I am refinishing some walnut gunstocks. I have stripped the old finish and have a problem I have had in the past while re-finishing gun stocks. Where the wood joins metal, there is staining. This is due to years of gun oil being applied to the metal, but also being applied a bit to liberally, seeping into the wood at the metal joint and penetrating end grain, which bleeds to the surface of the stock.
So, at the cost of being redundant, picture a beautiful piece of unfinished walnut with slight dark staining along the edges of the wood where it joins the metal receiver.
Years ago, I got some advise from a seasoned stock refinisher. He said this is a common problem and gave me what I recall was a small bottle of bleech. It was red in color. He told me first to attempt to heat the gun oil from the wood with a heating element held close to the wood. This draws some of the oil out of the wood. Then, very carefully apply a light amount of this liquid (again, I think it was some sort of bleech) to lighten the wood. It worked well. I finished the stock and it was very difficult to see where the staining had been.
Only problem now is that I can’t locate the old pro and I do not know what magic liquid was in the bottle.
I do not want to stain the whole stock; I like the natural color of the wood with the rubbed oil finish I am planning on applying. So, I need some advise on what I can do to stain the small oil soaked areas to have them better match the rest of the natural wood.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated! I am getting desperate because it is a Christmas present for my brother in law!
Replies
You do have a tough one, heating the stock (gently) will bring the oil to the surface where it can be wiped off with a cloth dampened with mineral spirits. I have heard of using oven cleaner on particularly nasty old military surplus stocks. Are there any gunsmiths or custom gunmakers in your area you could ask? Brownell's may have some chemical for oil removal, try http://www.brownells.com good luck!
There is a product that looks like cat litter used to remove oil stains on cement floors, I don't remember the name of it but it's quite commonly used.
I had very good luck with it, just stick the stained end of the stock in it and leave it for a couple of days.
C.
Well, I have solved the problem. I purchased some Oxalic Acid wood bleach (Ace Hdwr) and mixed and applied it as instructed. It took a few applications, but it gradually lightened the effected area. The process was slow acting enough that I could watch and stop when I had the desired effect. The results were not perfect, but a huge improvement. Someone not looking for the staining would not notice. I would recommend this for anyone.
How about publishing your technique in the Tips section. It would make it easier to find next month when I can't remember where I read it!
A bad day woodworking is better than a good day working -- yes, I'm retired!
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