I just got an old winchester 94 made in 1910. it's in verry good shape but I would like to clean the stock and still retain the original finish. can anyone help with what type of cleaner to use and how. the stock is oil finish with no varnish. there is a lot of hand oil and grime making the stock quite dark. thanks in advance
cleaning an old stock
- Thread starter d.bala
- Start date
I have used Easy off oven cleaner with great success but you have to make sure that you replace the oils that you have "sucked" out or you'll end up drying up the wood and have cracking issues.I generally use True oil or Linseed,True oil works better though IMO."Steam is good too as mentioned by 'riggsy', the steam will even take out any dents in the wood to give you a nice flat surface.
Cheers,
Huntsman
Cheers,
Huntsman
I believe you would better off with dish soap and a soft brush. Don't soak the wood but scrub gently. That should remove grime and some oils.
If you are going to refinish then steaming would do a good job after washing.
I would not recommend oven cleaner as too harsh a chemical bath.
If you are going to refinish then steaming would do a good job after washing.
I would not recommend oven cleaner as too harsh a chemical bath.
Patina is one thing but plain old dirt and grime is another.... at least in my books.
I've got a couple of oldies and one of them came to me with filth and grime all but caked on it. I cleaned it with a mix of mineral spirits and boiled linseed oil. About 50-50. With some gentle rubbing from a plastic pot scrub pad this removed the lumpy gritty feeling stuff and to some extent flushed the wood pores out. When wiped clean it still looked oil and "experienced" but like an old soldier or farmer that just had a bath. After a few days of drying and letting the oil mixed with the solvent cure up I coated it again with a light rubbed on small dab or three of more boiled linseed. The result still looked old but it looked more like a well cared for "old" with a slightly more clear looking wood grain and a little glow from the fresh oil on the wood. Over a few days as the oil kicked off and polymerized that sheen dulled down. But the wood was great to see and felt wonderful.
After all, oil finishes are never "done". A good oil finish needs to be fed with more oil every year or two. Or even every few months if used hard. I'm assuming that most antiques aren't used hard so likely every couple of years would be fine.
I've got a couple of oldies and one of them came to me with filth and grime all but caked on it. I cleaned it with a mix of mineral spirits and boiled linseed oil. About 50-50. With some gentle rubbing from a plastic pot scrub pad this removed the lumpy gritty feeling stuff and to some extent flushed the wood pores out. When wiped clean it still looked oil and "experienced" but like an old soldier or farmer that just had a bath. After a few days of drying and letting the oil mixed with the solvent cure up I coated it again with a light rubbed on small dab or three of more boiled linseed. The result still looked old but it looked more like a well cared for "old" with a slightly more clear looking wood grain and a little glow from the fresh oil on the wood. Over a few days as the oil kicked off and polymerized that sheen dulled down. But the wood was great to see and felt wonderful.
After all, oil finishes are never "done". A good oil finish needs to be fed with more oil every year or two. Or even every few months if used hard. I'm assuming that most antiques aren't used hard so likely every couple of years would be fine.
I have addressed some pretty rough looking wood stocks over the years and have experimented with many different methods. Some are gentle, some are pretty drastic. It all depends on the situation.
A nice old rifle for which you want to give some TLC is not something for experimentation with cleaners.
Oven cleaner is great for cleaning metal, but as its intended purpose is to attack oils and grease, it will actually attack the bond between the wood fibres. No matter how well you rinse it with clean water, residue will remain in the wood. Some brands of oven cleaner (they are not all the same formula) can actually leave the wood with a green tinge due to chemical action. It will also remove patina so beware. Best to leave that one alone.
Steam works well and does lift dents. It also lifts 'whiskers' and raises grain. What was once a smooth well worn surface will start to look and feel like a chunk of split firewood. The surface can be burnished with a bone and oil, but you are making work for yourself when there are gentler less intrusive methods.
Genuine turpentine or its synthetic substitute, mineral spirits, wont raise the grain and is gentle. Apply with a soft cloth and work a small area at a time, wiping clean with another soft cloth often.
50/50 mix of raw linseed oil and turpentine is my go to, I have a bottle of it ready to go at my bench.
Some collectors of high end antiques swear by a product line called 'Kramers'. If they would use it on a $10k antique, it probably would be ok for an old Winchester. https://kramerize.com/introduction.htm
A nice old rifle for which you want to give some TLC is not something for experimentation with cleaners.
Oven cleaner is great for cleaning metal, but as its intended purpose is to attack oils and grease, it will actually attack the bond between the wood fibres. No matter how well you rinse it with clean water, residue will remain in the wood. Some brands of oven cleaner (they are not all the same formula) can actually leave the wood with a green tinge due to chemical action. It will also remove patina so beware. Best to leave that one alone.
Steam works well and does lift dents. It also lifts 'whiskers' and raises grain. What was once a smooth well worn surface will start to look and feel like a chunk of split firewood. The surface can be burnished with a bone and oil, but you are making work for yourself when there are gentler less intrusive methods.
Genuine turpentine or its synthetic substitute, mineral spirits, wont raise the grain and is gentle. Apply with a soft cloth and work a small area at a time, wiping clean with another soft cloth often.
50/50 mix of raw linseed oil and turpentine is my go to, I have a bottle of it ready to go at my bench.
Some collectors of high end antiques swear by a product line called 'Kramers'. If they would use it on a $10k antique, it probably would be ok for an old Winchester. https://kramerize.com/introduction.htm
