Follow up post: Progress made.
I finished the metalwork and refurb of action back when I started the thread. But the wood cleanup had not started. Work, family- weather- initiative, have all kept me from even touching the stock.
So I got the flu like everyone else did and had a week off work. Im self employed to the boss was OK with being off w/o pay.
I had purchased a $25 my cost, Remington 550 that the action was severely stuck due to goop, lack of maintenance and rust from salt air. Figured worst case is it's a good starter project for gunsmithing.
Last night I finished the cleanup and it was finished due to a 2 week soak in solvent and then 3 cycles in an ultrasonic bath. Wheh, that works. Anyway, I wrapped up the metal refurb there and did a 4.5 lb trigger job and felt INITIATIVE!
Today I did not attend church as usual on Sunday morn, rather will be there tonight. So I pulled out the solvent again and followed SOME of Ric's advice.
No offense, I just truncated some of the love due to lack of need.
I began with really dirty mineral spirits, used for many gun refurbs. Poured off the cleaner potion and left debris below. Just like cleaning car parts, the metal pan and 0000 wool came out. I was gentle at first and wow the mineral spirits really cut the crap! Thanks to Ric.
I then I decided to take a chance on 00 wool with what was now a mostly clean wiped down stock, no longer super fuzzy from dirt particles, cosmo goo and lord knows what.
00 Wool on the dry stock cut some of the old oil finish off with the deep dirt. Didn't take finish off, just a layer or two cut. So I then went back with solvent on the 00 wool and finished up. The cuts made by 00 allowed the solvent to cut better the really black areas of buildup but not allowing all finish to be removed. As well the stock now has a satin feel, like a fairly fresh oiled stock.
My desire was not to make it pretty, just useful and clean enough to handle, store and use for the next 20 years.
I am at Ric's 2nd step. SUN and BLACK BAG purging. I started late today so I only have SOME sun but tomorrow I may get a good 6 hours of full hot sun. Been warm the last 4 days, very warm. Pushing 75-80. I also used my compressor to blow out all debris, wool fibers and solvent remaining. I have an exceptionally clean stock, retaining a very warm walnut color. One of the handguards is a bit light but I believe it may be a mismatch to the stock set. The wood is just a diff color. I also noticed that my Remington built 1917 is tatooed R everywhere but like 2 parts. The forend tip of the stock has a W stamped under the escucheon. So I am guessing I got a Winchester stock (no other marks on the stock but a number under the butt plate).
Who cares. The action headspaced really tight, the bore is great, the metalwork really cleaned up better than I even expected it to. (sorry no before pics were taken, too stupid to do so).
So I will give it a few days to leak in the sun, allow a few days for it to dry and settle and maybe next weekend, slap 2 coats of BLO on it and reassemble.
An aside- I love steel wool. Its so easy on parts, I can rub bluing as hard and fast as I can(wet) and with 0000 never injure any finish. It will cut synthetic stock finishes pretty easy but they are crap anyway if I have to rub on them!
Looking forward to pulling the trigger.
So- for milsurp postal, I can't modify anything, correct? Trigger, bedding-- both have to stay as issued (or built)- correct? The trigger doesn't leave much to mess with any except surfaces. And the trigger is not awful anyway. I like the '06 and I have yet to dip my toe into a match. I need to cut my teeth this year on something and I think this rifle has a chance to perform pretty good- just based on what I see and measure.
Thats it-