Cleaning cut-checkering.

During the deer season I managed to get some mud into the cut checkering on one of my walnut stocked rifles. Rifle was cleaned after the season but I put off dealing with the mud until I figured out the best way to deal with it. Well it's 2 1/2 months later and I figured I should deal with it. Here is a pic of the situation:

http://i1363.photobucket.com/albums/...psuriawzkh.jpg

My plan was to use some distilled water with a bit of Palmolive detergent and a soft toothbrush with blue shop towels to absorb things.

Any thoughts on this? Am I okay to use mild detergent on the walnut? or should I just stick to distilled water? Any other thoughts on how best to clean it?

I would try some G96 CLP. Spray it on and let it sit for a few minutes to soak into the mud and then use a toothbrush type brush.
G96 cleans the wood in most cases and brings out the grain nicely.
If you were going to use a mild soap I think I would use Murphy's Oil soap.
Stu

Why not try just with distilled water.Mud was water and dirt anyway......if you take the stock off,dab the mud with wet rag and let it sit little-and dab-and sit,let the water work the mud,should soften up the dirt to mud state.Then brush it out with constantly wet toothbrush. When the bulk of the mud is gone,maybe then use mild soap and water or G96,to clean all out.
Once i had my gun in a hard case,gun oil dribbled into the sponge of the gun case (yep i should have wiped the action dry but i did not)-gun ended up on the oily spot when placing the gun again in the case.Some checkering(not huge area ,yet some) got wet from then oil(my stock is oiled not lacquered)the checkering is pretty much almost"raw"wood.The wood soaked up some oil.I was heartbroken.Took alcohol and rag,dabbed and rag dried ,dabbed and dried-almost all came out.Applied gun stock wax.The gun stock is "as new",and the wood never softened up on the checkering area impacted by oil(likely too little oil got on the wood).Let us know how you ended up with.

As above but to speed things up you could follow the checkering the tip of a round tooth pick or bamboo skewer

Around here we would use tap water and a scrub brush of some type but GTA water might have too many chemicals...Once it dries just give it a dab of whatever you wipe the stocks down with after use..

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Originally Posted by patvetzal

Around here we would use tap water and a scrub brush of some type but GTA water might have too many chemicals...Once it dries just give it a dab of whatever you wipe the stocks down with after use..

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It's not GTA water. Our well water though is hard enough to almost walk on. Softened water has a lot of salt in it.

Tried a dry nylon brush - got about 50%. Next step is water.

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Originally Posted by Species8472

During the deer season I managed to get some mud into the cut checkering on one of my walnut stocked rifles. Rifle was cleaned after the season but I put off dealing with the mud until I figured out the best way to deal with it. Well it's 2 1/2 months later and I figured I should deal with it. Here is a pic of the situation:

http://i1363.photobucket.com/albums/...psuriawzkh.jpg

My plan was to use some distilled water with a bit of Palmolive detergent and a soft toothbrush with blue shop towels to absorb things.

Any thoughts on this? Am I okay to use mild detergent on the walnut? or should I just stick to distilled water? Any other thoughts on how best to clean it?

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I deal with this all the time because there's always lots of dirt and mud where I hunt. I'm either kneeling or laying in it or it's splashing all over. The best way I found to get it out is simply using the laundry tub hose,warm water and a soft toothbrush. Dry it off,a light coat of silicone and your GTG.

That gun is ruined. How much do you want for it?

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Originally Posted by Species8472

It's not GTA water. Our well water though is hard enough to almost walk on. Softened water has a lot of salt in it.

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Not to sidetrack the thread, but if your soft water has salt in it, you need a new softener.

Soft bristle tooth brush, small amounts of water and dabbing away.

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Originally Posted by Bluebulldog

Not to sidetrack the thread, but if your soft water has salt in it, you need a new softener.

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Any softener that uses salt to regenerate will add salt to the water. This is why the resin is called ion exchange resin, it exchanges sodium ions for the ions that cause hardness. The harder your water is the more salt gets added to soften it. Most water is not hard enough that the consumer can taste the salt after the water is softened - if you are softening "concrete water" as I call it - you will taste it. I think perhaps you are thinking of a malfunction that can occur where the brine solution bleeds directly into the service water. In that case you are correct and service is required.

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Originally Posted by Species8472

Any softener that uses salt to regenerate will add salt to the water. This is why the resin is called ion exchange resin, it exchanges sodium ions for the ions that cause hardness. The harder your water is the more salt gets added to soften it. Most water is not hard enough that the consumer can taste the salt after the water is softened - if you are softening "concrete water" as I call it - you will taste it. I think perhaps you are thinking of a malfunction that can occur where the brine solution bleeds directly into the service water. In that case you are correct and service is required.

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Typically not enough sodium to matter, and usually in the form of sodium bicarbonate, not sodium chloride. But regardless, if it is an issue, don't use it. I too live with "concrete water".

I've also used softened water to hose off rifles crusted with mud, then wipe down with CLP without issue. ( of course they weren't mine)....

[QUOTE=Bluebulldog;1013068]Not to sidetrack the thread, but if your soft water has salt in it, you need a new softener. /QUOTE]

I have to agree with this. My water is very hard as well. Mid thirty on the scale. It's not the salt that does the softening but the media that the water passes through. The salt brine is used to clean the media of mineral build up and then fresh water rinses the salt residue out after regeneration. My water has zero salty taste.

Cheers

I would avoid applying any oils directly to gun stocks, beyond a light rubdown with a slightly oily cloth after cleaning. Oil absorbed into the grain can stain and will weaken wood.

On the same note, if you do get an oil stain in your wood, take a generous amount of baby/talcum powder and apply to the wood for a few days. It should draw out all the oil.
Many years ago I unknowingly had a large oil stain soak through plywood protecting a Terazzo floor on a renovation job. I brushed a bunch of drywall dust under the plywood for a few weeks and it completely removed the stain. I thought I was gonna take a beating for an expensive floor repair for sure.
John

Dont start with water I would just use the toothbrush and scrub with the cut lines both directions. The mud is now dry it will turn to sand or dust and fall out. When everything is said and done just take a little water and rise it out while washing. No big thing.