How to clean old walnut rifle stock?

[Cold Warrior]

I've got a 75 year-old walnut milsurp rifle stock with lots of dirt and oil that've accumulated over the years.
I don't want to completely strip off the original finish, so what's the best way to clean off all those years of grime and oil?
I'd like to clean it and 'freshen it up' with a few coats of BLO.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
thx
CW

 

[bunny]

wax does wonders on gun stocks

 

[fire@will]

Varsol, or mineral spirits will disolve grime and oil. It will tend to dry out the wood a bit, but the BLO should take care of that.

 

[Potashminer]

Try to stay away from anything with water - wood seems to want to absorb water and swell - raising whiskers, eliminating cartouches, etc. I think the solvents like varsol and mineral spirits have worked fine to rub with sopping rag and soft brush, but I am not nuts about actually soaking wood in them. Maybe just me? You will actually be amazed how much crap comes off with a rag sopping wet with 50/50 BLO and turpentine. Do not use sandpaper!!! Also, have read that tightly wrapping in newspaper or paper towel, fill in the mag well and barrel channel, then all into a black plastic bag, and set in the sun for a few days - heat from sun warms up the oils in the wood, paper absorbs a lot of it...

 

[7ECA]

Mineral Spirits wiped onto the stock with a rag or paper towel, then once satisfied that you have a "clean" or cleaner stock; wipe dry with a clean rag/cloth to remove the residue. Mineral/White Spirit(s) are quite gentle when it comes to cleaning, versus other harsher solvents.

Wax will clean as well as protect, but if the stock is somewhat dirty to begin with it helps to get some/most of the cleaning out of the way first.