BARREL RUSTING AND STOCK STAIN

[Topknot]

I havent had any spare time to continue working on my first rifle in a couple of three weeks. I had about halfway finished inletting the barrel on my pre-carved dickert, and had left the barrel clamped in the stock till next time i worked on it. LO and BEHOLD when i went out to my make-shift shop yesterday to do some general cleanup, my barrel had rust forming all over it,and my stock was stained inside and out for six to eight inches toward the end. I was puzzled for a second or two before i realized what happened.
My shop is in the rear end of my 12 x 24 ft. storage building and it gets mighty hot down here in the summertime, 100 to 110 deg.f and we have had alot of rain lately. the humidity has been terrible . what i figured happened was the humidity caused the barrel to rust , and the extreme heat caused the rig grease that was in the barrel to melt and run out of barrel and into the stock, thus staining it. the pre-carved stock is for a 42 inch barrel. my barrel is only 36 inches. im hoping that i will have to cut most of it off when i get to that point. I brought my barrel and stock back into the house after i triple ought steel wooled the outside down and re greased the bore. the inside of the bore was alright. I have 3 fans in the shop to keep  the heat tolerable while im out there. I hope to get an air conditioner by next summer. any suggestions on removing the stain would be welcomed. the stock is un-stained and is just like it came, almost, from pecatonica river.


                                                                                                                        topknot

[JohnTyg]

Not sure you will have to do anything special as, even if  the Dickert is a full pre-carve, I think that there is enough wood in the forearm area of that particular stock that by the time you finish shaping and slimming it down you may have removed all the oil.

John

[Acer Saccharum]

I imagine a washing of lacquer thinner or 'Cleanwoode' will get rid of the grease.

Wash your whole gun down before staining anyway. Gets al your hand oils and slobber off so the stain can take better.

[Long John]

If you plan to brown the barrel consider the rust a start of the process.

If you plan to use an acid/iron stain on the stock then any rust staining on the stock is just a good start.

Wood is generally about 8% water by weight.  It also has various extractive compounds in it that are chemically akin to acids and alcohols.  So, it would not surprise me that you got some rust staining.  Keep in mind that rust (iron oxide) occupies 3 times the volume of the iron needed to make it.  Your biggest hazard might be that the rusting will bind the barrel into the stock.  But I suspect the cause of the rust is something else - like flux smoke in the air from soldering, corrosive materials stored in the other part of the building, etc.

Acer is right about washing the stock before staining!

Best Regards,

John Cholin

[kutter]

If the extra length of the forend beyond your 36" bbl is oil soaked, cut it off now and get it away from the rest of your project.
It can only make for more problems as you transfer oil to other areas of the wood. Plus it can begin to migrate on it's own back towards the breech deeper in the wood.
Leave a small amount excess for working (1/4" or so), but the rest of the oil soaked wood can go.

Any part of the remaining forend that still  has the oil in it,,take some time to draw it back out. It'll do nothing but spoil any wood finish you try to apply,,especially staining.

Any fine grained powder material that'll absorb the oil as it is drawn to the surface will work. It isn't a fast process, but at least your's hasn't sat for a century or more saturated with wheel grease.

Stock makers and wood workers often use 'whiting powder'. I use it alot. I think is calcium carbonate powder.
But I've used things like kitty litter,,or other commercial dry powder products sold to absorb liquid.
Stuff the end of the stock in a container of the material for awhile. Check, brush off the adhered oil/absorbant material and place back in till no more oil is draw out.
Like I said,,it isn't fast but it works.

[Topknot]

THANKS , to all for your input, and yes ,i am going to brown the barrel. And TOM, ..........slobber?

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

If you're not drooling on it you aren't concentrating hard enough!!!

[Topknot]

DR. TIM, I think you might be absolutely right.

[Acer Saccharum]

I get all kinds of junk on my projects. I DO try to avoid oils, tho. Even if I don't glop any oil on the stock, it is oily from handling, so the stain may not take evenly. Make sure you CleanWoode or lacquer thinner before staining, and let dry thoroughly.

Tom

[Topknot]

TOM,what is cleanwoode ? how should i apply it and laquer thinner also?

[Acer Saccharum]

CleanWoode  is a nasty solvent sold at hardware stores for wooden cleaning floors, etc, before finishing with polyurethane or paint. It's essentially a de-greaser.

Use rubber gloves to apply with a cloth and PLENTY of ventilation. I do this outside, and leave the gun outside, rag and glove outside until the stuff evaporates.