Stock Stain Removal*After Photos Added*

[G3isMe]

I am refinishing a stock and I've already cleaned and degreased it by giving it a week long stay at the Acetone spa. That has accomplished the degreasing and old finish removal but the stock appears to have been stained either intentionally or unintentionally. None the less, it has dark staining. How does one remove this staining short of power sanding so as to get it back to the natural looking grain? Any suggestions?
.
.Before Bleaching
Stock_01.jpg

Stock_03.jpg

After 2 rounds of Oxalic Acid and scrubbing

Stock_02b.jpg

Stock_03b.jpg

[Shootability]

Oxalic acid.

[G3isMe]

Originally Posted by Shootability

Oxalic acid.

Great, just looked it up and found that it is used for bleaching pulpwood. Going to check Home Depot. How do you use it, soak the stock in it?

[erhauser]

A solution of oxalic acid in water will bleach wood when it is hot. I have just sponged it onto stained wood work in a house and rinsed. For a stock I would heat to 160 F or so and dip the stock for an experimentally determined time- minutes not hours, and rinse well. Should take the color out.

[mpnv]

Originally Posted by G3isMe

I am refinishing a stock and I've already cleaned and degreased it by giving it a week long stay at the Acetone spa. That has accomplished the degreasing and old finish removal but the stock appears to have been stained either intentionally or unintentionally. None the less, it has dark staining. How does one remove this staining short of power sanding so as to get it back to the natural looking grain? Any suggestions?
.
.

Three questions: What kind of container did you use for the Acetone?
Have you tried Acetone on handguards? Does it hurt the
heat sheilds?

[G3isMe]

I have used a kitty litter pail. Any pail that has a good lid will work, such as what I used to call pickle pails, e.g., those 5 gallon buckets with lids. I think Walmart sells them with lids for under $10. You just want something large enough so the stock can be completely covered with acetone. Even a rectangular tupperware container would work. I have used the acetone soak for handguards, both solid wood and the laminated types, which is what you are referring to. It didn't seem to have any affect on the heat shields.

[def90]

I'm not convinced that soaking wood in acetone for a week is the best solution when there are many other ways out there to remove dirt, grease and oil. Also with the amount of staining still in that wood it tells me that it does not do nearly as well as the other methods either.

You might want to rethink your acetone solution.

Here is a recent before and after of a stock that I first scrubbed with Krud Kutter and then steamed with a ski wax iron and applied a very limited amount of oxalic acid which was scrubbed on as a paste, allowed to sit for a short period of time and then rinsed. This stock was way cleaner than your picture after the Krud Kutter alone. The oxalic acid was only used to try to lighten a dark streak you can see running from the butt to a couple inches in.

I think letting a stock sit in any kind of liquid for a period of time or boiling them is bad for the wood period and completely unnecessary.

[G3isMe]

Originally Posted by def90

....

You might want to rethink your acetone solution.

......

I am open to trying anything new if it is a potentially better solution. I've used the acetone as it has worked for me in the past. I'm not familiar with Krud Kutter, what is it and where can I buy it? Concerning the oxalic acid, I haven't found this yet, but from what I've read it is available as a solid (crystals) or a liquid. Where have you found it available? I heard it is not found at the big box stores but possibly at Ace Hardware. How do you make it into a paste? Thanks in advance.

[nwobhm]

Bought mine at Ace, it is called wood bleach IIRC.

[def90]

Krud Kutter is just a cleaner/degreaser you can get at Home Depot and many other places. I got my oxalic acid in crystals form at the local hardware store in the paint aisle. Just mix with water as per the instructions. It will create a thick slurry which I then apply and scrub into any voids with a toothbrush. Let sit for 10 minutes and then rinse and neutralize with baking soda. Repeat if needed.

It is an acid so use gloves.. though I have not had any kind of issues using it myself when getting in contact with bare skin.

