I have an old factory Husqvarna stock that my M96 came in that has been begging to get re-shaped and refinished so the other day I cut a few inches off of the fore end and took a rasp to the thing and made a pretty nice schnabel on the end and slimmed the whole fore end down considerably. I then stripped all the old varnish off of it and I must say for my first stock re-shaping this thing is coming along nice!
However at the tang and bolt notch a lot of old oil keeps coming to the surface and I'm not sure what to do with it.
I thought about putting it in a tray and pouring 20 pounds of "Kitty litter" on it to see if that would draw the oil out.
What do the experts suggest?
Friday I will try to post a before and after picture of my re shape job on the old "Husky" stock.
Thanks in advance for the great information you guys usually hand out.

Get some DE (Diatomaceous Earth) from a pool supply store. See if they have some handy rather than selling you 25 lbs. It is used to make a slurry for pool filters. This is the same stuff that Brownells sells as Whiteing. Only a lot cheaper this way.

Mix some up with a solvent like acetone to make a thich slurry and coat the area that is soaked with oil. It will draw the oil out and the paste will turn a yellow or straw color. Wipe it off and repeat until it does not take out any more. Leave the stock for a day or two and do it again. If it discolors keep going until it stays white.

I have used easy off oven cleaner but customstox has the right way outlined above

I remember seeing alot about getting cosmoline(sp) out of stocks on surplusrifle.com. IIRC they used head to get it all the way out.
-Josh

Quote "they used head to get it all the way out."


If I am fortunate enough to get some head, I am not going to waste it on cosmoline.

With you on the "head" Customstox!

Any downside or cautions to using "D E"?
Also do I have to get it all out or will some just blend with the stain and finish of the stock?

will DE and laquer thinner be a good combo? i have lots of laquer.

I'm certainly no expert but I too have used extra strength oven cleaner (and hot water).

Just coat the stock with the oven cleaner and let it sit for twenty or thirty minutes.

Then flush it with hot water.

Repeat as necessary.

The only thing I would consider adding to Customstox's epistle is this:

If you have a convenient way of heating the whole whiting-covered part of the assembly to about 150 degrees and holding it there, then do so for a couple of hours. Be careful, though, not to get it much hotter or otherwise foul up the natural moisture content of the wood. The object is just to get the oil "runnier" so it will be more quickly "flowing" ("wicking") out of the wood.

A properly "jigged" hair dryer might just do the trick.

quote:

A properly "jigged" hair dryer might just do the trick

I have built a little verticle oven I use to bake some of the various metal spray finishes. Just turn the heat low and run the circulating fan. The DE mud will do the rest.

You can get small portions of DE at a pet/fish store. It's used in fish tank filters.

Not that it is any better than the good advise you are getting, but after the oven off and rinse try steaming it over a tea kettle spout the same as if youwere raising the grain or indentation. While hot, wipe it down or try a few drops of lacquer thinner on the affected area while it is cooling[AWAY FROM THE STOVE]. The thinner will tend to be drawn into the pours. Than steam it again when it is cool and wipe it. It's an old hacks procedure. roger

I pack milsurp stocks with sawdust from a cabinet shop and wrap it all with shrink wrap.then I hang it by the fireplace for a few days,it pulls out most of it.

Acetone , MEK , Lacquer or any number of solvents work well to ( Wick Out ) oil from wood !. If you like water products on wood , Dawn dish washing soap works well as does Deck Rens . Oxalic acid in solution . There are commercial products that are used to clean wood decks or fences ( wood in general ) that work very well to start with . Then finish with a solvent listed above for the final wipe before working the stock or applying finish to it .

I generally do Dawn first then Oxalic acid followed by MEK & acetone wiping . ...