Cleaning an old rifle stock???

[deadin]

I just picked up an old Springfield trapdoor and want to clean (not refinish!) about a 125 years of crud off the stock.
I was thinking a mild soap and water solution with a soft scrub brush followed by a linseed oil wipe down or two.

Any better ways to do this????

 

[Ron H.]

Sir, I'd be leery of soap and water on such a long, skinny stock. Seems like it would be easy to inadvertently warp or crack it. Was it me, I'd slather it with boiled linseed oil, scrub vigorously with a rag, and then wipe off the excess with a clean rag. It may take a few treatments, but this is the gentlest method I know.

If the stock's really nasty, you might try using one of those 3M green scrubby pads instead of a rag. Just don't scrub quite as hard. Oh, and don't use a kitchen pad with soap infused in it.

One thing to be aware of with boiled linseed oil (and many other stock oil finishes) is rag disposal. Rags soaked with boiled linseed oil have been known to spontaneously combust if just thrown straight into the trash. Hang them outside someplace where they can get a lot of air around them until they dry completely. This may take a couple days. Then they're safe to throw away.

Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.

 

[deadin]

Thanks Ron!!

I also might try my old standby.... Hoppes #9 and 0000 steel wool.

Hang them outside someplace where they can get a lot of air around them until they dry completely. This may take a couple days.

Around here it might take until Spring...
(You have to be here to understand. See my location.)

 

[m1gunner]

Linseed oil will darken over time, tung oil doesn't, and both were used at different times for military stock finish.

 

[reddogge]

Be very careful with an old military stock. If you take too much crud off you will destroy the patina, the old linseed oil in the stock that oxidizes and gives it that dark reddish brown color we all know and love.

I vote for a cleaning with linseed oil wipe down as mentioned. Boiled linseed oil would have been appropriate for that era rifle. Tung wasn't used until sometime in WW2.

 

[OKFC05]

want to clean (not refinish!) about a 125 years of crud off the stock

Don't!
You clean all 125yrs of crud off and the value goes in the toilet, not to mentiion it will look ridiculous.....
Easy does it, and less cleaning is better.

 

[deadin]

In my book there's a difference between patina and crud. I want to remove the crud, so "easy does it".
(Crud is just plain old surface dirt, grease, etc. The kind if stuff you can scrape off with a fingernail.)

I think I will go for the rubdown with linseed oil.

 

[Rule3]

Don't!
You clean all 125yrs of crud off and the value goes in the toilet, not to mentiion it will look ridiculous.....
Easy does it, and less cleaning is better.

Never use water. Leave it alone. If it is Cosmoline or so bad you can not pick it up without getting greased up. try a small spot with a little mineral spirits on a clean white rag. see how much comes off.

 

[Vulcan Bob]

I agree, you dont want to remove the patina. For any dents and dings you want to bring up use a steam iron over a damp wash cloth. Dont over do it but you can bring up some dents with this.

 

[venomballistics]

Ive used car wax in this role.
just enough solvents in it to strip off the scrunge layer, yet far from an acid bath.
can do a wonderful job of preserving the soul hiding under the old news

 

[Marksman]

Murphy Oil Soap is gentle on the vintage finish and will remove the crud you seek to get rid of, it will not remove the patina nor damage the finish. I use it to clean Gerstner Machinist Chests that have 50 yrs. accumulation of grease and oil, they turn out looking great.

 

[Silver77]

I used Murphy's Oil Soap on Trapdoors, Garand and Carbine stocks with great results.

 

[rimfired]

Birchwood Casey makes a product called Stock Sheen and Conditioner. It works well taking off as much or as little crud and dirt as you want. I have used it for many years with great results. Work slowly and in small areas till you get the desired results.

 

[OLDFED]

MURPHY'S OIL SOAP...tried and true! Let the wood air dry 3-4 days and wipe it down again before reassembly.

 

[LouisianaJoe]

I have used Howard Restor-A-Finish on Mil Surps with good results.
Howard Restor-A-Finish

This dissolves the finish and spreads it around. It will take the crud off and leave the original color. I have fixed cracked stocks then used this to spread the finish over the repairs.

It is available at Lowes and Home Depot.

They also make another product, http://www.howardproducts.com/feednwax.htm that I have used on stocks it is a combination of beeswax and carnauba wax.

Do not use these products indoors.

If you want to test the cleaner before you put it on visible wood, try a little under the barrel or under the butt plate.

 

[spricks]

What's the difference between raw linseed oil and boiled linseed oil?
Would the results differ?
spricks

 

[Rule3]

What's the difference between raw linseed oil and boiled linseed oil?
Would the results differ?
spricks

raw is just that it is the pure oil squeezed from flax seeds. It takes forever and day to dry.(like extra virgin olive oil)

Boiled is not actually boiled. It has solvents in it to dry quickly.

They are usually used as paint additives.

Linseed oil was one of the main ingredients in "true" linoleum flooring" the word is still used for vinyl sheet flooring.

 

[kauphycup]

As a former collector of antiques and having worked in an antique shop part time to satisfy my fetish, the best thing, and what we used to remove surface "crud" without harming the patina, was GOJO hand cleaner and a cloth. For more embedded "crud" fine steel wool.

Use the Original Formula GOJO, not the "perfumed" or abrasive type. Wipe with a cloth after cleaning and for detail a soft toothbrush.

 

[DGNY]

Cleaning

Some good advice above. As to the cleaning, indeed, less is more.

I would be tempted to wipe it gently with a soft cloth and a small amount of mineral spirits and reevaluate. If the rifle is nice, you will be glad you went slowly. After a gentle cleaning, some wax, perhaps Johnson's paste, could be good - and, again, reversible.

Best, from one Trapdoor-appreciator to another,

Dyson

 

[deadin]

Thanks for all the suggestions!!

I went with a light rubdown using mineral spirits and #0000 steel wool followed by a coat of Renaissance Wax.
It accomplished exactly what I wanted. I was looking for signs of checkering and cartouches on a very worn stock. Found the checkering (which should have been there) and no signs of cartouches (which shouldn't be there.)