[G3isMe]

I tried oxalic acid and my before-after photos show the results after two rounds of bleaching. I did the first round with more of a paste mixture, followed by a cool water and baking soda rinse. I allowed the stock to dry for a couple of days and then did another round with much warmer water than I used before and allowed the stock to soak in the solution for several minutes and scrubbed using a common 3M green scrubby pad, soaked some more, and then scrubbed some more. This was followed by a cool water rinse as well as a baking soda rinse. The dark stains are almost completely gone and I think I am going to call it good.

My next step will be sanding, starting with either 120 or 180, moving up to at least 240 grit. I then plan on finishing with several coats of Tru-oil.

[.308er1]

That lightened up quite a bit. I left some of the dings alone on mine, since removing them would have altered the stock too much. Our stocks were two different animals when we started the cleaning process. I think we both got them about as clean as they're going to get. Almost time for the finish.

[G3isMe]

I agree, funny how some of the wood under the crud can be so nice looking and then another stock from the same era be so bland..

[mpnv]

Originally Posted by def90

Krud Kutter is just a cleaner/degreaser you can get at Home Depot and many other places. I got my oxalic acid in crystals form at the local hardware store in the paint aisle. Just mix with water as per the instructions. It will create a thick slurry which I then apply and scrub into any voids with a toothbrush. Let sit for 10 minutes and then rinse and neutralize with baking soda. Repeat if needed.

It is an acid so use gloves.. though I have not had any kind of issues using it myself when getting in contact with bare skin.

Def90.....did you soak your stock the Krud Kutter for any amount of time or did you just scrub it with a brush?

[def90]

Originally Posted by mpnv

Def90.....did you soak your stock the Krud Kutter for any amount of time or did you just scrub it with a brush?

Just sprayed it on, let it sit a minute or two and used a soft bristle brush to scrub it a bit.

I try to never soak wood. Boiling or soaking old wood like this is opening yourself up to cracking. Another thing to think about is to make sure you let a stock sit long enough if you boil or soak it before applying a finish. If the wood is still holding any moisture your finish may be ruined.

[mpnv]

Thanks.....I'm going to give it a try tomorrow.

[G3isMe]

Originally Posted by mpnv

Thanks.....I'm going to give it a try tomorrow.

Post before and after photos if you can..

[mpnv]

I will....With my current shedule, I'm not sure when I'll get around to it now.

[Dave Hume]

Be advised: The bleached surface is superficial. Be wary of any heavy sanding, as it will sand through the bleached surface down to unbleached rather easily. I was in the custom wood finishing/exotic finishes business for quite awhile. Had a guy get all worked up trying to duplicate a 50's 'picked oak' finish on a mahogany who thought he could sand his way to perfection...yeah...through the bleached area right down to through the veneer.

[G3isMe]

Originally Posted by Dave Hume

Be advised: The bleached surface is superficial. Be wary of any heavy sanding, as it will sand through the bleached surface down to unbleached rather easily. I was in the custom wood finishing/exotic finishes business for quite awhile. Had a guy get all worked up trying to duplicate a 50's 'picked oak' finish on a mahogany who thought he could sand his way to perfection...yeah...through the bleached area right down to through the veneer.

That is a good tip! Thanks. I primarily bleached this stock because of the dark spot(s) on the hump part of the stock. I will be wary of the possibility of sanding through the lightened wood when I do my sanding.

[mpnv]

I guess it would make more sense to sand first then bleach?

[gobbler]

Originally Posted by def90

Just sprayed it on, let it sit a minute or two and used a soft bristle brush to scrub it a bit.

I try to never soak wood. Boiling or soaking old wood like this is opening yourself up to cracking. Another thing to think about is to make sure you let a stock sit long enough if you boil or soak it before applying a finish. If the wood is still holding any moisture your finish may be ruined.

About boiling & cracking.....it will bring any cracks present out, but for a dinged, non-cracked stock.....it will remove 90% of the dents and dings. Personally, I had rather know if there was cracks bfore I spent alot of time refinishing. Besides, a drill bit, toothpicks, glue & clamp will repair a crack pdq.

gobbler

[G3isMe]

Originally Posted by mpnv

I guess it would make more sense to sand first then bleach?

Well you are going to have to sand whether or not you sanded before bleaching. The soaking in the bleach solution will raise the grain which will have to be sanded down.