mildew and mold on gunstock

[stockerphil]

A friend at the gun club has a stock that he says has developed mold or mildew because the storage area got damp. He asked me how to get it off and my first thought is wipe it with a bleach solution, but he's afraid it will harm the stock and or finish. I haven't had to try this technique but it seems safe enough to me - in theory.

Has anyone clean stocks of mildew and mold? Will bleach solution work safely? Or is there a better method??

Thanks for your help with this.

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[browningautorifle]

Don't use bleach. I'd use a volatile mineral spirit and a scotchbrite pad to remove the spotting. Use an oil like Watco Danish on the wood after to rejuvenate after complete drying...

[ed skeels]

Vinegar/water/50-50.
Ed

[stockerphil]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the ideas and when I see this guy at tomorrows club meeting I'll pass them on.

[Seaspriter]

Mold and Mildew in wood can be either superficial or it can be invasive. It thrives in warm, dark spaces that have high humidity. I would recommend your friend remove the stock and inspect the places where mold is not normally visible. Be sure it hasn't invaded the wood (mold is destructive). Give it a good soaking in mineral spirits if mold is found to have set in. Walnut is the best wood for resisting mold as the wood actually contains a fungicide. Maple, birch, and beech are far more susceptible and require more detailed attention.

[flying pig]

If it is just on the surface you can preserve the original finish by dry rubbing the mold off with 0000 steel wool. I did this on my MkI* Ross restoration elsewhere on this site

[Freeland]

Another option is to let the wood sit in a 55 degree (Celsius) convection oven for about for 15-30 minutes, depending on the stock's size. This will dry out any living (micro)organism, works great too when you have wood worms. Prevents you from have to rework the stock.
Just make sure the wood is "room dry" before the treatment and that you let the stock warm up gradually in the oven. Remove steel pieces where possible.

[jsmosby]

I've used low concentration hydrogen peroxide from the drug store for years on antique leather and wood. Catalase in the mold will cause the H2O2 to oxidize and kill the mold. The residue is H2O and O2. Wipe the water away and you'll be set to go.

[CINDERS]

I would not go putting a stock in an oven, we had a shooter who was caught in the rain with his full bore rifle took the action/barrel out and left the stock next to a wood fire heater in the house and next morning hey presto ruined stock was like a bannana

[Freeland]

I would not go putting a stock in an oven, we had a shooter who was caught in the rain with his full bore rifle took the action/barrel out and left the stock next to a wood fire heater in the house and next morning hey presto ruined stock was like a bannana

That is why I stated the wood should be "room-dry" whenever undertaking this sort of action. I have done this on multiple old wooden stocks when refurbishing and never had any cracks or bends afterwards.