Oil Impregnated Forestock

[postino]

My No 4 forestock has extensive oil impregnation...I've sanded some of the stock, and it looks fairly oil free, but how can I get rid of the rest of the oil???

Here's a shot of how soaked in it is...

A member on the other forum suggested bleaching...or kitty litter...

Information

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[mdrim13]

On wood such as that where it is very thin, it is pretty easy. Take paper towels and wet them. Make them so they are not dripping water, but also holding a bit of water. Fold them in half and and lay them on the outside of the stock. Use the typical housewife iron and iron like you would anything else. Iron until the paper towels begin to turn brown. Get new towels and repeat over all of wood. The paper towels will be dry when the turn brown. The steam you create will do a couple of things. It will bring dents out of the wood and it will dry the wood out by forcing oils out. When your steaming the wood from the outside, it will collect some oil in the paper towels and it will force oil through the thinner wood and it will collect in the barrel channel in the form of a greasy substance, much like vasoline. I did this not two weeks ago on an enfeid musket from the mid 1800's. It worked great. One last thing, DO NOT SAND unless you really have to. Hope this is a help to you and good luck.

mdrim13

[Patrick Chadwick]

One last thing, DO NOT SAND unless you really have to.

Make that

YOU NEVER HAVE TO SAND. SO DON'T DO IT !!!

[tbonesmith]

Do you REALLY think you can get that out? It soaked in over 60 odd years to 3, 4 , 5mm deep, you will get the grime off the surface, but my money is on the oil remaining present regardless of what anyone tries.

[trooper554877]

short of sticking it in an industrial size engine/gearbox steam cleaning machine that they use for mining size earhtmoving equipment, bonesmith is right, it will never come out totally. why would you want to anyway
cheers
ned

[Alan de Enfield]

As you have sanded it already it doesnt matter what you do to it now.

A blow-torch would get rid of the problem and you could replace it with a new un-sanded forend

[Peter Laidler]

It looks like you've sanded it AND cut it in half to me so getting the oil out of it now is pretty well academic

[Brian Dick]

Here's a tried and true method taught to me as a youngster by a guy who specialized in restoring antique muskets and such. Remove the wood. Wash it well with grocery store grade clear ammonia and a Scotchbrite pad. Saturate with the sponge side and gently clean with the plastic scrubby side. Use an old toothbrush to clean the inside of the woodwork, ledges and draws. Rinse with clear water, pat with a shop towel or blow dry with an air hose and set it in the sun, turning frequently until dry. The small dings, scratches and dents where the grain isn't broken will pop up as it dries. Repeat the process if it's still spotty until you're happy with it and then put the linseed oil to it with a sponge brush and rub out with fine steel wool in a circular motion. Make sure you mop the excess linseed out of the draws and bearings. It will remove the hard grease, grunge and grime and redistribute the original oil finish. The new oil blends right in and there's no scraping or sanding involved. A few more coats of linseed rubbed in by hand and it'll look perfect and as original as it gets.

[postino]

It looks like you've sanded it AND cut it in half to me so getting the oil out of it now is pretty well academic

It is a No 4 forestock being cut, sanded, and milled to resemble a No 5 forestock. I've owned two No 5's and have 'converted' two other No 4's to resemble No 5's. Sacrilege in some circles maybe, but I prefer the heavier barrel of the No 4 in carbine length. (I qualified with an M14 back in 1969 and loved it...Heavy but accurate)...The buttplate & flash hider are just cosmetic, but add the 'British' look to the No 4 carbine...

[Peter Laidler]

Good project, especially for a No4 with a bulged or damaged muzzle. But regarding the oily fore-end, why not just leave it oily. That way, you can be assured that the wood will STILL be solid and giving sterling service to not only you, but your kids and grand kids in 100 years time. To us Armourers in the tropics, the wood was NEVER dry but at least if it was oily, it'd survive the monsoons