k98 Stock Refinish

I would like to refinish the stock on my k98. It's in a pretty rough shape, and I want to fix it up, so I wanted to see if I could get any tips and what products would best suit my situation. I know it destroys the value, but this is one I'm always going to keep around. I've done a lot of looking around to see what I should get for doing this, and what I mostly see is a lot of different opinions ranging from Citristrip, Acetone, Tung Oil, and Boiled Linseed Oil. Among other things such as Rottenstone, fine steel wool, oxalic acid wood bleach, and denatured alcohol. I'm gonna post some pictures of it, and focus on some of the worst areas as best as the camera will allow me.

I've gotten a few splinters already from just holding it. It also has a fair amount of holes in it that I'm not quite sure how to deal with, or if I should just leave it be, (though I'd really like to fix it up). (It has Chinese markings on the side that say "Department of People Armed Forces). I'd appreciate any advice and tips, thanks!

Welcome to the forum, maybe a go with a palm sander and some paper to remove all the harsh dings...then just apply some tung oil. It's a laminate so if you apply a stripper, it may de-laminate to some extent. You don't need to go far with this one. It's almost as far as it can get now. Is it a Russian capture by chance?

Thank you for the welcome! A Russian capture would have a stamped X on it right? I tried looking all around for that, but I couldn't find one. There is a Z (or maybe an N) on it though, I'll add a picture of that.

You're going to get the phone book on this one, everyone will have a different way to sort this out and see it in a different light. I see it needing some sanding. It can't hurt it and will end the splinters you say you get now.

I redid my laminate stock way back when everyone thought oven cleaner was a good idea. Didn't hurt it by the way but it was the last time I used that method, nasty crap. I use Citristrip almost exclusively now although I never tried it on a laminate so caution would be required.

Negative on the palm sander unless you want a stock covered with tiny circles you can't see until you put finish on it. Been there, done that. Fine sandpaper with the grain my recommendation if you go that route. Looks like it's soaked with oil, get that out first. Strong sunshine, plastic bag, dashboard, etc will draw it out. It may be very soft also because of the oil. I had that problem with my Chinese Hanyang. Might have been the native wood that caused the problem but it looked a lot like your woods condition.

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Originally Posted by Aragorn243

Negative on the palm sander

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Yeah...perhaps a sanding block or paper in hand. I was going with the fast method...

I don't mind it taking time one bit, what kind of grit for the paper would you recommend?

Fine grit...depends on how aggressive you wish to be. Look at the papers available at the store and decide. Keep it fine enough not to destroy by remember it will fill up quickly with dust if too fine.

Thank you, would taking out the oil lighten up the color of the wood as well? It's pretty dark, and I think lightning it up would look pretty nice if that were possible.

Removing the oil should lighten it up a lot, but you may need a treatment of some sort. I'd get several grits of sandpaper. Probably no more coarse than 100 to start, then get progressively finer. If 100 seems to harsh, go higher. I finish with paper so fine you can't even really feel the grit. Makes the wood shine, and the palm sander circles stand out. :-)

That stock has already been sanded quite a bit, as can be seen in the photos showing the forend and lower band. In fact, the furniture is "proud" of the wood in every photo. Maybe your best bet here is to give the stock a good scrub with warm water and Dawn dishwashing liquid, (or one of the other degreasing methods mentioned here) applied with a stiff bristle brush. You'll probably get quite a bit of dirt and grease/oil out of the surface of the stock which can't help but to lighten it, and when dry carefully hit some of the splintering areas with 100 grit paper or slightly finer. Of course, once you oil it with BLO etc. it will become dark again, but not AS dark as before. Best of luck!

Thanks a ton guys, I'm going when I get a chance tomorrow to pick up what I still need, and then I'll get started on it.

