Does it matter which type of DE is used to pull the oil out of stocks that are being stripped and refinished? Apparently the DE available at pool supply outfits comes from saltwater diatoms. The DE used as insecticide that can be found in health food stores and garden stores comes from freshwater diatoms.

There are lots of products made specifically for stripping old finishes off wood. What do you have to mix into DE to make it suitable?

Hello Rick,

I've already stripped the old finish off the stock exterior and the inletting with Jasco stripper. What I have now is what I believe to be is old gun oil weeping out of the stock in the tang area. It has been suggested on this forum to make a paste of DE and solvent and spread it on the affected area to lift out the old oil. I just wondered if the type of DE mattered. Perhaps I'm just sweating the details, but I just want to obtain a satisfactory result from my effort.

Thanks,

Jim

quote:

Originally posted by Rick 0311:
There are lots of products made specifically for stripping old finishes off wood. What do you have to mix into DE to make it suitable?

Rick,

I think Jim is refering to the process of mixing the DE with laquer thinner or acetone to make a paste which is applied to an oil soaked stock. As the thinner evaporates it draws the oil out of the stock and it is absorbed by the DE. After it evaporates the "dry" DE is brushed off along with the drawn out oil. Whiting can also be used instead of DE.

Jim, I was not aware that there were different varieties. I have always used the stuff for swimming pools with good success. I doubt that if there enough salt residue that it would find it's way into the wood and do any damage to your metal. If that is your fear, you might want to try the fresh water variety. There is a fairly large DE open pit mining operation just south of George Wa ( and yes that is George Washington --- and if I was smart, I would not tell you how long I lived in Wenatchee, just 40 miles north of that quaint town before I put the two names together.) The mine is on the Beverly Burke road that crosses I-90 just west of George and goes south over the Frenchman hills and ends at Beverly on the Columbia River. End of travel tour. Tips are not necessary.

quote:

Originally posted by craigster:

quote:

Originally posted by Rick 0311:
There are lots of products made specifically for stripping old finishes off wood. What do you have to mix into DE to make it suitable?

Rick,

I think Jim is refering to the process of mixing the DE with laquer thinner or acetone to make a paste which is applied to an oil soaked stock. As the thinner evaporates it draws the oil out of the stock and it is absorbed by the DE. After it evaporates the "dry" DE is brushed off along with the drawn out oil. Whiting can also be used instead of DE.

See, you learn something new everyday!

Craigster,
The "whiting" that Brownells sells is actually DE. I have been talking to a member here from Western Washington that so far is just a lurker (hi Steve - maybe I can embarass him into joining in the conversation) who is laid up following an operation and is using it on a CZ stock. I suggested that he try to find an open bag and buy a couple of pounds from a pool maintenance outfit. He said they would only sell him a bag and if memory serves me, 50 pounds cost him $20. From my math background that comes to $.40 a pound. Brownells sells a pound for $6.22. Here is a link to their product.

Chic,

Thanks for the geology/geography lesson.
I didn't know there were different kinds of DE either. I just did a google search on "diatomaceous earth where to purchase" and got much more informtion than I needed
I may grind up some oil dri as it is made up of DE also.
The pool supply outfit doesn't have any in stock.

Jim

Another name for it is "Fuller's Earth". We used to buy bags of it under that name to increase the gabbing power of the brake bands on offshore winches. It would break the glaze that built up on the steel drums under the bands.

As I recall it was dirt cheap (no pun intended).

I think it would depend on whether the pool supply store or the garden supply store was closer.

Here is what I would do- Go to the pool supply place and ask for a sample from a broken bag, just a 1/4 teaspoon, and touch it to your tongue. If it tastes salty then find a garden supply place. It is not poisonous at all so there is no harm other than getting a funny look from the pool supply guy.

Cornmeal also works for drawing out oil. lay the stock down and pour corn meal over the oily spots and put a heat lamp on it for overnight. It takes a couple of days at least, and you need to redistribute the meal every once in a while.

Try looking some place locally that sells lots of painting and window glazing materials. I work in windows and have used whiting for years as a cleaner/polisher after I glazed them.

