Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Just cleaning stock wood, no refinishing

I have another mauser that has nice wood that I would like to just clean. I don't want to completely refinish it. Does anyone have a suggestion on what to use?

Just guessing that most of the stuf you want to clean off is excess oil left on the stock before....<P>Wipe it off with mineral spirits and then let it dry for a week or so before putting a light application of a good drying oil on, which you need to rub off as completely as you can. Might need to rub pretty hard with the mineral spirits, but it should come off.<BR>art<P>------------------<BR>Life is too short to hunt with an ugly gun.

Should have put in more info. The stock does not have the tacky finish left by old linseed oil. It is dry. I just think that it needs to be cleaned of the old armory dirt etc.

Try liquid wax such as those put out by Formby's, minwax or watco and rub briskly with a good cotton rag. If that fails to get it use oooo steel wool with the same stuff. Let it dry good afterward and buff with a clean rag. <BR>art<P>------------------<BR>Life is too short to hunt with an ugly gun.

Chutestrate, try using one of the waterless hand wipes, they contain alchol and will help lift the dirt. Or you could use a product known as Oil Soap this is a very good cleaner used on furnature and some of my gun stocks. Once you get started you should finish the whole stock.