Refinishing Question

[crgabel]

I have just striped the finish off of the first gun that I had built 4 years ago. Now that my
skill level has progressed to the point where I want to carve it, and then just shoot it the rest of my life.
My problem is that oil from lubricating the lock over the last 4 yrs. has soaked into the wood around the lock area and the upper wrist area. Will I be able to go over it with AF or should I now go to oil based stain based on the soaked condition???
Craig

 

I wonder if a acetone wash would degrease the wood before you went to the AF stain. I have used acetone to take grease off of stocks before. Inlet black and fingerprints.
The reason I don't care for oil based stains on wood is because it tends to cloud and hide the grain beauty on maple.

 

[crgabel]

I don't want to use oil based either. I was thinking in the direction of your thoughts as well.
Thanks for your reply
Craig

 

[BlackNet]

minwax furniture refinisher.

 

[Roy]

You can actually boil the oil out by carefully running a heated piece of steel over the areas, sort of like when you're raising dents. Dad used to do this when he was a boy in Grandpa's gun shop. I'll give you detail when I talk to him.

 

[54JNoll]

Diotomacious earth does an excellent job of removing oil from wood. You can order it from Brownells. Just follow the directions. OVen cleaner also does a good job of drawing oil from wood.

 

[crgabel]

Never thought of that ,I have boiled the sap from a green pc of wood one day. I would think the oil would move quicker than sap.
Please send details as you get them.

Thanks for all of the responces friends
Craig

 

[BlackNet]

problem with oven cleaner is it does very nasty things to the wood structure, also there's a tendency to produce a color shift in the wood.

as for Diotomacious earth check with the local pet shop in the aquarium filter section.

Ed

 

[Birdman]

Diotomatious earth can also be found in Pool supply stores, they use it in the swiming pool filter systems. Probably find it in quantity and cheap too. Just a thought YMHS Birdman

 

[Erzulis boat]

Easy-Off oven cleaner is used as a "poorman's" stripper for anodic coatings (Type II), and must be neutralized to stop the process, granted wood and aluminum are different, but.............

We "de-oiled" a whole host of furniture from WW2 era "Thompson" sub-guns (oil soaked beyond belief) by submerging the walnut in paint thinner (lacquer?) for a few days. It really worked.

You could test this one out with a rag soaked in thinner I suppose.

 

[crgabel]

I'm going to try the DE first, I have some in the shed. I still think after that I'll try some lacquer thinner once most of it is out.
Thanks again for the ideas, and keep em comen
Craig

 

[Russianblood]

Just hit the lock area with a hair dryer on HOT and have a paper towel there to soak up the oil as it starts to seep out.

 

[Roy]

Got it. Dad said that he held the stocks over an electric eye to boil the oil out. He said a heat gun would work as well, but you need to be careful not to scorch the wood. :thumbsup: Good luck, and tell us how it goes.

 

[TANSTAAFL]

If the original finish penetrated the wood to any degree, I have never had any luck trying to restain using AF, simply could not get it into the wood.

 

[Pork Chop]

I used to fly RC airplanes, and a common problem was the wood becoming soaked with fuel and oil. A solution that worked for me is to get some Borax and pack the wood with it for a few days. If you find that the Borax is damp, brush it off and apply another coat. A few coats and all is good...

 

[reddogge]

Borax is used to dry out animal hides too so it should work well.

Also I've heard of people using heat and whiting to soak up oil in old military stocks. After getting most out with the heat and whiting you can give it a mineral spirits bath. That should do it.

 

[crgabel]

I used heat and papertowel tonight and it seems to have taken a lot of it out. I think the thinner bath will be used next.
Craig