Mildew on a Gun Stock?

[Griff411]

I have a Lee-Enfield that tends to grow mildew on the stock. I’ve had it since 1994 and it has always been a problem. The gun spends most of its time in a metal gun security cabinet in my unheated attic. I also live in a rather wet part of the country. On the other hand, I have a dehumidifier in the cabinet and none of my other rifles (including guns of similar and older vintage) have this issue. I’ve cleaned the stock a number of times, even using a mild bleach solution and a TSP solution, but the mildew returns. I don’t want to damage the wood, but I can’t figure out what the problem is. I wonder if there is some aspect of the type of wood or finish they used in 1948 that is making the difference. I thought that if I killed the spores, the problem would be solved, but apparently not. I’d rather not have to store that gun in a different location and I’m not even sure that would solve the problem.

Any thoughts?

Griff

[Wayne Smith]

Mold spores are in the pores of the wood. They have probably grown down into the wood as well as out onto the surface. If you have a way to pressure Clorox into the wood you might get rid of it, you might not. The other option is to completely seal the wood so air can't get to the spores. This would essentially be an epoxy finish, I guess.

[TCLouis]

I had a Hakim with that issue.
Repeated wipe downs with 90% Rubbing Alcohol soaked rag finally brought the issue to an end.

Took some time, but issue seems to be solved

[GabbyM]

Concrobium Mold Removal Products

http://www.concrobium.com/

This is what we use when doing water damage and mold jobs. On homes.

[Multigunner]

Beech wood is prone to deep mold or fungus infestations.
If kiln dried that normally kills the spores, but it only takes a few live ones to start the cycle again.

You might try a heat lamp, being sure not to overheat or heat one side more than the other.

[GabbyM]

Heat wont kill mold much. I have to climb up into attics quite often for mold treatments.
Concrobium is enzyme that eats the mold. Thing is it's not sold in containers sized for this small a job. I think a bottle of powder is around $45. That would do one side of your house. While we are on it. If you have issues with mold in your house paint. Around windows or on the north side is common. This product will kill mold before you paint and it will stay good for a long time. Bleach just does not get it done. Lacks ability to penetrate into the wood.

[Griff411]

Thanks, gents. Those are some things to try. It sounds like they may have Concrobium at the local Home Depot. I appreciate the suggestions.

Griff

[Multigunner]

Heres a PDF on how to kill mold and other infestations inside the wood using heat.
http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fplgtr/fplgtr190/chapter_20.pdf
Core temperature of the wood must reach well over 130 degrees and stay there for some time.

[Multigunner]

PS to above
Edit function not working
Theres a chart here with temperatures and times for various strains of mold
http://www.thermapure.com/environmental-services/mold/#stopheat

Some require much higher core temperatures than others.

[Griff411]

I'm concerned about either chemicals or heat damaging the stock or its finish. Any thoughts about that?

[SciFiJim]

I'm concerned about either chemicals or heat damaging the stock or its finish. Any thoughts about that?

I don't have any suggestions as to mildew eradication. Seems like some good one's here. You might have to decide which would do less damage, heat it up or let the mildew continue to grow.

Perhaps heat it slowly in stages in an oven. That way, heating will be uniform. If using this method, I would also cool it slowly in stages.

[Multigunner]

Heating will also draw old oil out of the wood. Lee Enfield butt stocks have a compartment for an oil bottle and these sometimes leaked, with gun oil permeating the wood from the inside.

I've often hung an oil soaked stock over a heat source and watched the oil bubble out of the end grain.

If a previous owner had soaked the stock with an oil that the mold can feed on its probably why the mold keeps coming back. Paste wax on or in wood or leather can become moldy.

[Multigunner]

This site
http://www.puuvene.net/phuhta/artikkelit/linseed.html
States that pure Linseed Oil which, many recommend for oiling military stocks, is very edible to molds.
Only Linseed oils that have additives that are toxic to mold and mildew should be used.

[GabbyM]

bleeding old oil out of a Mil stock is always a good thing to do.
Black plastic bag out in the sun. Good threads here and other places on how to do that.

