is motor oil ok for use on the wood?

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today i used some 10w 40 cheapo oil i had layin around to condition the open wood grain on a shotgun. i use break free on all my guns but is it ok to use motor oil on just the wood?
 
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No it Dry rots the wood- Breaking down the fibers -- IF you want oil for the wood -TUNG oil Or my favorite Boiled linseed oil !
 
Yeah, scrub that off there - take the wood off and wash it in hot soapy water. Then treat it with tung oil or linseed oil like mentioned. Almond oil and lemon oil also make good conditioners for wood.
 
Put Oven Off Cleaner on it, it will draw the oil out, wipe down with rag an towel
an repeat until its all out, then start over...I like BLO myself.
 
my old Norge buddy uses used motor oil on his cedar fence, it looks wonderfull and must be good for the cedar.......as Fred is pure Norge and 70+ and could still kick my ass
 
Putting used motor oil on an outdoor fence is a good idea, most people throw up a wood fence and leave it naked to be destroyed by the elements. But on gun wood, where you WANT the surface of the wood to stay in tact, this is an awful idea. As HK91 says, it breaks down the fibers. No one has yet pointed out how it breaks down the fibers. It's because it's petroleum based.
 
Kimber45acp is correct. Chemical-reactively speaking, motor oil is more of a solvent, because of the petroleum. You want to use a preservative oil on wood, instead.
 
I always use it on my rubber stuff instead of armor all!?!?!


Kidding...... It is a low grade solvent. The breakdown of the wood fiber takes place over a relatively long time though and would probably not be a huge consideration in your lifetime. I have pine and oak that has been soaked and resoaked in oil for longer than I have been alive, (37 Years) and it is still in good shape.

But with that said, I wouldn't want to handle it as the it doesn't bond with the fibers as boiled linseed oil does and would be very messsy. All our wood handled equipment at the fire dept is treated to boiled linseed.
 
I liked the 'change after 3000 shots' dialog!!! Maybe synthetic?? could obtain 25000 shots??
Funnin aside...linseed is the 'cats meow'.
 
Put Oven Off Cleaner on it, it will draw the oil out, wipe down with rag an towel
an repeat until its all out, then start over...I like BLO myself.


This method will rub the oven cleaner into the wood. Oven cleaner will also destroy wood, moreso if you don't remove it all. I have used oven cleaner to clean oil soaked stocks on milsurps but a different method. Spray on oven cleaner, let soak for a few minutes,take the stock outside and hose it off well. Use plenty of water to remove the oven cleaner. Let the stock dry and repeat if required. When it's all dry and as clean as you can get it use the BLO.
 
atblis said:
Well
Regardless of how well it might or might not protect wood motor oil is
a Carcinogen
an Eye Irritant
Not very good for you.

I don't think unused motor oil is carcinogenic, just used motor oil. I may be wrong on that though.
 
All you have to do is find an old shotgun or rifle from the 50's that has seen a lot of oil and you will find the wood is very soft around the action. For example, on a double barrel aound the receiver. On a rifle, you may find the recoil lug has been compromised due to oil soaked wood. Seen it and had to repair or replace it.
 
You could also get that oil out using some of the methods milsurp collectors use to get the cosmoline out of their guns. Like putting the shotgun in a black trash bag with a bunch of kitty litter and leaving it on the rear window of your car with the windows closed on a hot day. The oil will get runny and the kitty litter will leech it out. Then re-oil the stock with some wood-appropriate oil.
 
Speaking in general terms: When I was a kid, our garage had a wood floor...made quite a racket when you drove in.

When we tore it out, the boards under where the oil pan would have been were as soft and spongy as...well...a sponge...from how ever many years of petroleum exposure. I could scrape bits of it up with my fingernail...it was almost the consitancy of felt. In contrast, the wood under the tires was hard as a rock and splintery the way you'd expect wood to be.

So based on that indirect experience, no way would I put motor oil on wood...most especially a valued gun stock.
 
GRIZZ22

I used the Oven Off, let soak for a few minutes, steel wool off,
an rinse in bucket of water an wipe off. Then hair dryer until dry, lightly
steel wool. Then stained, dry, Boiled linseed oil, dry, then experimented
with rub on polyurethane. The wood was almost black before I started.
BUT, I have read that it will harm the fibers in the wood, others recommended
it an others stick theres in dish washing machines....maybe if you left the
cleaner on for hours an hours...but I had great results with mine.
 

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