Refinnish Stock

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What is a good product to use for cleaning the wood
on a stock before finish is applied. It has water stains.
I read here that there is a product, but look as I may I
can't find it.
Thanks,
Paul

Oklahoma223

I would think you would need to sand it to get rid of the water stains.

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The stains are too deep. The product I'm looking
for lifts out any stains ,sweat, oil, etc.

ern98

I don't know what type or quality of stock you are out to refinish, but back when I wanted to redo a milspec enfield 2a stock I used easy off oven cleaner on it to lift all sorts of oil and what not out of the wood. The down side was that it left a thin laver of patina coloring to the wood. I elected to sand thru it but I supose it could have been left as it was and stained, sanded and filled. I got a pretty decent looking stock out of the effort. I hope this helps. Good luck with your project........

perry shooter

Formby's refinisher it will get all finish off with out sanding. and with out raising the grain then stain and finish.

Emmett Dunham

I use acetone, it gets down into the wood. Then I use tooth bursh and soap on the stock, then put it in the shower or if it will fit into the dish washer. The dish washer will help steam out dents, if the stock is old and fragel I would not run it in the washer more that one time.

Emmett

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It was down to bare wood when I got it. It's off of a Win. 94. After I get as much as I can of the black stain out, I think I will wash it with some kind of wood soap. I will then put it in the dish washer. When it drys I will smooth it all down and put the finish on it. I want it brown with a hint of red. Any ideas on how to come up with that color? Maybe mix in some mahogany stain along with the walnut stain? Maybe some cordovan shoe polish?
Thanks for all of your help,
Paul
P.S. I picked up some Acetone today. Do I soak it in the Acetone or brush it on?

Wehrmacht_45

Go to Brownells.com. They have the classic Winchester red stains and finishes available.

Wolf.

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There is a product called "whiting" that can draw out oil and other contaminants that have caused wood to stain. You make a thin compound by mixing the whiting with a volatile thinner such as acetone, tke, etc. The mixture is brushed on the stained stock, wait for it to dry, then use a stiff brush to remove it. As the mixture dries, contaminants are pulled out of the wood into the whiting and the whiting gets darker. The process is repeated as required to do the job. EDIT: It also helps to warm up the stock first with a hair dryer.

I guess it works like this: The highly volatile solvent soaks immediately into the wood, disolves and picks up the oils and goop, then, acting as a dessicant, the whiting pulls the solvent, with its load of contaminants, back to the surface. As the volatile solvent evaporates off, the contaminants are now trapped in the whiting instead of the wood.

Whiting is calcium carbonate or CaCO3, a common mineral compound and the major component of marble and limestone. It's used in a jillion commercial applications incluiding chalk, paint, antacids, calcium diet supplements, the white opaque film they wipe on store windows when the space is vacant, etc.

I have heard that oven cleaner such as Easy-Off works to clean stocks. I've never used it, but it should work because oven cleaners use lye as a cleaning agent and basically lye is heated CaCO3. The only problem I would have with using oven cleaner is that I don't know what else is in it besides the CaCO3. The other ingredients might cause the wood to stain too, so I pass on it because I can get whiting.

You can buy whiting through the major catalogs such as Brownells, but you probably can also buy it at hobby shops that cater to the stained glass window makers, jewelry makers, perhaps at a janitorial supply house, a tile store or a cut rock supplier of stone for paving and wall veneers, etc. It may be called something else, but I don't know.

Also, I don't know why certain other products would not work, such as powdered diatomaceous earth (powdered kitty litter). My guess is that diatomaceous earth IS CaCO3, but I haven't looked it up. This stuff is used in swimming pool filters and other such applications, so it's available at pool supply shops. However, it's generally sold in 50 or 100 pound bags, so unless you have a use for a couple lifetimes' supply........

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There is a product called "whiting". Thanks Wolf. this is what
I was looking for. Brownells has it and the red stain I need.

All my questions have been answered.
Thanks to all,
Paul