Refinishing an SKS Stock

[dispatch55126]

What is the best way to get a wood stock soaked in cosmoline stripped?

Its too big for the oven and winter makes it difficult to wrap in a trash bag and put it on the driveway.

I want to completely strip down the stock and handguard and put a good finish on it.

Thanks.

 

[NC-Mike]

Lots of people wrap them in rags, then black plastic and set them on a dashboard in the summer to sweat out the cosmo.

Some have run them through a dish washer cycle...

A hair dryer can be used.

Whitening paste is also an option.

Sanding a cosmo soaked stock is an exercise in futility so if you really want to strip it bare, you have to get the cosmo out. Slow steady low-heat seems to be the safest method to me.

 

[pdowg881]

I used a heat gun. I'm not sure if a blow dryer can get as hot though. I then sanded it bare and wiped in a few coats of stain. I finished it off with a few coats of that formbys in semi gloss. Came out real good.

 

[Dr. Peter Venkman]

Take a garbage bag and fill it full of kitty litter. Put your stock in this bag and in the trunk of your car or on the roof of your house. Leave it there for awhile.

 

[Caimlas]

I used an outdoors grill. It really bubbled out. Though, you've got to be careful and not rush it or you'll end up literally cooking/burning the stock, as I did ever so slightly.

Here's a writeup of my process: Refinishing the Yugoslavian SKS

Not sure if I note it there, but I tried the other approaches, and they didn't do half as good a job. Kept having "seepage" problems as it worked it's way to the surface. I doubt I'll have any now.

 

[railroader]

My stock was to big for my oven and I couldn't get the door closed. I put it in there any way. I just had to turn it around to get the other end. Make sure you put foil on the bottom of the oven to catch the cosmo that comes out. Take it out about every 20 minutes and wipe it off with a rag. I think I had it in the oven a total of about an hour and a half at 200 degrees. Then when its done wipe it down with mineral spirits. Mark

 

[nwilliams]

several cans of heavy duty oven cleaner, followed by a coat of linseed oil to bring back the natural color.

 

[Limeyfellow]

I found the use of very hot water melts the cosmoline right out of the stock. Takes perhaps two or three times and the cosmoline is all gone. Then it just a matter of reoiling up the stock nicely.

 

[dispatch55126]

I might try wrapping it in a bag and soaking it in hot water this weekend.

I'll let you know how it turns out.

 

[Mainsail]

What Railroader said. I finished mine with tongue oil after some sanding and steel wool.

 

[aka108]

The Norinco I have was not greased up too badly. Had that broomed on red varnish. Just stripper, a little fine sandpaper, walnut stain and tung oil. Surprised how good the Chinese wood looked underneath.

 

[dispatch55126]

Well, I was able to get the stock in the oven and baked it at 250 for almost an hour wiping it down several times.

Afterwards, I put it in very hot water and scrubbed it with an SOS pad followed by a brillo.

The stock is drying now but it looks clean. The cosmoline was actually dripping out of the wood.

 

[NC-Mike]

Just don't be in a rush to refinish it. Let everything dry.

Here's a good link.

http://parallaxscurioandrelicfirearmsforums.yuku.com/forums/101