doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com How to best remove old dark oil finsh?

I am looking for advice on how to best remove (before refinishing) an old, very dark oil finish.

Dig's method of methylated spirits and steel wool?
Some type of chemical stripper?
Soaking in gas as mentioned in Lewis Potter's book?

Forester

I'm sure you'll get lots of different advice here but I'll stick by my tried and true method for old oil. Spray on some Easy Off Oven Cleaner and it will literally boil the oil out of the wood. Which can then be scraped or steel wooled off. It will take repeated sprayings and this should be done out of doors or in a well ventilated shop.
Jim

Citri Strip (spelling?) works well also, it is less harsh, when finished soak the stock in mineral spirits (in a tub) and the wood will swell some so minor dents may lift, too. Let all the mineral spirits evaporate, and finish as desired.

I use Formby's furniture restorer with 0000 steel wool and a small stainless steel dog dish. Use out of doors.

If it is really old oil varnish, lacquer thinner and steel wool will take it right off. If its a little newer, paint remover. Use gloves and do it outdoors.
JR

It depends on whether your dark oil finish really is just old oxidized finish, or if the finish is mostly gone and you are actually dealing with finish remnants, dirt, grime, perspiration, or gun oil soaking. I usually try to start as mild as possible using Murphy's Oil Soap, household ammonia, and progressing to more potent cleaners or solvents.

When I want to remove all the finish and perhaps some oil soaking, I strip (Circa) and soak the stock in Acetone for a day or two. I use a large pan and seal it up / acetone loves water and will become useless if left in the open air any lenght on time. Do it outside as it it very volatile, flammable etc. also handle with appropriate gloves as it will dry out the skin. FWIW --- John Can.

I had a bad experience using steel wool, and then flushing the stock with water afterward. The imbedded bits of steel wool rusted, leaving me with a freckled stock. Suggest bronze wool if you plan on using water as a cleanup

I would first strip off the finish. The let it set a few days and see how much oil migrates to the surface.
This will tell you how much was finish and how much soil soaked.
If oil soaked and there are the bad spots take whiting and mix a paste with acetone and apply over the obvious spots. Keep it wet for awhile. Then let it dry and brush off.Do this several times.

You can alternate using a heat gun or hair drier to pull oil to the surface and keep repeating the whiting paste or wash the oil of with acetone. You might have ot keep letting it set awile to see if more oil migrates to the surface.It is not a short term procedure.

Once you get as much oil out as you think you can and sanded as much as you want, wipe the stock with a wet rag and immediately dry it with propane torch, ( careful not scorch)sand with 320 or finer paper and repeat at least once more.
Use a sanding block so you are not sand ingaway thesoft spots and leaving the harder grain elevated

This will raise those whiskers.

Right before you are ready to start applying finish, wipe liberally withacetone and let dry, sand with extra fiepaer a, wiper withatack cloth and satrt applying finish

I don't like to soak in acetone as you still only get the top surface oil out.

Why a propane torch rather than a hair dryer or a heat gun?

If your objective is to whisker the wood, you can let it air dry after after the wipe with the damp rag, or just wipe it again with denatured alcohol to evaporate any residual moisture, no heat required (nor desireable in the presence of alcohol). The torch seems a bit extreme and risky.