Try looking somewhere locally before you buy from Brownell's. Not that I'm knocking Brownell's in the least, but shipping on lots of dead weight is getting pricey these days...

quote:

Originally posted by tiggertate:
Another name for it is "Fuller's Earth". We used to buy bags of it under that name to increase the gabbing power of the brake bands on offshore winches. It would break the glaze that built up on the steel drums under the bands.

As I recall it was dirt cheap (no pun intended).

Fuller’s earth is what we’ve used in the movie business, to make dust storms, for years. I’ve seen the effects guys go through 200 bags of it on one show. The wardrobe people use socks filled with Fuller’s earth to “dust down†the actors wardrobe.

quote:

just a 1/4 teaspoon, and touch it to your tongue. If it tastes salty then find a garden supply place.

Well I can't speak to all the bags of swimming pool DE but the one I have in the back yard has NO SALT TASTE!!! Tastes like chalk dust.

quote:

Originally posted by Rick 0311:

quote:

Originally posted by tiggertate:
Another name for it is "Fuller's Earth". We used to buy bags of it under that name to increase the gabbing power of the brake bands on offshore winches. It would break the glaze that built up on the steel drums under the bands.

As I recall it was dirt cheap (no pun intended).

Fuller’s earth is what we’ve used in the movie business, to make dust storms, for years. I’ve seen the effects guys go through 200 bags of it on one show. The wardrobe people use socks filled with Fuller’s earth to “dust down†the actors wardrobe.

That proves something I wondered. As an organic insecticide, it kills aphids and other bugs by scratching through the exo-skeleton and dehydrating them like boric acid kills roaches. I used to wonder if it was hard on the lungs if inhaled. I guess not.

quote:

Originally posted by tiggertate:

quote:

Originally posted by Rick 0311:

quote:

Originally posted by tiggertate:
Another name for it is "Fuller's Earth". We used to buy bags of it under that name to increase the gabbing power of the brake bands on offshore winches. It would break the glaze that built up on the steel drums under the bands.

As I recall it was dirt cheap (no pun intended).

Fuller’s earth is what we’ve used in the movie business, to make dust storms, for years. I’ve seen the effects guys go through 200 bags of it on one show. The wardrobe people use socks filled with Fuller’s earth to “dust down†the actors wardrobe.

That proves something I wondered. As an organic insecticide, it kills aphids and other bugs by scratching through the exo-skeleton and dehydrating them like boric acid kills roaches. I used to wonder if it was hard on the lungs if inhaled. I guess not.

They actually had a bunch of the extras on Planet of the Apes sue over it, and some companies are now using ground-up walnut shells...which I believe is probably just as toxic and hard on the lungs.

The movie business is famous for using stuff that ain’t real good for us humans. For years they used bee-smoke for atmosphere on sets which tears the shit out of your lungs...and they also used to use a chemical called A-B smoke which produced a substances very similar in composition and smell to battery acid when you mixed A with B.

Well, was it harder on apes, chimps or orangutans?

quote:

Originally posted by tiggertate:
Well, was it harder on apes, chimps or orangutans?

Most on the Fu*king baboons they hired as extras!

These wackos took a job to be in an ape suit all day long (16 plus hours) out the the desert and then did nothing but complain about the heat and the dust. I assume that they assumed they were going to be comfortable.

In the mid-70's I was an oilfield sat diver in the Gulf and the barge & platform riggers used it on the air tuggers for the same reasons as Tiggertate mentioned. We always had to be extremely careful to keep the seals on the air & mixed gas systems clean after thy used any of it upwind from the bell platforms. I was always told it was hard on seals and sealing surfaces, but never actually knew if it was because it was abrasive or due to chemical reaction.

Chic, there's some BIG deer in that Desert A unit (permit only area) just East of that DE mine, on the east side of Dodson Rd. to the C Road. Great hunting for coyotes too.

Chic,

Thanks for the tip. I'll be picking up a milsurp Mauser in a few days that looks and feels like it was stored in STP for the last 50yrs. I think I'll give the DE a try.

brianbo, you got a PM.

If you want cheap DE either come by my house
and dig some up or just buy Kitty Litter which is
normally just scented DE.