Milsurp After Hours

What mil surps cleaning chemicals i.e. Purple Power, brake cleaner, can ruin your finish (eather wood and/or metal)?

Thanx Dante'

Guess it depends on the state of your metal/wood. I have used Purple Power for instance on a couple of stocks in my day. Only those that were in need of a lot of help, but it's one of the few products that will take out the really bad stuff (also oven cleaner). One has to know that these will take everything, grease, grime, stain, everything. I use brake cleaner frequently (along with carb cleaner, they are interchangeable to me). These two are the quickest way on the face of the planet for cleaning carbon deposits off of an M-16 bolt/bolt parts and/or .45 Auto internal parts. To me, decent wood or blued/parkarized metal doesn't need anything harsh, maybe Murphy's oil soap or a little oil/Hoppes or some linseed/lemon oil.

Will these products harm the blue and/or the finish on the stock or the wood itself?

What can harm the blue?

What can harm the BLO, tung oil, shelic, and or lacquer finish?

What can distroy the wood?

Thanx Dante'

There are likely a number of things that harm blue, but one I'm sure of is a product called Zap, sold at most hardware stores (like Ace). It will instantly remove blue. Keep in mind this is a strong agent used to clean oxidation off of copper, brass and silver. A guy over Parallax posted pics of his like new M-48 Yugo where Zap just ran down the barrel & left it shiny as a new coin.

Wood, I don't know. It would take a lot,

Varnish & shellac would take a remover the best that I know. The exception is some of this flaking Russian stuff that shows up on M-44's/M-39's. Because it can get underneath the flaking, acetone can lift it off.

What can harm the blue?

Anything designed to remove rust. Plus sandpaper and coarse steel wool.

What can distroy(sic) the wood?

Too much oil. Not wood finishing oil though. Wood is wood so any furniture finishing products are fine, but lubing oil can get into the wood and make it soft.

What can harm the BLO, tung oil, shelic, and or lacquer finish?

Not much bothers BLO or Tung oil. Especially tung oil. It was originally used on ocean going wooden boats.

Shellac dissolves in alcohol.

Lacqeur doesn't belong on wood stocked firearms. Neither does polyurethane. It's just wrong.

spearedum Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2006 5:13 am

"...What can harm the BLO, tung oil, shelic, and or lacquer finish?
What can distroy the wood? ..."

BLO will probably be removed by solvents or by "Spirits of Turpentine"/"White Spirit", I suspect Tung oil will be removed by the same.

Shellac will be removed by Methylated Spirits ("De-natured alcohol") or by solvents.

Lacquer may be removed by various solvents, depending on its nature.

As for destroying wood, I suspect that either strong acids or strong alkalais will cause problems.

Tom

For those of you folks living in the states, Dollar Tree stores sells a product called "L.A's Totally Awesome Cleaner" This product was first brought to my attention on "Surplusrifles.com". I had a rather dirty 1891 cut down argentine mauser stock. Spray it on and started wiping with paper towels. Took off all the gunk, grime and dirt. Did not affect the grain.

Second 1891 argentine stock given the treatment. This stock was really dirty. So far all oil and grease has been removed except for the trigger guard/ magazine assembly. I origionally bought six bottles. When I went to look for the remaining five they were gone. My wife discovered them and has used them from cleaning old paint on door and drawer pulls and other things. Just got in another 8 bottles. Stuff works great. tarasbulba

To clean metal parts, Brake Kleen (automotive store) works well, but keep it away from wood finishes.

Looks like you have been viewing the earlier posts. Great. Glad to see your post. Welcome to the forum.

A gunsmith told me that W-D 40 will ruin bluing.

I use purple power to clean stocks and blued parts to reblue.