If I want to clean up wood I will sometimes use wire/steel wool lubricated with methylated spirits, working along the grain. The meths will also help to remove oil and grease from the wood, if wiped away, but you may still need to use abrasive paper on problem areas such as blending in of steps. I'm surprised that more people don't use wire wool as an abrasive in wood refinishing because it can produce a fine finish. The wood would need to be left until all traces of the meths have evaporated before applying any further treatments. I haven't tried meths on a laminated stock so you would have to be careful and try a small area first just to make sure that the meths doesn't affect the laminate.

I usually wipe the stock over with Acetone to remove as much of the stubborn built up crud to start with and then as F10 use 0000 Steel wool lubed with the acetone

Dick

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Originally Posted by Flying10uk

If I want to clean up wood I will sometimes use wire/steel wool lubricated with methylated spirits, working along the grain. The meths will also help to remove oil and grease from the wood, if wiped away, but you may still need to use abrasive paper on problem areas such as blending in of steps. I'm surprised that more people don't use wire wool as an abrasive in wood refinishing because it can produce a fine finish. The wood would need to be left until all traces of the meths have evaporated before applying any further treatments. I haven't tried meths on a laminated stock so you would have to be careful and try a small area first just to make sure that the meths doesn't affect the laminate.

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Steel wool does have it's uses and is often the last step in my refinishing projects, sometimes the first and only step. If I did a deep cleaning with some sanding, I'll use steel wool to shine it up between coats of BLO. If I'm not doing a deep cleaning but a light cleaning, I'll use steel wool soaked in BLO to get the old grunge off.

It does however have it's problems and it would not be practical on this particular stock. It's too rough and the wool fibers will tear out and imbed themselves into the wood splinters. This may be the case even after sanding just because of the condition of the wood. The oil saturation may have made it too soft to get that good shine on it.

I got the tip of using the combination of wire wool and meths to clean up wood from an antique furniture restorer. I used it yesterday on a P14 stock that I am working on for a U.K. deactivated P14. The wire wool and meths just lifts the dirt and grime out of the wood quickly. Admittedly I haven't tried the combination on a laminated stock and sometimes the use of abrasive paper is also required. Aussie48 uses acetone as an alternative to meths.

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Originally Posted by Flying10uk

the combination of wire wool and meths to clean up wood

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But that wouldn't be a laminate stock...that was solid wood. The laminate will catch steel wool and make things worse...likely. Imagine working the edge of a sheet of plywood that way for comparison.

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Originally Posted by Flying10uk

I haven't tried meths on a laminated stock so you would have to be careful and try a small area first just to make sure that the meths doesn't affect the laminate.

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But I did state this, Post 13.

I have had very good results on non shellacked stocks with warm water and Murphy's Oil soap. Followed after drying with 50/50 turpentine BLO or RLO.
Probably more preservation than restoration.

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Originally Posted by HOOKED ON HISTORY

I have had very good results on non shellacked stocks with warm water and Murphy's Oil soap.

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Do you apply it with a paint brush or something else?

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Originally Posted by Flying10uk

Do you apply it with a paint brush or something else?

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Usually a nail brush. The kind used to scrub fingernails.

If the stock is not valuable, just remove the metal and run it through the wash cycle of the dishwasher with dishwasher soap, BUT DON'T DRY IT IN THE DISHWASHER. THAT WILL POTENTIALLY CRACK THE WOOD. Keep the handguard on the top rack because it is more prone to crack. I have done this on several rough stocks and they come out pretty white and some of the dents are gone or smaller because the water and steam raise the grain of the wood. The moisture fills in the cells of the wood. If there are stampings on the stock you want to preserve, put a piece of duct tape over them and they should survive the dishwasher. After the wood is air dried, then I use 2-4 coats of pure tung oil cut 50/50 with pure mineral spirits. Let each coat soak in for about 20-30 minutes and then wipe off the excess and let the stock dry for 24 hours hours. You can rub the coat down after 24 hours with 0000 bronze wool (not steel wool) if you want. If you use steel wool, it is possible that small pieces of the metal will break off and become embedded in the wood and then much later when the stock is exposed to moisture they will rust and you will get rust stains in the wood.

Have fun!