Ratty T53 stock

Still undecided on this. The more I look at that archangel stock the less I like it. No offense Troy. ;)

Hitting CVS tonight to see if they have Murphy's oil soap. I may just end up sanding the whole thing down lightly and applying a few coats of Tru Oil. I would just like to preserve the many little stamps and markings on it. For what reason I don't know. They're interesting to me.
Start with a good cleaning with cheese cloth and murhys It picks up alot of crud.
You can take fine sand paper like 400 or 600 with a small flat backer and lightly go over the high spots avoiding any thing you want to keep intact
 
Got it at CVS. Put some on an old tshirt and rubbed like hell on the ugliest parts but it didn’t seem to do anything. I abandoned it for the rest of the day in favor of getting the Mustang out for a spin.
I’ll probably go at with some grit that Mac mentioned and see what happens. It’s not like I’m going to risk lowering the value of the rifle. I wish I had bought more when they were $100.
 
Start with a good cleaning with cheese cloth and murhys It picks up alot of crud.
You can take fine sand paper like 400 or 600 with a small flat backer and lightly go over the high spots avoiding any thing you want to keep intact
I forget where in the forum I put the pics of the really beat-up shotgun stock I just spiffed up recently but it came out pretty nice...
FB43871D-96D9-4506-BC2C-1EED34425939.jpeg
 
Got it at CVS. Put some on an old tshirt and rubbed like hell on the ugliest parts but it didn’t seem to do anything. I abandoned it for the rest of the day in favor of getting the Mustang out for a spin.
I’ll probably go at with some grit that Mac mentioned and see what happens. It’s not like I’m going to risk lowering the value of the rifle. I wish I had bought more when they were $100.
Yeah me to, then I would hage done a lot better when I sold them.
and to think I passed on a crate of 91/30s for $1350 shipped
 
I started rubbing away at it with 180 grit paper and I think I'm mostly just removing cosmoline, grime, skin cells, blood, etc...!
Pretty nasty. I'm wondering can I just clean it up best I can, chase it with 400 grit and then put two coats of tru oil over this thing and call it a day? I don't think I'd ever be able to get all the cosmoline and crap out of it. Would the tru oil do a fairly decent job of just sealing it off? Or do I really need to get it completely clean before I put a product like that on it?
 
Try a bristle brush...like a dish brush.
t
With what, Murphy’s oil soap?
I recall several outings with this gun on hot summer days where the soaked-in cosmoline would bleed out and end up all over my hands/cheek/ clothes. What about waiting several months for a really hot summer day, leave the stock in a black contractor bag all day in the blazing sun, wipe it down vigorously with a brillo pad and Murphy’s oil soap at the end of the day, then hit it once over with 400 grit and then tru oil?
Maybe I’m over-thinking it.
 
Tru-oil should not sweat
I am wondering what will happen with the cosmoline that is certainly still present in the stock. Would it bleed through five good coats of TO (two of which I used the method of sanding the previous coat down with 400, leaving the particles as pore filler and coating again immediately) or would it just seep inwards and stay around the action?
I’ll find out some hot day in July I guess. I’ll put a few rounds through it this week though.
 
I am wondering what will happen with the cosmoline that is certainly still present in the stock. Would it bleed through five good coats of TO (two of which I used the method of sanding the previous coat down with 400, leaving the particles as pore filler and coating again immediately) or would it just seep inwards and stay around the action?
I’ll find out some hot day in July I guess. I’ll put a few rounds through it this week though.

Yes, she’ll bleed cosmo for the rest of her life. I redid a Yugo SKS similar to what you did. I bring paper towels with me to the range in the summer as it still weeps cosmo when it really hot outside.
 
I stopped at 5 coats and I think it looks sweet. It certainly feels better in my hands and against my cheek.

I dig it. Mine was rather pristine when I got mine. Back in July 2013 I Fully cleaned then removed the coating with citristip. did a couple costs of lemon oil.

different, I know but has the desired effect.

20130803_112727.jpg

20130803_112534.jpg
 
I am wondering what will happen with the cosmoline that is certainly still present in the stock. Would it bleed through five good coats of TO (two of which I used the method of sanding the previous coat down with 400, leaving the particles as pore filler and coating again immediately) or would it just seep inwards and stay around the action?
I’ll find out some hot day in July I guess. I’ll put a few rounds through it this week though.
If there is enough cosmo left the tru oil will eventually start to deteriorate, maybe not in your life time though.
Tru-oil is linseed oil with Birchwood Casey Secret Spit mixed in and the Solvent it floats around in. Its not a bad finish really. Little expensive because of marketing and such.
 
Last edited:
Nothing wrong with Dawn/Palmolive and hot water in the kitchen sink. That's how I normally start. Evaluate from there.
t

Just spitshine the F'n thing and go shoot it!

Agree! Quick clean, a little oil of whatever sort, and just shoot it. This is NOT a collector/impeccable thing. If it becomes a collector, it is because of the sentimental/shooting value.
 
Agree! Quick clean, a little oil of whatever sort, and just shoot it. This is NOT a collector/impeccable thing. If it becomes a collector, it is because of the sentimental/shooting value.

I just wanted it to be smoother against my cheek when I shot it. I achieved that and the gun looks way nicer overall now. Win-win.
 
Back
Top Bottom