polyurethane removal

[INLAND44]

This excellent discussion is one reason why I keep coming back to this forum. I offer the following 1) When the man says it's polyurethane I assumed it is polyurethane; 2) I have had excellent results with Formby's Furniture Restorer (stripper) on just about everything, with only slight danger of explosion; 3) I have come over from the dark side of BLO to the RLO 'force' as a result of recommendations presented in this forum.

But, I am wondering if 'over time the repeated applications of raw linseed oil built up resulting in a hard, glossy finish' (I paraphrase some unnamed sage) then why would it not be acceptable to use BLO, maybe over RLO, to accelerate the 'aging' process on a stripped stock?

No, you're still not getting it. RLO is not applied in a coating to dry and build up. It is applied sparingly and rubbed near-dry with a cotton cloth, like a large patch. It soaks into the wood over time because it doesn't dry. Still, even properly-treated carbine stocks would become glossy with this constant rubbing. But, because there was no hard finish, it was easy to simply wash the stock with soap and water which knocked the gloss off and raised the grain, restoring the non-glare finish without stripping the stock. I do it by washing the stock with lacquer thinner which does strip some color out. Fortunately I still have enough U.S. stock stain to do maybe one more stock.

Do the driers in BLO not evaprate leaving the same base LO compound in/on the wood? If we strip a stock, do we want a flat replacement finish that is close to a brand new factory original finish, or one with a little semi-gloss that better matches the normal bumps and bruises that also appear to have been around awhile (without being around a long while)? I don't know but I think maybe the best answer might be somewhere in between. Any thoughts?

Again, BLO is designed to be a coating that dries on the surface like paint. BLO is in fact an additive to oil-based paints of the past to promote drying. The original stock had no finish - it was dipped in RLO as you said, which readily penetrated the raw wood. When they started using lighter-colored wood other than American Black Walnut, they would stain the stocks then oil. So, for me, I want a stock that looks like it is on the rack ready to be issued, to match the condition of my carbine. I achieve this look (and smell) with the RLO. I also cut my RLO with Turp, which eventually dries, leaving only the linseed oil scent. BTW, you know that saying you hear guys say when walking into a gunshow 'I love the smell of cosmoline in the morning'? Well, it ain't Cosmoline they're smelling - it's a combination of linseed oiled stocks and old web gear. Cosmoline doesn't have a strong odor.




Finally, since we're on the topic of stockwork, I just re-finished a stock with black (not dark - black) blotchy stains at the butt end and the nose, which I assumed was from oil penetration. This poor stock was Bubba-cut for M2 and I had to strip, degrease, lay in wood and cut/sand to original shape before refinishing. I used Formby's Restorer, laquer thinner, mineral spirits, TSP, steam heat and absorbent materials REPEATEDLY on this stock to remove the stain and thought I had most of it out. Then I applied the RLO and it came back just as black as ever. Is there a secret here I don't know about or are some wood staiins unfixable? What say, Frank? This appears to be a stain (not a paint), but I am beginning to believe it may be a chemical burn or somethong of that sort. It does not appear to be heat charred but who knows? Anyway, the stock is done and turned darker overall after I stripped and oiled it, so the stains are not so apparent. I would still welcome advice for the next time. Thanks. ChipS

Don't know about that. Sounds like it has water damage at least on the butt. The one thing you probably didn't try is carb/brakes cleaner spray. This stuff is vicious and strips most anything off/out of wood like right now. But you would most likely need to stain if you ever did get the black out so maybe it's best to leave it for awhile.