I'm wanting to refinish some old shotguns and have some questions.

[BHTGdogs]

I read about the bag method to pull oil. It's not hot enough here for that to work. What would be the best way for me to go about removing the oil and stain? Also on the fore end of a savage single shot 20 GA the set screws have stripped out of the wood. What's the best way to fill these holes so I can put the set screws back in?

[leebuilder]

Welcome, i have lifted old oil from butt stocks and handguards in the oven on low, they must fit in. You can use oven cleaner too, cover and soak a bit then clean off, works better than stripper and cheaper too. As for them set screws, if you can get them out and go next size up, forarms are noted to work loose over time, best to get new full threads if possible
be well

[GhostHawk]

I have refinished a couple of gun stocks in the last year. I had good luck using orange strip and 4ought steel wool. Once I am sure I have it all up, loose, take it into the shower and give it a good wash. Then hang for 2 days in a dry spot.

I pretreated with a mixture of beeswax, coconut oil and olive oil. Added a little old english oil dark for color, working it into cracks and corners. Let it sit for a day or 2 in a dry place. Then started with coats of true oil. When I got up to around 7 I was happy and quit.

[Petrol & Powder]

What are you calling "set screws" ? If you're talking about small wood screws that attach hardware that's different than a set screw that has machine threads and provides a removable stop for something else.
For small wood screws the first solution is to go to a slightly larger screw if possible. If not, the proper repair is to use a drill press, drill out the hole and epoxy a tight fitting hardwood dowel into the hole. When the epoxy sets, saw off the protruding dowel, sand flush and refinish. Then, drill a new screw hole into the dowel.

[leebuilder]

You stuff a wee bit of steel wool into the hole in a pinch too.

[bdicki]

http://www.brownells.com/userdocs/products/p_083032100_1.jpg
Just make a thin paste of Whiting and methanol or TCE, acetone, or toluene and paint it onto the stock, then brush if off after it dries and darkens with oil. Warming gently speeds process.

[BHTGdogs]

Yes they ate 3oid screws. I guess I'll go with the dowel method. Thanks a lot guys. I'm really looking forward to this project.

[Mooseman]

Steel wool should not be used on gunstocks , as it can leave small shards in the wood that will rust under the finish. Mineral spirits , or acetone will remove oil from a stock after stripping or sanding. You can follow up with a hot water and dawn detergent wash which will also raise small dings and dents similar to using an iron and a wet cloth. The dowel method of repair is good if you dont mind seeing the repair, I prefer to use Acraglas and walnut sawdust mixture to fill the hole back in and after its dry , drill a proper size pilot hole for the screw and its virtually invisible.

[BHTGdogs]

I won't be able to see the dowels, they will be hidden under the barrel. I guess my next question is how exactly I go about stripping the wood and then pulling what ever oil is left?

[Blackwater]

There are lots of strippers out there, and all of them will work after a fashion. I learned long ago that some will lighten the walnut, but that's usually easily dealt with, with a little good stain. If you use stain, I've found that it can often penetrate more deeply into the wood when cut or thinned with laquer thinner, or acetone. I don't like using mineral spirits for this because of the smell it tends to leave, but YMMV there on that issue.

The classic way to get saturated gun oil out of a stock's wood, and return it to as much "as new" condition as possible is to soak it submerged into a container of acetone. Weight it to keep it submerged if necessary. The good thing about acetone is that it evaporates 100% and doesn't leave anything behind but the dried wood. It doesn't tend to crack the wood like a few other solvents can do on the rare occasion.

My friends at the LGS asked me how to do this a few days ago on a gun a fellow had in and it's an old family gun, so they are being very particular about restoring it. I told them if it were me, I'd just submerge it for a week or two in acetone and it should come out about as clean as one can expect. It's a little slow, but there's really no way to do it quickly. The heat in the oven trick is about as good a quick fix as can be attained, but I've never seen it get ALL the old oil out, though it can do a workmanlike job if followed up with some degree and sort of solvent saturation after cooking out as much as you can. That can harden some oils, though, making them harder to get out with the solvent, so again, if it was me, which it ain't, I believe I'd go with the solvent first and then try the oven trick - AFTER it's completely dried out, of course! No need to set the house on fire with a stock still wet with solvents!!! That's a no brainer, of course, but here on the internet, with no knowledge of who might be reading this, it's just good common sense to qualify with things like that, so I do NOT think you're dumb enough to do that, but neither of us knows who's reading this, and one CAN get into problems giving some advice like this.

Good luck, and you've been given good advice above. Lots of ways to skin this cat. This is just my way, and not the last word on the subject by any means.

[Petrol & Powder]

I won't be able to see the dowels, they will be hidden under the barrel. I guess my next question is how exactly I go about stripping the wood and then pulling what ever oil is left?
http://www.brownells.com/userdocs/products/p_083032100_1.jpg

[WALLNUTT]

Use bronze wool in place of steel wool,no rust.You should never use steel wool on bare wood.

[Petrol & Powder]

I won't be able to see the dowels, they will be hidden under the barrel. I guess my next question is how exactly I go about stripping the wood and then pulling what ever oil is left?
If the repair is inside the forearm there is NO need to drill all of the way through the stock to install the patch (dowel). Set the depth of the drill press so that you do not punch the bit through the forearm and use a flat pointed bit or a brad point bit.

[BHTGdogs]

I ended up boiling the fore end and stock. It pulled the oil way better than krud kutter or the oven.

[Blackwater]

Bravo! As my old Ackley trained 'smith buddy used to say, "It doesn't matter HOW you do it as long as it works." And since nothing's cheaper than water, ya' done good. REAL good!