Brake cleaner vs Shellac

1340

1340

CGN Regular
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In the boonies
Just got my (first) SKS and while cleaning the gas tube with brake cleaner I got carried away.
I think I removed the finish from the hand guard. The wood is much lighter in colour now and
has dull, unfinished wood look.
Does brake cleaner remove shellac?
It actually doesn't look bad. I might do the same to the stock and then finish with Tung oil.
Where would I get (polymerized?) Tung oil?
Thanks.
 
1340 said:
Just got my (first) SKS and while cleaning the gas tube with brake cleaner I got carried away.
I think I removed the finish from the hand guard. The wood is much lighter in colour now and
has dull, unfinished wood look.
Does brake cleaner remove shellac?
It actually doesn't look bad. I might do the same to the stock and then finish with Tung oil.
Where would I get (polymerized?) Tung oil?
Thanks.
Click to expand...

You should be able to get the real stuff from Lee Valley. The stuff that I've seen in regular hardware stores wasn't tung oil.. It was "tung oil".. Made the mistake of using that stuff on a comb.. Took a year for the stench to air out. Fortunately, never used it on razor scales.
 
Brake clean may have gotten underneath the finish, some brake clean products have way more dissolved solvents than others, Gunk brand is a good example of this. I use CRC or Wurth brand, both of these are pretty easy on finish on my SKS.
 
Wipe it down with mineral spirits, wax, furniture polish etc. Brakleen removes all oils and will leave a very dull finish behind. It makes bluing look like youve removed the bluing down to bare metal but a coat of oil brings back all the shine. And a good tip when selecting a tung oil: tung oil is a natural product and an edible oil. If there are any hazard symbols on the packaging then it is not pure tung oil. Whether it says poisonous, flammable, corrosive or whatever if the symbols are there then it is a "tung oil finish" cut with any combination of varnishes, thinners etc designed to build up on the surface. There may be as little as 10 or 15% tung oil in the product. This is a decorative finsih and not real tung oil. Pure tung oil penetrates into the wood and does not build up on the surface. It is harder to find. If you want something more authentic, Europe used mostly linseed oil on their rifles. The smell grows on you and is very welcoming when you open your gun cabinet :)
 
1340 said:
Just got my (first) SKS and while cleaning the gas tube with brake cleaner I got carried away.
I think I removed the finish from the hand guard. The wood is much lighter in colour now and
has dull, unfinished wood look.
Does brake cleaner remove shellac? Yes it does.
It actually doesn't look bad. I might do the same to the stock and then finish with Tung oil.
Where would I get (polymerized?) Tung oil?Some Lowes and Home Depot might have them but mostly any wood working store like a Lee Valley
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Read the red.
 
I used CRC chlorinated brake cleaner on mine ( it's what I had on hand after redoing the rear brakes on the wifes Sunfire). It did not harm the shellac on my Chinese SKS. I didn't spray it on directly though, I sprayed it on a rag and then wiped the wood down. I did spray it directly on the metal bits though and no damage to the finish there either.
 
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