k98 Stock Refinish

[M2phil]

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!

[Lanxs]

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.

[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.

[Aussie48]

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

[Aragorn243]

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.

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.

[Flying10uk]

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.

[browningautorifle]

the combination of wire wool and meths to clean up wood

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.

[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.

But I did state this, Post 13.

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

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.

[Flying10uk]

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

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