Reconditioning fore end wood

[ajjohns]

Well, I maybe a little cheap not just buying a new one but here's my situation,
I'm restoring an 1873 Winchester, 38 wcf, round barrelled rifle. I've tore everything down, cleaned it up, and now am re-doing the wood because it's in fairly rough shape. In doing so, I found that it had a fore end for an octagon barrel put on sometime in it's life. I can use acra glass to build it up and make that part fit, the problem is the octagonal cut in the wood is very black stained. Either oil? or water? I suppose. The first go-round of building that part of it up with the glass to fit the round barrel didn't stick to the wood. Am I barking up the wrong tree, or if I can get the black stain at least mostly gone, will the glass stick to the wood? I only tried cleaning it with some thinner and a wire brush the first time. What should I try next next before trying to get this jem out for the fall season? Thanks in advance!

[RickinTN]

I've had pretty good luck heating the wood slightly and using white vinegar to "sweat" the oil out of wood. I've also heard of others using acetone and have tried that as well. I had better luck with the vinegar. It is a slow process but will bring the oil out.
Good luck with your project,
Rick

[sparky45]

Try using lacquer thinner on the wood. Put it on, wipe it off. Repeat. After the lacquer thinner, use a "spit coat" of Shellac; then lightly sand. The Shellac will seal the wood pores ( might take more than one coat). It's time consuming but it's worked fine for me and both my stocks finished quite well afterward.

[ajjohns]

Well thanks! These methods sound pretty good, and I have the stuff to do it. Too bad that acra glass doesn't stick to that oil in the wood, I'd be done and shooting by now.

[KCSO]

Soak it down with thinner and put it in a black garbage bag and set it out in the sun for a couple hours, repeat as necessary.

[btroj]

Whiting mixed with alcohol to make a thick paste will pull oil out of a stock like nothing else.

[RickinTN]

Whiting mixed with alcohol to make a thick paste will pull oil out of a stock like nothing else.

Works quite well. "Whiting", at least some I ordered from Brownells, is nothing but white line chalk. I could have gone to the local home store and made my purchase saving shipping. This, mixed with mineral spirits into a paste will draw the oil out. May take a couple of applications. Don't get in a hurry as it is doing it's job while drying.