I saved it out years ago --

Pretty, old guns do not have to have unpretty, old wood. If you like grimy wood go for the whole schmeer and leave the gun grimy too. I noticed that the pics of Ripon's Purdey in Shooting Times and Country was grime free, by the way. Wiping with acetone will get the surface stuff off fine but it takes a soaking to really get it clean. Be aware that using a brush on old oil soaked wood can damage the wood a bunch. Soaking and wiping (and a thorough sealing as detailed in Newell's book) will not do that. This is how I do it. You can e-mail me if you want, but Newell's book is really the source you need. Check the posts below somewhere about it and then hit a book search engine to get a copy.

THE METHOD This is a word.doc now so I will never have to write it again but can post it every week. Oh boy! Anyway, here it is. Get a disposable aluminum roaster pan at the supermarket that is large enough for the stock. Stop by your Home Depot or whatever and get a gallon of acetone and a gallon of alcohol. If the stock has a plastic finish you might want a can of some paste stripper too. Use that first if the outside finish requires it. If the stock has a varnish or oil finish the acetone will lift that with no problem. Then toss the stock in the roaster and pour in the acetone (it will also neutralize the paste stripper). Cover the wood until it floats. Then pull off a good length of aluminum foil and make a cover for the "tank", sealing it as well as possible. Be aware that acetone is highly volatile and smoking the cigar over the top of it is not recommended. I let the things soak for several days, turning the wood over a couple times a day. When you feel like you're tired of that, and the acetone looks like it has quit changing color, pour the acetone back in the can, rinse the roaster out with alcohol, and then soak the stock in the alcohol just like you did in the acetone. When you yank the baby out of the alcohol bath it will be CLEAN! And you can seal it and refinish it anyway you want after you let it dry a couple days.

works for me

Charles