Removing Dirt/Oil Stains from Wood Stocks

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Frost Cracked

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I've recently started a restoration project on a Mosin that was badly shellacked with cheap refurb.

I'm having no problems getting the shellack off the Mosin, but when i get down to the bare wood I'm finding a lot of off colour stains and marks on the wood. Some of them are around areas where the wood meets metal, and others are just in general spots along the wood.

Lightly sanding isn't doing much, neither has Mineral Spirits, or Varsol.

What would you folks recommend to get this discolouration out?
 
I hesitate to recommend it, but I used some heavy duty Easy Off oven cleaner with good results on a Parker Hale stock. I have heard it can damage the wood.
 
TSP (trisodiumphosphate) and water.
It will pull the toughest grease and soaked in crud out of the wood.

Don goggles and rubber gloves for protection from the TSP. Cover any nearby flooring (if indoors) or vegetation (if outdoors) with plastic sheeting.

Mix 1 gallon of warm water with 1/4 cup of TSP in a bucket using a wood stir stick. Fill another bucket with warm water.

Dip a soft sponge in the TSP solution. Slowly wipe the whole stock with the sponge to detach ground-in grime. Clean from the but upward taking full length passes.

Drench another soft sponge in the warm water. Squeeze the wet sponge and wipe it over the wood in one pass, fully rinsing the wood.

Clean additional sections until all of the wood is clean. Refill the buckets as the solution and water become dirty.

Dry the wood with a microfiber towel.

WARNING:
Letting the TSP solution dry on the wood causes stubborn streaks. Rince right away after application

Allow stock to dry out completely before applying a fresh coat of stain, oil, or varnish
Use minwax wood stain prep as directed prior to stain aplication.
A damp towel and a clothes iron can be used to raise dents. Stay clear of any serial numbers or arsenel markings as they will also be erased!
A coarse scotch brite pad can be used to smooth out the raised "fuzz" from the TSP water/steam iron treatment and will not leave behind and pesky steel fibers like steel wool does or remove exsessive amounts of material the way sand paper does.
 
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ciphery said:
TSP (trisodiumphosphate) and water.
It will pull the toughest grease and soaked in crud out of the wood.
Click to expand...

This ^.
And if all else fails, get yourself some oxalic acid crystals from the pharmacy. Read the instructions. Make a saturated solution, soak, and let it dry on the stained areas. Neutralize with plenty of H2O after.
The old time woodworkers tough stain remover.
 
I did the dishwasher run,twice on a old beat to chit Garand stock. Not only did it get most every stain out but all the small dents and scratches were raised out as well. I had one chip that I filled with carpenters glue, quick sanding,stain and some sealer. Just waiting for it to set up now. p.s. turn off the heated dry cycle or take it out after the wash is done and let it dry.
 
Dishwasher soap is 60-90% trisodium phosephate.

NOTE: TSP is also an effective rust remover! Very effective and gun bluing is a type of stabilized, inactive rust so keep metal parts away unless you intend on removing the coal tar black paint and rebluing everything.
If you have active (red-orange)rust on something this solution will turn it into cleted iron and take on a dull grey black apperance similar to parkerizing...but not as permenent.
 
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If u want your mosin stripped
Denatured alcohol disolves shellac , also circa 1850
Stripper will eat just about anything off
The blotches you see are typical of arctic birch
Which many russian mosins were made of
It's a very hard to sand wood and does not accept
Stains very well, that's why red shellac was used
To cover and protect wood
I refinish stocks, if you want to send pics to my
Inbox I can help you further
 
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