Your tips for the best way to clean grimy woodwork?

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HandB

Well-Known Member
Hi Everyone,

I have a Browning A5 from the 1950s which still has the original butt stock but it is filthy. The original varnish has long worn away allowing years of grime to sink into the wood. A friend of mine suggests scrubbing the woodwork with a toothbrush and hot water containing Fairy Liquid, but I heard that has salt in it so I was wondering if anyone has any other tips?

Thank you!
 
For old furniture my father used a mixture of white vinegar and linseed oil. Used to bring all the muck out and not dry out the wood.
It would of course depend on what finish you intend to use.
 
I’d say re finish completely it or leave it as it is. Anything between usually comes up looking like just that
 
Ooh!! another A5 what’s not to like.
My old clunker had the same wear on the wood work and not the best of wood underneath the grime so I decided as it is just a truck /slug gun to spray it black.
 
Thanks everyone, I will have a go at it using different methods on different parts of the wood and see what happens.
 
I think there are two choices - leave alone or completely strip and do the whole thing. As to how to remove the grime, depends on what the grime is. If it’s just every day muck then wire wool and white spirits should give it a good go. Rub with the grain, not across it. If however it’s oil then that’s a whole different ball game.
 
There is a guy who is on here that is said to be a wonder at stock repairs for a price but he may have changed his name ?:-|
 
Thanks BBT, there is oil in the stock which has flowed all the way from the receiver along the grain to the butt plate, due to the gun being over oiled then stored butt down.
 
The issue with salt or rather salt drying of Browning walnut for stocks is well documented. A few chosen words on an internet search engine will tell you all you need to know if you have what is known as a "salt gun". As for cleaning if using any toothbrush use the softest possible to start to see if that causes damage to the chequering or its borders. The gun has lasted forty years or more, the dirt has been on for some time too. Taking a few minutes longer won't hurt to do it with care rather than do it and cause damage. This time of year is helpful if you're in the UK. Leave the stock in the bright sun on two small 1" x 1" laths or similar in a shallow tray lined with bright side up tinfoil. The hot sun will drive out the oil. Just be near or nearabouts to wipe off the excess as it comes out.
 
I have a French 16 bore hammergun which is in almost perfect mechanical condition and the stock is clearly a nice piece of walnut, but could use cleaning and refinishing. A strip and clean of the action and reblacking of the barrels would make it a very handsome shotgun indeed. I have no idea who to entrust that work to though. My experiences of doing this sort of work in London have not been happy.
 
Try Malcolm Cruxton in Birmingham or Scott Wilson at Holt's. Malcolm has done blacking of barrels for me and in fact has done a full re-black barrel and all and a re-stock for me. Scott has done re-blacking and a stock and fore-end refinish on a Lang sidelock for me. With blacking of course you get what you pay for....but be aware that your gun may originally not ever have had "best black" but a lesser grade. The trade will cater for all degrees of quality!
 
HandB said:
Thanks BBT, there is oil in the stock which has flowed all the way from the receiver along the grain to the butt plate, due to the gun being over oiled then stored butt down.
Click to expand...

Yyou can keep lathering on white spirits, that'll draw the oil out. Or steep it for an hour or so if you've a gig enough basin. Did it with my old AYA Yeoman and it turned out great
 
Acetone mixed with whiting or some such fine powder. Mixed to a pancake-like consistency and smothered on. Acetone evaporates. Powder draws out oil.
 
Update: to get the de-oiling process started I stood the butt stock upright on some tissue paper in the sun today. This caused some of the oil from the butt to be absorbed into the tissue so I will do that for a while then do the acetone-powder technique.
 
I did what Big Bang advised on a mates heavily over oiled rifle stock, following with gentle warming with a hair dryer that brought more oil to the surface which was wiped away with a cloth soaked in methylated spirit

Ian.
 
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