Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles stock refinishing question

I just stripped the stock off an old Savage 99. The stock is black about a 1/4" away from where the butt plate goes. Like it sat in something. How do I get the black out?

Need some expert help

Post in the gunsmithing section? Might get more visibility from the crowd in the know over there. Take pics as well and post them in with your question.

I have a real early Savage 110 stock that was water stained, and also had tape lines that wouldn't come off. first, I used lacquer thinner to remove the finish. Waited a day or two. Then I stood it in a shallow pan and ran bleach over it, brushing constantly, until it looked like a piece of driftwood. Let it dry. Then I re-stained it. Still haven't sealed it, but here's what it looks like now, after staining, before sealing.

Mine is just on the butt plate end. I'll try some bleach

Years ago I read a book by J.O,forget what one it was,but he said that he had used equal amounts of BLO,Spar Varnish and Turpentine,I have used the same finish except I replaced Turps with regular paint thinner,I have used this stuff on several stocks and have found it to be very good

blairvt-
The product you need to use is oxalic acid. It comes in a crystal form that you dissolve in water. You can purchase is from most woodworking suppliers. It is a bleaching agent used to reverse the oxidization of the tannins in many woods. We use it all the time in furniture restoration. I like to mix it in a spray bottle and go slow. You may want to use it on the entire stock to get a consistent bleaching through the entire stock. Start with the affected area and you will see the magic unfold. Then give the rest of the stock a few squirts to match. Make sure to give it a good wipe down and plenty of drying time. Then give the stock a quick once over with 320 grit and yo are ready to stain.

No matter the technique used to eradicate black water stains, as stated plan on doing the whole stock so it looks uniform when done finishing.

Have you thought of trying a whiting slurry to draw any oil and dirty grime out of the wood? Make a whiting slurry using mineral spirits and fine white chalk (hardware chalk line or Brownell's gunsmithing). Paint the effected area and let it sit and dry. It will pull out the soaked substance causing discoloration. Once dry, brush off. May take several spot applications followed by an overal application to give an even appearance.

Good info on the whiting treatment of oil in the wood, but why would he have oil stains 1/4" from the butt plate?

From his description in his OP, looks like the rifle sat butt down in something. Water?

Paul

It looks like it sat in water or something. Rust on the butt plate backs this up. Rest of gun is in great shape. Bleach lightened it some. Going to see if I can find some of that acid

Did one last year, oil, grease and such over many decades of use and being wiped down, soaked in through the wood end grain at the steel butt plate. There was no rust on the butt plate. Applications of a whiting slurry turned the white chalk dark with discoloration when it dried and was brushed away. As the drying slurry pulled this dark discoloration out of the wood, the wood lightened up to an even appearance.

If it is an oil based stain I have had luck using foam oven cleaner. Spray it on, let it sit 10 minutes and scrub it off with warm water.

The whiting is a good idea. Have never tried mixing with mineral spirits.Usually do mine with denatured alcohol and either sit stock in direct sunlight midday or use a heat lamp.When it turns brown scrape off and repeat.Will have to give the mineral spirits a try.

Immerse stock in acetone for 24 hours or so. Drain. Immerse in alcohol 24 hours. Drain.

Will dry quickly. Repeat if necessary.

Nothing has worked better for me on oil stained stocks.

+1. Be very careful, as acetone is extremely volatile.