Thread: Advice please - restoring walnut woodwork

Had a shottie stored for a while and when I pulled it out the fore end walnut is “sticky”. Wipe down with soft cloth just adds fluff to the stickie surface. Appreciate any advice or tips on how best to clean it up.

depends on what the sticky is
was it finished with raw linseed, boiled linseed, swiss oil.......etc
i would start with detergent and water then progress to meths

Don’t know what oil was used on it originally. I’ve started on one area exactly as you described- first warm water with detergent, which didn’t work too well. Then just tried meths on clean rag on small section. That does seem to lift the sticky shite off. Just not sure how much oil it will also suck out ?? Therefore how or what oil to use once the sticky crap is removed

Try using edge of steel ruler to scrape the stuff off?

meths it, progress to acetone if you have to but try a spot on the inside of the foregrip first for safety.
i personally like birchwood casey stock oil myself, and then a coat of their stock wax which makes it super grippy in the wet.

Originally Posted by chainsaw

Had a shottie stored for a while and when I pulled it out the fore end walnut is “sticky”. Wipe down with soft cloth just adds fluff to the stickie surface. Appreciate any advice or tips on how best to clean it up.

my go to would be rub with turps using a stiff piece of old towel or 4 000 steel wool - tooth brush for the checkering - then rub in boiled linseed with a little turps in it and work it in by hand rubbing until stock is warm - do not use raw linseed it will simply go sticky

I would try a heat gun to draw the sticky stuff to the surface , wipe or scrape residue off , then use meths or white spirits to clean off anything still there .

Once the wood is free of oil or whatever the sticky is - multiple coats of True oil or Danish oil , hand rubbed to get a sheen. The stock wax and buffed with a soft rag.

Thanks everyone, the meths does the trick nicely.

i would heat the wood gently and keep wiping. or whatever is sticky may return

You can try de solve it watered down 50/50. Great citrus bases sticky killer


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You Tube followed by Birchwood products. I've just done one and a it came up mint!

I'd drop the piece in a bucket of acetone. It will strip just about all of any orignal finish out of it without damaging timber, and then it's up to you to refinish. Emergel is a less nuclear option, but if you have checkering then you'll be doing some work with a toothbrush.