Cleaning oil soaked and stained wood grips
 

I have a set of early, oil finished Colt Python grips that I want to clean up, and I have tried the methods described in previous threads on the topic. They are fairly clean now, but there's still some discoloration caused by old oil and grime that has soaked in around the edges and the screw holes. I found a post where somebody got it out of a set of Luger grips by boiling them in water, but I have seen Python grips warp just after using paint stripper, so I don't have the balls to do it. I tried a hot iron and a wet rag instead, but couldn't see a noticeable difference. Are there any other ways to draw the old oil out from the wood?

Also, there's old wood stain on these grips, and I would like to get it off. The paint stripper (Strip-X) didn't do it, and I have also tried acetone and alcohol. Any tips on how to get rid of the stain will also be appreciated.

I have used the liquid citrus based stripper to remove finish and grime; followed up with 100% isopropyl alcohol and then acetone to further dissolve old stains.

Sometimes, you can use a steamer (a handheld cleaning appliance) to cause dented wood to restore shape, and also to remove oil based grime. i do this through a facecloth to absorb some of the moisture. This will alter the structure of the wood fibers so should be done with caution.

Marc

I might try the citrus based stripper, the Strip-X is pretty nasty to work with. :mad: I have already tried acetone and alcohol, and even though they do clean a lot of it off, there's still stubborn places that won't clean up (especially in the end grain).

I have never used a steamer to raise dents, the iron and a damp rag usually does the job for me. It's fairly easy to use on smaller areas without affecting the surrounding area, so how to you use a steamer on that?

To even better pinpoint steam, use a soldering iron and wet paper towels.

I've always used Easy-Off oven cleaner to get oil out of Garand stocks. But if the oil is on the edges and around the metal escutcheons (sp?) for the grip screw caution is in order.
dju

I have tried that, but my soldering iron is not up to the task. :rolleyes: I'll probably have to get another one with more juice. There is also small irons that model builder use, basically a soldering iron with a triangular "miniature iron" tip. I have been thinking about getting one of those as well.

That's the problem areas right there. Thanks for reminding me about the oven cleaner, that's one thing I haven't tried yet. :thumbup:

The steamer has a wand that puts out a focused stream of steam. You put the washcloth directly over the dented area, get the steam nozzle down close to it and give a 15-20 second burst of steam.

The cloth will be wet, and the dent will gradually swell back to level.

This is an example of the kind of thing I'm talking about. I got mine at Goodwill...

http://www.amazon.com/DBTech-Multi-P...=steam+cleaner

I have had better luck with lacquer thinner than acetone or alcohol. I let them soak for a bit, and then use a soft toothbrush. It is a long drawn out procedure once one has removed the "easy part". The stains in the end grain area are tough.

Well, that's really neat! Never seen one before, but I think I need one. :thumbup:

I hate to work with lacquer thinner, but I'll give it a shot. I just got them out of the Strip-X, then scrubbed them with Murphys and they are starting to look pretty good now. There's just a little bit left in the end grain and some other spots, so I'll see if the lacquer thinner will do the trick. I probably need to let the wood dry for a while first, so the thinner will soak in good.

I have noticed that the very last spots usually take a while whatever you use, but it seems like repeated soaking and dabbing it with a dry rag speeds it up. Wicking out the dissolved gunk with the rag appears to be more effective than just soaking and scrubbing.

It takes effort but sometimes it is the only way to get out all of the old dirt and oil. I can go through a whole box of Q-Tips dabbing on solvent with one end and dabbing it off with the dry end. I'd really rather be reading a good book :)

I have used a combination of Citrus-Strip [and let dry] and lacquer thinner [and let dry] on these S&W K-frame grips. I just wanted to get rid of the remnants of the OEM varnish or whatever S&W uses. I'm not too particular about oil stains or chips as these are going on old police revolvers which show a lot of use on the metal parts. I just wanted a uniform glossy finish.

I spent a bit of time on the left set. Oil & grease came out pretty well with the Citrus-Strip & lacquer thinner.

To refinish, I tried BLO and it didn't look glossy at all. Strip & try spray-on polyurethane finish. Still not right (I have a new set of grips to compare them to). Strip again; same two-step process. Citrus-Strip & let dry; lacquer thinner & let dry.

Now they're dry. I'm thinking Minwax Furniture Varnish, brushed on. Neutral color.

Any ideas??? :confused:

Ron??? :rolleyes:

I like BLO, but the approach I take is to dilute it with mineral spirits, and build it up over several layered applications.

BLO has to be rubbed into the wood, and works because of the heat you generate as you do this.

Doing this over checkering is more difficult than on smooth stocks.

Marc

The checkering sure screws it up when using oil, it makes it difficult to wipe it off and it tends to build up in the checkering if you don't get the excess off. A toothbrush is a really handy tool for this, I buy them in 6-packs at Wallyworld for $1. I usually use Formby's tung oil (which I believe is actually a mix of oil and wipe-on varnish), and it works well as long as it's fresh and thin. If you put on enough of this, you'll get a nice "almost gloss" finish, but it takes 10-15 coats to get there. If you're in a hurry, you can also use oil from an old bottle, as it tends to thicken afterwhile. This won't soak into the wood nearly as well as the fresh oil, but it will build up the finish quicker.

For the S&W grips I'd use rattle can poly, it comes in several different sheens so it's mostly a matter of finding the right kind.

There is another trick I forgot for oil soaked grips. I live in the desert Southwest, so i have let the grips lie outside in the hot sun...that caused the oil to percolate to the surface and could be cleaned off with any number of solvents...heat, clean, repeat. I did that with a set of grips that had been on a gun stored in a barrel of motor oil. Didn't make them look new, but it got rid of a lot of soaked in oil. Same thing could be done with a heat lamp. Might be worth a try.

And, another technique for drawing oil and cosmoline out of wood stocks and grips...

I live in the humid SouthEast where the sun shines and the water hovers.

I take wood stocks and grips, wrap them tightly in newspaper (so that it's against the surfaces of the wood), put the wrapped stocks inside black plastic garbage bags and then put them on the dash and rear deck of a closed car out in the sun. Temperatures get quite hot in there, and the black bag absorbs more. Assuming that this doesn't get to an ignition temperature (never had that happen), the cosmoline and oils migrate to the surface of the wood and get absorbed into the newsprint.

Marc

Funny that you should say that, I used this method last night. I soaked in laquer thinner for a minute and heated with a hair dryer, then I wiped it and rinsed off the residue that came out to the surface. I repeated this several times and got rid of a lot of oil.

There was actually so much coming out that I'm beginning to think that some could be the natural oil in the wood. Some oily spots developed after drying overnight, but it appears to be clear and not black. I might put a coat of tung oil on and see what it looks like.

I also bought a can of Easy-Off to try on another set of grips. Can anybody give me some quick instructions on how to use this?

I have had good luck with Formsby's Tung Oil for a matte finish, and Caseys Tru Oil for a satin sheen. It usually takes me 3-4 thin coats, and I use a soft toothbrush to remove excess finish from the checkered areas.

I usually get a satin or semi-gloss finish with Formby's, but it's probably because I put on several coats. One coat will give you a dull finish, but I'm not sure how well that protects the wood from future staining.

However, I found a way around that the other day. I had a pair of grips that were so dry that they felt like balsa wood, so I decided to put three good coats of Formby's on them and the sheen ended up being the usual semi-gloss. Then I decided to wipe them with a little bit of tung oil, and after it dried they had a nice dull finish. :thumbup:

So again: What about the Easy-Off? What's the best way to use it?