doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Removing oil from stock--what's the best?

It's refinishing season and I'd like to remedy the oil-soaked darkness at the head of
a particular stock I have.
Of the various methods (Whiting, oven cleaner, Wonko's brew, dishwasher, et al.,)
which is the most effective and least caustic to the wood?
I don't want the wood to look dried out/fried after going through the hassle and mess,
but also don't want to look at dark oil stains after building up a dozen coats of nice new finish.
Gun is just a shooter, but has some of the most gaudy, fiery fiddleback that I've ever seen.
I'd appreciate it if you could share some favored methods.
Thanks,
-jim

Twister:
It took 100 years to get oil into those wood fibers. Anything you use in a season's time to get it out will not do the wood any good. I use Bix stripper, a modest application of lacquer thinner and let well enough alone. Cellulose is not caustic-friendly.

Best, Kensal

I've had good luck using Easy Off oven cleaner to remove oil from stocks. Others I know soak theirs in whiting or acetone.
Keep one thing in mind though. If the wood has really degraded over the years soaking the oil out won't do much to improve it.
Jim

Scrape it off with a flat piece of metal with a sharp edge. This will take off all the cruddy exterior. then use surgical alcohol or brush cleaner. Then wet and dry paper. That will get the wood clean. then wet it and dry it off with a blower to raise the grain, more wet and dry etc. Then it is ready for red oil before finishing oil.

I use a hair dryer to facilitate oil removal. The heat causes the oil to come right to the surface rather quickly, and I wipe continually with a rag soaked with alcohol. I am using this technique on a Mauser Model 1871, and am amazed at how much oil has come out.

Jim,

I'd use Wonko's turkey baster method, then go from there for what you wish in the way of a final finish.

I would entertain the idea of using a coat of thin model grade superglue on the head [and even on the wrist] afterwards & before final finish is begun.

Hobby or model shops often stock three distinct grades or thicknesses or viscosities of super glues; thin, thick & gap filling. FWIW, kept in the refrigerator it lives a very long time. Sprinkled with common baking soda it sets almost instantly as the baking soda acts as a catalyst.

Do what you will w/that info, but best to run a 'test sample' first so you know what to expect.

I personally keep in mind that old wood does not much appreciate excessive recoil forces & that thot takes precedent over all others. Same thot is used toward older & softer metals, but w/pressures in mind rather than recoil. It's a happy combination for older guns that will, I think, help extend their lives.

I hope your project proves successful and to your liking. You might consider some before & after pics & share them w/us later.

Kind regards, tw

Years back I used carbon tech! Bad stuff dangerous and now banned. But it did the job well. I had a pan made to size with a tite fitting top. Poured in enough to cover the stock, put the lid on and let it sit overnight. Most of the time the stock was still there and the oil wasn't. Poured the carbon tech back in to the can through a doubled paint strainer with gauze padding. All of this outside with appropriate breathing protection. I am not sure I would do this today but it worked. It was shown to me by an older stock finisher that was not as careful as I was. But last word was he was still playing tennis in his 90's. In fact I just finished deoiling a stock with whiting mixed in acetone and heat and it worked well. Just took longer.
John Mc

Guys,
Thank you for your suggestions.
I will come clean and admit that the gun in question is not a 100 year old sidelock from London,
but a Browning Twelvette from 1969. Even though it's an auto-loader, this model has me charmed.
Very nicely put together, and quite a novel design.
The old finish has been stripped with Citristrip and denatured alcohol. I have raised some dents
but have not sanded yet.
I've decided to use heat to try to migrate the old lubricant out.
If I'm not happy with the results, the acetone bath will be my back up.
Would it be possible to soak just the head of the stock in acetone, or will that leave a visible line?
Or is it better to chuck the entire stock in the acetone?
I have taken some before pics and hope to show the afters when I finish.
Thanks again and keep the suggestions coming.
-jim

John,
I'm pretty sure you really mean "Carbon Tet", short, for tetracloride. It was a useful clorinated solvent, and was very useful for any type of welding on used fuel containers. A thin layer poured on the bottom of said container, with a barely cracked air line bubbling in it, and ALL danger of explosion/combustion was eliminated. But, one's safe yearly exposure was about zero, so, it had to go.
I fall into the camp that the soaking over time oil removal methods are a bit tough on old wood. I've had good results with regular gel paint stripper with a quick alcohol or acetone wash to remove what is raised up by the stripper, followed by gentle heating and covering with whiting. Keep alternating until satisfied.
I've had some oil that never seemed to come out, no matter what was tried, as well. Not sure what to do in those cases, but, I replaced the wood.

Best,
Ted

I have a Belgian double that I once soaked according to the "roasting pan acetone and alcohol method" and, when it dried itself out after the soaks, it cracked horribly through the wrist. The crack gapped open so badly that I was barely able to repair it with cyanoacrylate and rechecker over it. It still shows. Don't know if that was a fluke because of some weakness in the wrist area of this particular stock, or an indictment of this soaking method. Haven't tried it again, too scared.

Definitely got rid of the oil, tho',

Stan