Cannot Remove Stains

[Dave_01]

I have a pine (I think it's pine) Gun stock, which has been used lots. It is therefore obviously covered in dark stains from gun oil, and grease from hands. I have tried absolutely everything to get these stains out and nothing has worked. I've tried sanding, Leaving overnight with bicarbonate of soda water mix on stains, heating with hair drier, varnish remover and Bicarb, and Oxalic Acid. None of these have remove the stains, and there are still dark patches around the handle... Pleas help...

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Probably not pine, more likely to be a hard wood - possibly beech (which soaks up stain). Your best bet is probably to dye and stain it a uniform dark colour - life is too short.

 

[LancsRick]

What gun is it inlet for? If it's a common model you might find replacement beech stocks are peanuts, most enthusiasts tend to replace them.

 

[Dave_01]

Probably not pine, more likely to be a hard wood - possibly beech (which soaks up stain). Your best bet is probably to dye and stain it a uniform dark colour - life is too short.

What stain would you recommend? Do I have to seal it? Oil it?

 

[Dave_01]

Probably not pine, more likely to be a hard wood - possibly beech (which soaks up stain). Your best bet is probably to dye and stain it a uniform dark colour - life is too short.

It is beech. My mistake.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

If it is badly marked, you'll need a dark colour and when using a dark colour on a lighter wood, especially if it is to be handled and used it pays to use a dye first and a coloured finish coat after so that a little abrasion or scratching doesn't immediately look a mess. So look for a dye and a finish stain from the same maker, although if you did manage a nice even colour from the dye you could use Danish (or even TruOil) on top. Oils will tend to show up flaws, though. Your easiest is probably water based dye and water based coloured varnish (assuming the thing not to be worth an arm and a leg).