Problem: Stains from cleaning.....

[magyar]

Hello all,

 I was cleaning my rifles today with a new contraption I bought fromTOW. One of those suction hoses that clamps over the vent and the other end sits in a bucket of water. I don't really care for it and don't really think it made cleaning all that easier. What it did do was leak a bit and the black water made a couple streaks down the top of my stock that won't rub off.

I am wondering how best to get rid of the streaks. The stock was beeswax finished and turned out great. But now I am wondering if the finish was not done thick enough. Is that possible? Before I take the finish back with light sandpaper to get these streaks out and redo, I wanted to see what you all think. It won't just rub off so it obviously penetrated.  The cleaning water was warm so maybe that helped it to penetrate.... Ruined a perfectly good day off shooting.

Thanks all in advance.

[WadePatton]

I've had some toothpick leaks do something similar.  I don't recall what i did, but it's not streaked any more.  I think i just scrubbed the "finish" down to the wood (mechanically, no heat no chemicals) which removed the stain, then melted some more beeswax onto it.

but I couldn't swear to those exact events under cross-examination.

I just think that'd i'd remember more clearly if anything else was involved.  Heck there'd be a thread on it! 

[Turtle]

  I used to have this happen until I started to use Permylin stock finish. It seems to be impervious to the solvents.
                                        Turtle

[David R. Pennington]

The black powder residue will attack most finishes. I have had this happen on boiled linseed rubbed finish with nothing but water used for cleaning. I now clean my flint rifle in this manner. I always clean in the field or at the range immediately after shooting. I first remove the lock and lay the rifle lock side down across a couple sandbags with the muzzle lower than breech and swab with wet patches till it is clean. I use nothing but cold water (or alcohol if it is below freezing). I then dry bore and swab liberally with bear oil. I clean the lock with water and wipe any powder residue off the barrel and stock. I dry and oil the lock, lightly oil outside of barrel and reassemble. This way all the junk squirts out the touch hole onto the bench and doesn't run down the stock. Only takes 5 minutes or so.
On boiled linseed finish I feather out the stain area with steel wool and reapply finish.
I am wondering about beeswax for finish. How is it done? I tried it over milk paint on boxes and when it gets damp it gets cloudy.

[Majorjoel]

  When cleaning a rifle I always remove the lock, jam a round tooth pick in the vent hole or nipple if percussion, then stuff paper towel into the open lock mortise. This will absorb any liquids that get by the plugged vent. 

[Flint62Smoothie]

  When cleaning a rifle I always remove the lock, jam a round tooth pick in the vent hole or nipple if percussion, then stuff paper towel into the open lock mortise. This will absorb any liquids that get by the plugged vent. 

Ditto, but I use a cotton ball. FWIW I use them to clean my BP cartridge guns too,works slick!