cleaning up greasy wood...101

iv seen a few posts lately on how to strip wood finish, or remove grease dirt and grime from military stocks.
today is stock day in my shop, so heres what i do.
i have an old blue tank that someone used for paint or something, so it cant be used for bluing anymore, i put a couple gallons of water, and ad Brownells 909 cleaner, just a couple coffee cups will do.
heat it to a boil, and set the stocks in, let them sit in the soup for about 15 mins, and then turn them over,
set a 10 more mins, and remove them, rinse them off, and clean with a SOS pad, let dry in the shade or inside the house for a day,
and they are in the white.
for heavy grease, i add a bit of degreaser available at any auto parts store.
this mix can be reused a few times, before its dumped.
simple green is a good degreaser and can be poured down the drain when done.
if the stock is cracked it will show, and is now easy to repair. sand stain and finish.

Chuck

I would be interested in knowing how you repair the crack in the second stock, or can it be repaired back to a shooter.

sure it can. ill use acraglass gel. dye to match stain, and its done.
it would be better if the stock was broke in 2 parts, rather then work the epoxy in the crack. i might drill holes in the crack to help the epoxy flow.
i doubt the rifle will be shot, but it sure could be.
i had a Marlin guide gun that was broke in 2 by the airlines, i glued it back together, and you couldnt hardly see the repair. later that year, a horse rolled over on the same rifle, broke the stock again, however, my repair was just fine.
we replaced the stock the second time with a composit replacement.
if your hard on em, use the right equipment.

Thanks for the information. I have a stock that I can try that on. Not as bad but something new to try.

if its cracked in the wrist area..
i drill small holes in the crack, and make some small wedges and open the crack so that you can work the epoxy inside the crack with a flexible edge.
them, pull the wedges,
i then use clear wide tape, and tape around the stock, tightly.,
let sit over nite, then remove the tape, the epoxy wont stick to the tape, dont know why, but it works, the tap will force the epoxy inside the crack as well, and keep it from oozing out.

I've repaired a few stocks with West Epoxy - when it's prepared with no "thickener", it flows in cracks reasonably well.

Thanks for the tips Chuck!

Lou

Will that stuff have any effect on a stock cartouche, do you think?

no, actually it will raise them up, if they will stand out more. as long as you dont sand over them

Everyone, be aware that water-bath cleaning will induce some wood components to warp ... so consider carefully before using this method on difficult-to-replace wood.

I have 2 Nº4 forearms that now sport a noticable twist.

Using water-bath stock cleaning I have never experienced any "fading" issues with deeply/well-struck cartouches. Lightly-stuck markings can raise, though.

as i posted.
dont let them set in the bath for more then 15 mins. to avoid warping.
unless you have a warped stock that you want to staighten.
then if your going to clamp it in a wood vise, then let it set for 20 mins or more.