doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Wood refinishing question

Guys with a lot more experience than I have are checking in. However, I have used whitting compound in conjunction with solvent soaks and heat to good effect.

Just a thought.

DDA

All the glue will be lost in acetone. You will have to do it all over again. In my experience even in just acetone the stock will swell slightly but will go back to original size after a week or so. There is no guarantee that it will but all of mine did. Alcohol absorbs water (humidity) and will swell the wood more but will also return to original size so don't sand if at all possible and certainly don't sand the butt end unless the pad is on or you will wind up with rounded edges. I don't use alcohol, as I said, and that is one of the reasons.

If you have an old glass flower vase(clear glass, tall and wide) put the head of the stock face down in the vase and fill with acetone. In short order you will see the acetone discolor if there is oil left. If you are concerned about the pad fit, then experiment with using the steam around the pad first, it might lighten it enough and you can pass on soaking the butt area. But if it were me, I would still soak the neck and head in the acetone cause I'd want to remove as much of the oil as possible.
Good luck, carl

Think I am going to leave it out in the sun today and see if any oil wicks out and then soak the head and wrist in acetone for a few days to see if it lightens further as a first step. Thanks all for the input!

Before another acetone soak, but after leaving it out in the Sun, I suggest you go after it with heat and a dessicant.

Cornstarch and a heat gun can remove lot's of oil. I play the heat over the wood just until the oil rises and starts to bubble, then smear with CS and wipe off. I repeat until no more oil bubbles up, then soak.

Regards
Ken

And don't use the heat gun anywhere near acetone or alcohol.

Try Citri-Stip paint/varnish stripper. I have had it lighten wood that was already stripped with other products.

I use the alky soak to get water out of the wood Obviously YMMV on that one, and I always let everything dry for a week but obviously as well, that can be assisted several ways. What builder says about the wood returning to original size should be taken to heart. If you remove wood while it is wet with anything it will not be a predictable size when it finally does dry.

Before you plunge in on some refinishing scheme you might have read about here, I would highly recommend that you get a copy of Newell's Gunstock Finishing and Care and learn about the REALLY best ways to refin. It's long out of print but available. It as well contains essential truths that have not changed. Newell was a paint chemist so he know what he's talking about and does not rely on popular opinion for evaluating methodologies and products.

have another day
Dr.WtS

I had one stock that had so much oil in it, that 6 soaking cycles did not get it all.
I hung the stock head down in my oven and turned it on, gradually increading yhe temp. With a baking sheet under it of course. Around 250 to 300 degrees the oil really started flowing out. I had a puddle of it on the sheet when i was done.
I would periodically remove it and wipe down with acetone to get the oil off the surface.

But like i previously said, leaving it out in the sun for a few days will tell you if there is still oil left.

And with how dark the head of that stock is, it has a lot in it.

After you finish raising the wood grain by your various methods, the grain ends should be removed or else they will show through any finish. Remove them not by sanding, but by direct flame quickly passed over the sanded areas of the stock.