gun becomes questionable. I will pass this info along to them.Also this may be a good trick for me fixing muzzleloader stocks where the wood burns near the Lock/ nipple area.

Rich

[DCM]

Great tip on cleaning burnt wood!

Drywall sanding screens! I never would have guessed.

[flounderman]

somebody, maybe 3M, makes sanding screen. It is finer mesh than drywall screen and probably scotch brite. Doesn't clog like sandpaper.

[Gunfreak25]

Yep, using screen for sanding burned wood does work. There's thousands of little tricks up old timer gunsmith's sleeves, ask most people what it means to "bone a stock" and they'll look at you like you have 3 heads!

[Bren R.]

Yep, using screen for sanding burned wood does work. There's thousands of little tricks up old timer gunsmith's sleeves, ask most people what it means to "bone a stock" and they'll look at you like you have 3 heads!
Although now I'm more likely to use a glass bottle, a marble rolling pin or some nice rod stock.

Bren R.