Rifle Mildew

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Geoff Winnington-Ball

Phil, what I always did whenever I bought an old rifle was to dismount the stock(s), [in your case then sand off the mold/mildew], then strip off the old varnish/lacquer/whatever and sand, sand, sand. To strip use a good quality wood stripper, and what works well is a straight razor blade - just make sure you get it all off. After you're satisfied with the final finish (using successively lighter grades of sandpaper), it's time to pour on the linseed oil and rub it in by hand. You'll want to do a number of applications, rubbing it until you can feel the heat - this way the oil will soak well into the wood. You'll be amazed at the final finish! Do enough of it and it will keep out the nasties as well.

I've done quite a number of old rifles this way and it works... gives the old girls some dignity!

BTW, I'd also invest in a desiccant for your gun cabinet - you obviously have moisture in there.

Jiffy..I disagree!!
The quickest way to devalue a firearm is to remove the original finish..
The desiccant I agree with..Rubbing G-96 on it will remove the moisture..the mildew and restore the original patina..end of problem..
GADS!!! Sand paper..!!
Those were the gloves they issued officers when they signed up..trying to keep them from abusing and amusing them selves..!!
LOL..Gottcha..!!
See you and Sally at Bobbee's..
Here is some thoughts on refinishing firearms..

removing any patine from the firearm defiantly reduces value.
however a tear down to clean all the old oil and any build up from years of sitting
wont drop value.i too have an old valuable rifle and had it cleaned but did not remove patina
and it retained its value.

i cant stress enough how important it is to leave things alone till you
take it to a professional who knows what he/she is doing and take their
advice.
removing any patine from the firearm defiantly reduces value.
however a tear down to clean all the old oil and any build up from years of sitting
wont drop value.i too have an old valuable rifle and had it cleaned but did not remove patina
and it retained its value.

I cant stress enough how important it is to leave things alone till you
take it to a professional who knows what he/she is doing and take their
advice.
Check this out..

One thing to remember that if these guns are old enough or have any original collector value at all, is not to try to strip them down and refinish them. You might end up with a nice looking gun, but it's value would be way down. You could ruin a valuable collector gun.

[malcolm erik bogaert]

WD-40 has always worked for me....have to agree with the statements about the lefty pinko's...we have a very strong STALINIST goverment here......regards malcolm

[cletrac (RIP)]

The best thing to get rid of mould or mildew is a bleach solution. I use that treatment on my house window ledges every few years. It won't affect the wood or metal finish. After everything's dry rub the gun down with oil.

[Ian Pullen]

Guys, as an armourer for more than 25 years I agree with the g-96, even WD-40 is useable, but I am not 100% sure about that one in extreme cold.

The issue is the woodwork. Personaly I agree with Geoff. Linseed oil, rubbed in by hand is the only way I would do it. And yes, the finish it leaves is amazing.

Only difference though is the method of cleaning the woodwork. I don't think I would sand it, however I would scrape it back with the REVERSE side of a hacksaw blade. It cleans off the grime without the sanding or razor blade effect. The majority of stampings & markings remain. Just don't get over zelous with the pressure when scraping it.

My two cents worth...

[servicepub (RIP)]

Only two ways to deal with this problem;
1. strip them down, smelt the metal and burn the wood, or
2. sell them to me at a major discount off their value.
Whichever you choose you will not have to deal with unsightly mildew issues again.

[Lang]

I think the G96 guys are on the right track. Linseed oil can be a disaster -use the gun oil (of whatever brand you choose on the woodwork). Linseed is organic and particularly in warmer climates and I presume even Canadian collections are in a warm house it will start turning to black spotted staining mould all over the weapon. Anyone putting linseed oil on house outdoor decking or outdoor wood furniture will know it finishes up a black mess in very short time.

The residual moisture in the wood will leave the white furry mould like in photo above but can be cleaned off with damp cloth then reoiled with G96.

My little used gun collection requires the damp cloth fur removal about once a year no matter how much oil is soaked into the wood. Jiff don't sand it back unless you are going to sporterise or hotrod your weapon, I too also suspect it will devalue an original piece.

lang

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Lang

I think the G96 guys are on the right track. Linseed oil can be a disaster -use the gun oil (of whatever brand you choose on the woodwork). Linseed is organic and particularly in warmer climates and I presume even Canadian collections are in a warm house it will start turning to black spotted staining mould all over the weapon. Anyone putting linseed oil on house outdoor decking or outdoor wood furniture will know it finishes up a black mess in very short time.

The residual moisture in the wood will leave the white furry mould like in photo above but can be cleaned off with damp cloth then reoiled with G96.

My little used gun collection requires the damp cloth fur removal about once a year no matter how much oil is soaked into the wood. Jiff don't sand it back unless you are going to sporterise or hotrod your weapon, I too also suspect it will devalue an original piece.

lang

Well, all I can say is that I've been using hand-rubbed linseed oil since I bought my first rifle in 1969, and I've never had problems with it. If the stock is clean enough and you spend enough time rubbing multiple coats of oil into the wood, it will keep rifle stocks in the same condition as, for instance, a 19th century cricket bat which I have here.

Ref the sanding bit, we're primarily talking about the old cheapie $25 Lee Enfields you used to be able to buy just about anywhere - well-used but badly maintained, with stocks gouged and dinged and covered with layer upon layer of varnish and sometimes even paint. The combination of stripping and sanding gently worked really well.

Nothing was lost and much gained by refinishing them in the manner I spoke of earlier. Would I do this on an 18th or 19th century musket? Don't be ridiculous. Here we're talking about old, beat-up service rifles which have little intrinsic value of their own and which can be made into magnificent presentation pieces.