Milkmaster
Member
My mother-in-law who is 76 asked me to clean a couple of antique family heirloom guns for her. One is a .22 cal model 67 rifle circa late 30's. Another is an old shotgun of similar if not older vintage. Both have leather tacked to the rear of the buttstock with what looks like small carpet tacks. The wood is solid, just really dirty. These weapons have been in her closet for probably the last 50 years. The rifle is usuable after cleaning. The shotgun is not. In any case, she wants them cleaned up because they belonged to her father. I am a good son-in-law who will do whatever I can to make her happy.
Let me say first that I DO NOT want to sand and refinish the wood. I don't think my mother-in-law would appreciate that at all.
Right now I have them disassembled and the metal sprayed down with BreakFree. Now my questions about the wood...
1. I want know what would be a good product to clean the stocks without ruining the original finish. Please include the product and the steps I would use.
2. What was the most likely original finish? Was it possibly linseed oil or was the manufacture late enough to use a type of varnish?
Thanks for all who share their info for me.
Let me say first that I DO NOT want to sand and refinish the wood. I don't think my mother-in-law would appreciate that at all.
Right now I have them disassembled and the metal sprayed down with BreakFree. Now my questions about the wood...
1. I want know what would be a good product to clean the stocks without ruining the original finish. Please include the product and the steps I would use.
2. What was the most likely original finish? Was it possibly linseed oil or was the manufacture late enough to use a type of varnish?
Thanks for all who share their info for me.