Multigunner. To be frank. we do this mold remediation as part of our business.
Gun stocks are not lumber. Heat is not going to work. Actually a new stock would be more economical than saving this one.
I thought I made it clear that I actually was a professional in this business and actually knew what I spoke of. I stated earlier that heat will not fix this stock.

I'm just trying to help the OP not make enemies.

[madsenshooter]

I've been having that problem with some 1895 made Krag rifles. Maybe they spent some time in the tropics and the stuff is still rooted in there. The spores are just the fruiting body, like a mushroom they have mycelium that grows beneath the surface. It sprouts out mostly where the wood has been handled a lot, the grip areas and where the face has been on the side of the buttstock. I was very leary of it, wondering if it might be contagious. Little is known about how leprosy spreads, for example. My latest killing attempt was with thyme essential oil, something once used in the mummifying process, for it's antibacterial and antifungal properties. It's been a couple months and it hasn't sprouted back out. The stock smells for awhile, but the smell goes away. It didn't have any effect on the color of the old, mostly dark, stocks.

70% thymol, and cheap:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/3ml-THYME-ESSENTIAL-OIL-74-THYMOL-GLASS-BOTTLE-1oz-/200373889533?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2ea736e9fd

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17209812

[GabbyM]

enzymes

You are looking at $50 to eat the mold. Do you have a $50 stock?

[kootne]

I'm a total ignoramus about mold but concerened the OP may infect his other rifles in that cabinet.
kootne

[Griff411]

Actually, I expected that too, but I've had the gun for nearly 20 year's and I haven't had a problem with it "infecting" the others.

Again, I appreciate the advice from everyone.

Griff

[ukrifleman]

Actually, I expected that too, but I've had the gun for nearly 20 year's and I haven't had a problem with it "infecting" the others.

Again, I appreciate the advice from everyone.

Griff

I found the same, I have a MAS 36 and an Enfield N0.4 Mk1 that suffers from mould on the stock.
They are in a cabinet with 9 other rifles and they are the only ones affected.
ukrifleman

[daengmei]

My Lithgow Enfield does this, so did the new and BLO treated mahogany stock I put on it for a while. Took the stock off and have to look it over periodically and still get the growth of whatever it is. This is a very drafty and damp house and I have to watch. Some of my Mosin stocks are trying to do the same thing, stored in silicone gun socks and kept up from the drafty floor. A dark brown leather sling I lost under a bed went nearly white with the mold and I shot it with Jig-a-Loo, took care of most of it but I didn't saturate the entire thing and some mold remained.

[Multigunner]

GabbyM
I was simply pointing out that enough heat for a long enough period of time will kill anything that grows on or in wood.
Only living things not affected by heat are those primitive organisms that live around volcanic vents on the ocean floor.

The hard part is getting that heat all the way to the core of the stock.
Stocks like the Lee Enfield stocks are not solid all the way through like a piece of lumber.
With the stock bolt tunnel all the way through and the inletting of the fore end for hot air to circulate it should be possible to heat the stock set fairly evenly.
As well as heat killing spores the moisture content of the wood will also drop.

A core temperature of 150-160 degrees as recommended for the most hardy molds should not ruin the wood.
Working on an object no larger than the stock set of a Lee Enfield would not be that difficult.

I'm pretty sure I've heated Lee Endfield and Mauser stocks to higher than 160 degrees in the past, best guess would be 180 since they got way too hot to touch. Oil was dripping from them into a pan. There was no ill affect on the wood because hanging the stocks let the rising hot air wash over the wood equally.

I've also had to deal with mold, rebuilding my own kitchen and bathroom floors and walls. I just cut away all affected wood and replaced it, same for drywall, then bathed everything left, foundations, pipes, and sills with straight bleach. A rifle stock is not lumber or a pallet but its also not a house.

This particular rifle might be better off with a new stock set, but if the owner wants to experiment we might as well offer some suggestions.

PS
I rub my stocks down with a cloth moistened with Balistol. The label says this stuff is a powerful disinfectant, used to treat wounds of dogs and horses and to treat leather gear. Never found any mold on my stocks.
I've also cleaned mildrew off an old holster and a pair of leather gloves using balistol before oiling with neatsfoot oil. No return of mold on these yet.