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Getting saturated oil out of stock

bambihunter
I asked this quite some time ago and couldn't find it with any search terms I thought would have brought up my particular topic.

Anyway, sorry to bring this up again but here's the situation:

I now have TWO gun stocks that have oil saturated stocks and I'm going to refinish them both. I've already got one of them stripped down to bare wood and have tried rubbing with acetone but it only seems to draw out the little at the surface. Within minutes it seems the stain is just as dark.

I don't mind buying solvents as long as they can safely be used in a garage. I don't have a real good place to use strong cleaners...
I remember one person last time suggested soaking it in Dawn, another suggested something like ground pumice.

Any advice is greatly appreciated! (I'll be using it ASAP so it won't get lost by my procrastination like last time). [:I]
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Comments

11 comments

Date Votes
  • Tailgunner1954
    Use a paste of didiatomatious earth (fuller's earth, whiting, available at swimming pool suppliers, ask for a broken bag at a discount price) and either alchol or acitone. Wet the stock thoughly with solvent and than apply your paste. As it dries the paste will turn yellow with the oils. Repeat until the paste dries white, at which time you will have removed as much oil as possable.

    Whittemore
    Some guys like a mag full of lead, I still prefer one round to the head.
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  • dchristian
    I have found that plain old household talcum powder has the same effect as the DE mentioned by TailGunner 1954. Its cheap, readily available, and easy to use.
    dchristian
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  • Bert H.
    Hello Bambihunter...

    Using acetone is the most effective method of removing the oil, but you need to soak the stocks instead of simply wiping it on. I use an old Rubbermaid storage container filled with enough acetone to completely submerge the stock, and then soak it for at least 24 hours.

    Bert H.

    Real Men use a SINGLE-SHOT!
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  • ern98
    A few years ago I was doing the same with a Enfield 2a. The best suggestion I got was to put the stock in a dishwasher and run it several times. The gunsmith who suggested it said he kept an old dishwasher out back of his shop for just for this purpose. My ex wasn't going for it so I ended up using oven cleaner, the foaming type. Spray it on, let it soak, scrub it off. Don't breath the fumes. This took 4 or 5 apps, but did a fairly decent job of it.
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  • nmyers
    I've found that leaving a stock on the dashboard of my car in the summer sun will "sweat" out grease & oil, which can then be wiped off with acetone. This may take 2-4 weeks of daily treatment.

    Any solvent, but especially acetone, should be used outside, & you should wear heavy rubber gloves. All of them are toxic, carcinogenic, & mutagenic.

    Neal
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  • Bert H.
    quote:Originally posted by ern98
    A few years ago I was doing the same with a Enfield 2a. The best suggestion I got was to put the stock in a dishwasher and run it several times. The gunsmith who suggested it said he kept an old dishwasher out back of his shop for just for this purpose. My ex wasn't going for it so I ended up using oven cleaner, the foaming type. Spray it on, let it soak, scrub it off. Don't breath the fumes. This took 4 or 5 apps, but did a fairly decent job of it.


    Hot water is never a good idea in my humble opinion... it at a minimum will require an extended drying period after such treatment before new finish can be applied, it causes swelling and grain lift, and if there are any cracks in the stock to start with, it can exacerbate those. Acetone does not soak into the wood like water does, is much easier to clean up, and it evaporates very quickly.

    Bert H.

    Real Men use a SINGLE-SHOT!
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  • rmill
    Brownell's used to sell a paste just for that purpose, but I can't remember the name of it. Whiting Compound maybe? I used it and followed the directions (yeah, I know...) and it worked perfectly for me. I'll bet it's the same stuff that tailgunner told you about tho... good luck! randy
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  • MDBurns
    OVEN CLEANER! Read about it years ago and it works great. Spray it on, let it sit, rinse it off under warm or hot water. You could wipe it off but depends on how many paper towels you want to go thru. Repeat if needed or on heavy spots. Also, on dinged up old stocks it will raise the dimples. I used it many times on old Garands, the ones that looked dark red with 50 years of linseed oil build up. Worked like magic. Take off all metal because it will tarnish. DO NOT try to sand until after it's totally dry or it will fuzz.
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  • THINMAN
    I RECENTLY REFINISHED AN A-5 MFG.IN 59 WITH SATURATED FOREND AND TANG
    AREA. HAD SOME B.C. GUNSCRUBBER HANDY AND TRIED IT ON THE OILEY SPOTS . SPRAYED AREA THEN PRESSED WITH A PAPER TOWEL AND YOU COULD SEE THE REMOVED OIL ON THE TOWEL . IT EVAPORATES QIUICKLY . REPEAT THIS AND BLOW DRYING THE OILEY SPOTS ,WILL HELP RAISE IT TO THE SURFACE

    THINMAN
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  • Pinhead
    The fastest way that I have been able to get the oil out of stocks is with acetone soaks( put stock in an acetone bath for 24 hours and then wipe the stock down with an acetone wet cloth and let dry 24 hours--repeat as many times as necessary) already mentioned and then follow it up with the Whitting and acetone mixture at least once and maybe twice. By the way the Whitting is still sold in Brownell's catalog. Even this method takes a couple of weeks. There are a lot of methods that work pretty good but the use of water and simple green or other cleaners or paint removers just doesn't get down into the wood very deep. This is not a real problem if you are going to use an oil finish but it is a problem if you are going to use poly or other synthetic finish. I have one stock that I refinished years ago with oil and it is still bleeding oil out thru the finish once in a while(on a hot day) but the finish itself has not been hurt by this bleeding. Just wipe it off with an old t-shirt and shoot on.
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  • 39ford
    might want to try lacor thinner,acetone works well on it if its soaked
    all night but lacor thinner eats grease and paint much better
    to me acetone is just too mild for a job like that
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