Gunstock cleaning ??

[tdd4570]

I have been shooting stainless / synthetic rifles too long.

I just picked up a blue / walnut rifle, 30 - 40 years old.

The stock needs a good cleaning before I decide if the finish is ok.

What is the best way to clean off 40 years of grime without damaging the finish?

Thanks

Dave

[Mk42gunner]

Kind of depends on what type of finish is supposed to be under the grime I think. If it is one of the bowling pin type finishes that Remington or Browning put on, I am not sure anything will harm it. On the other hand, if it is an oil type or varnish finish, I would use something like Murphy's oil soap and water.

I have also used a glass cleaner like windex on the plastic finishes and a lot of scrubbing with a paper towel. If a linseed oil type finish has enough dirt and oil imbedded to look black, I have used acetone and a green scotchbrite pad to clean it, then reapply BLO once it is dried thoroughly.

Hope this helps,

Robert

[gnoahhh]

That about covers it, IMO. The only thing I would add would be a coat of good quality furniture paste wax, especially if it's an oil finish. (Note: never ever use automotive paste wax, it has silicone in it which will play billy hell if you ever need to refinish it.)

[tdd4570]

Much appreciated. It isn't a bowling pin finish. It is a Sako AII. Hopefully the finish is ok. Just have to get the dirt and grime off to make sure.

[waksupi]

I use a piece of burlap, and some mineral spirits. Works well, set the stock outside for a bit and all the fumes go away in short order.

[Nueces]

My first thought was to use a tooth brush and some moose milk, made by mixing Ballistol with water. I've verified that it is safe on stock finishes.

[M-Tecs]

I use a piece of burlap, and some mineral spirits. Works well, set the stock outside for a bit and all the fumes go away in short order.

Same for me.

[SteelHorseCowboy]

I'm of the Murphy's oil soap and water camp. Using really warm water, not hot enough to produce steam at room temperature, and a terry cloth rag.

[Blackwater]

I've done it various ways, depending on how bad a condition the stock is in. In the worst cases, I've used the MOS Steelhorse mentions, or even plain dishwashing detergent. If the dust and grime is too embedded in the finish, there's no choice but to go to a solvent to get the old finish and all the grime in it simultaneously. A really, really good rinse is usually needed after the solvents to make sure none of the gummy grit stays in the pores of the wood if you want the best possible finish.

I redid 3 M-12 Win's for a local judge that went through Hurricane Katrina and laid in brackish water for a week. The wood was harder, in a way, to deal with than the metal. I used MOS and hot water initially, but had to go to the solvents, and IIRC, I used a mix of laquer thinner, mineral spirits and acetone. These were neat old guns, but mostly just good shooters in good condition, which is what he liked and wanted. When you wet wood with water or solvents, I like to let them lay for a while - at least a full day - before coming back to sand and refinish.

The judge was surprised at what we were able to do with his very nice collection of various guns, and he'd been used to spraying them down with WD-40, and when I got all that concrete hard stuff out with dental picks, and did just a little fitting, he worked the action on a little 20 ga. and his eyebrows hit his hairline! They were MUCH smoother, and he left a very happy customer. I wish he'd have been open to selling at least one of those guns, but .... no dice. It's hard working on guns when you fall in love with some of them!

[pietro]

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HOWARD'S FEED-N-WAX (HomeCheapo/Lowe's a, GOOD hardware or furniture store, etc) has done wonders for me, on gunstocks. :coffee:



http://howardproducts.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/prod-feed-n-wax-1.jpg


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[SteelHorseCowboy]

.

HOWARD'S FEED-N-WAX (HomeCheapo/Lowe's a, GOOD hardware or furniture store, etc) has done wonders for me, on gunstocks. :coffee:



http://howardproducts.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/prod-feed-n-wax-1.jpg


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*cheers*

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161021/16c39fd9292da3ef419761271bad5193.jpg

I have an old Benjamin air rifle to restore for my boss. Estimated to be from the 50's. Has brass air chamber, barrel, and feeding tube.
Similar to 4th from left, maybe same model, not sure though. In the 5 minutes I spent looking his over, I seem to recall it having 3 distinctly visible tubes.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161021/81e0cda7f1db7d62a40b9e8ac7edbadd.jpg

Going to be an absolute joy, I love doing this sort of thing! I've already restored his mom's 410 bolt action and S&W 39.

Will see if I can find some of this Howard's for the project. Can't wait to see how the tubes turn out once I strip off whatever nastiness was slopped on them and get 'em polished up. Will need to do some heavy research to figure out what all parts are broken and/or missing, and where to get replacements.

[SteelHorseCowboy]

Have finally gotten around to taking pics http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161026/5b2391915fbe02b6ce3f5badb15711e1.jpg
Top is a Crosman air pistol, bb and pellet, .177 caliber. Bought new in 1979 and never had the stickers taken off.
The Benjamin is BB only, model 3100. I've already gotten most of the lacquer off the tubes and stock.

Yeah, they're "just" air guns. But I'm pretty fond of all guns. One of my all time favorite classics is a Daisy Red Rider :D