doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Refinishing; Wood-Metal Discoloration

Refinishing a Sterlingworth, where metal has contacted the wood the wood is discolored. Suspected it was oil even though there is minimal sign that the gun received any type of care. Since Carbon tet is no longer available to make a Whiting paste tried Choke Cleaner and Acetone paste, nothing coming out of the wood. Almost looks like there was some type of metal-wood reaction. Any suggestions?

I've found that soaking the entire stock in acetone for 12 to 18 hours will not only remove all the old finish but will remove the black oil staining that is so often visible on old guns. There have been several threads about this subject with many different solutions, since I tend to like the KISS method for most things I do this is what I recomend.
Steve

Hi SIXSKB

Just on the off chance that it is not black oil staining there is a good chance that it may be Iron/Water staining and one of the first things I try is Oxalic Acid or a commercial Wood Bleach. Though I do have to say that removing stains from some woods the outcome is usually in the lap of the gods if it works completely but you can usually lessen the visual impact.

I'll second 'Wood Bleach' as a method to remove discoloration from the wood.
You can get the oil out out in a couple different ways,,everyone has a favorite. But many times the wood remains at least somewhat discolored.
Wood Bleach (oxalic acid) does a nice job of removing the stains itself (doesn't remove any oil if that's still present).

Mix a couple tbs into a quart of water. Warm that in the microwave for 30 or 40 seconds.
Brush onto the stock. It seems to work for me better if the wood is already wet. Brush the entire stock down with it as it will even up the wood color.

I'll stick the forend wood right into the quart jar,,flipping it end to end after a minute or so to get the entire surface worked over.
Sometimes the head of the butt stock fits in there too and will get a soaking that way first before the entire stock gets brushed down.
Rinse down the wood afterwards with warm water blot it dry and let it dry completely on it's own.
Force drying it w/a torch doesn't really accomplish much , you still have to let it hang and completely dry for a time.
But you might char the edges of the inlet w/a torch if you're not careful.

FWIW, you don't need anything but plain alcohol to mix up a whiting paste. Acetone and other high powered sovents aren't needed. They do/did their job is the soaking tank.

They evaporate so fast from the surface, they are doing little if nothing in this next process to draw the oil out.
It's the slow, long drawing & absorbsion work of the whiting that is doing the work now.
The liquid used to make the paste is only that,,something to make it up, get it onto the stock and then dry hard in a reasonably short period of time.
The whiting powder crust on the wood works over a period of several days. The liquid used to make the paste to be able to get it on the wood is (long) gone,,usually in a few minutes if not seconds after the paste is brushed onto the wood.

Any of you use toners to even out your pieces?
Other than Alkanet root extract, I never read of anyone using toners. Yet, they are ubiquitous in furniture and cabinetry.

Oxalic acid is a wonderful tool but use with care as it can turn your nicely coloured wood into a blond nightmare! It is totally dependant on the wood and the stains that have been applied or 'happened'. I always apply with a small brush to already damp wood, not wet or the oxalic can track all over the place.
IMHO, I would never soak a piece in oxalic solution but I bow to the experience of Kutter.
I have found that particular care must be taken around inletting as if the oxalic acid penetrates into the cut end of the grain it can bleach the wood for a few mm's platinum blond!
Traditionally, the treated surface is 'neutralised' with a mild acetic acid solution (I use distilled malt vinegar sold for pickling onions) but I have no idea if this has any useful effect, I just do it anyway!
As regards to 'toners', I am not sure what they might be but I do use water and spirit based stains to colour my restoration projects.
I initially work up a nice orange/brown tone with the Birchwood Casey Walnut stain. I started using this after a very experience stocker friend of mine independently confirmed my person worries that my stock finishes were becoming rather 'grey'. He suggested the BC product as it duplicates the 'orangey' tones of old oxidised linseed finishes. Who was I to disagree?!
I then adjust it using a range of alcohol based stains made by Chestnut. Don't know if they would be available in the USA but they are readily available in the UK.
The advantage of alcohol based stains are that they do not raise the grain and the excess can be washed off with methylated spirits or similar.
I have found that to get a really deep colour it is best to apply some stain, allow to dry and then wash off. Then apply several more coats of stain and again wash off. Repeat until you get the desired darkness AFTER washing off.
Obviously I have to consider the 'red oil' I will apply and stain appropriately. This will redden the overall colour but also lightens it as the wood surface becomes more translucent and allows the light to penetrate.