[Original AK]

I recently acquired this East German MPi-KM buttstock which has what appears to be mold in various locations.

Has anyone found anything that works well to kill it and remove it?

I found a link on the web which seems to be useful How to Remove Mold from Laminated Wood | Home Guides | SF Gate. However, before I dive in I thought I would ask the experts: you guys!

 

[TRAAK's]

Clorox bleach mixed with water will kill and remove mold faster than anything I'm aware of.

 

[JoeMomma]

Clorox bleach mixed with water will kill and remove mold faster than anything I'm aware of.

That should work well, just scrub it down with that mix and an old tooth brush.

 

[AKBLUE]

Bleach can work. To clean all the mold & dirt Oxalic Acid (wood bleach) is effective or BarKeepers Friend which is an Oxalic based cleaner. It will bleach out the dirt and mold but does not change the actual wood/grain color.

 

[Original AK]

Thanks Guys! I knew I would get some great advice here.

 

[MrM1A1]

+1 for oxalic acid.

 

[Original AK]

MOLD SUCCESSFULLY REMOVED FROM NEW OLD STOCK EAST GERMAN MPi-KM LAMINATED BEECH BUTTSTOCK

Thanks to fellow members TRAAK's, JoeMomma, AK Blue and MrM1A1, I successfully removed the mold from the East German stock above.


Here are the after pics:

I started with 3/4 parts water to 1/4 part bleach but did not achieve 100% success after two rounds using this technique. I scrubbed it in with a new soft bristle toothbrush. I believe if the mold were surface or shallow this would easily work.

I then used a new can of Barkeepers Friend, available in the cleaning products isle just about everywhere.

I made a paste using water and Barkeepers Friend and worked it in along the stubborn areas with my new toothbrush. After the wood was fully coated and the stained areas were scrubbed, I let it stand for about 20 minutes. It was coated in a white powder which easily washed off. After it dried I could see a few more areas of mold and repeated the process.

After two attempts I achieved a result I can live with. I may go back and clean the buttplate area as time permits.

I intend to use oil to protect the wood but would like to hear current thinking on what oil is most appropriate for East German wood.

The texture of the wood is very grainy like it was just milled. I may have to use a fine grain sandpaper on it as it is not like my other East German laminated beech.

In any case, I will wait a week or more to allow the wood to fully dry.

I am not a woodworker by any means so any advice would help.

THANKS AGAIN GUYS!

 

[Richard W.]

Getting it wet raised the grain in the wood. You've no choice but to sand it if you want it smooth. I'd use just a light touch to knock it down. See a lot of guys go full "coffee table" with the sandpaper, and that never looks right on an AK.

Shame someone stripped it. I think even a damaged original finish is better than any home refinish.

 

[JoeMomma]

Forget the sandpaper, just "whisker" it with a 3M red scotch bright pad. All you need to do is to knock the grain down, forget baby butt smooth. If someone around here is willing to put a pic up of an un-molested EG stock with original finish, I'm sure it can be duplicated.

 

[MrM1A1]

NOOO, don't sand. Try boning, you loose ZERO wood, and it can look factory if you take your time and do it right. (TWSSlol)

I use pure tung oil on almost all of my wood projects. Hard to go wrong with that stuff.

 

[Original AK]

Thanks Guys! All of the help is appreciated.

I am familiar with sandpaper and 3M red scotch bright pad but not boning. Can you explain this a bit please?

Is Tung oil all that was applied to the East German laminated beech stock?

 

[JoeMomma]

To my knowledge, Tung Oil was not used by the Germans for Military weapons. I really don't know the finish used on these, but I would start with Raw Linseed Oil, as it does nothing to the wood except make it darker. They might have used a shellac on their hardwood/laminate stocks though, so you will need to check.

 

[evolixsurf]

Bleach can work. To clean all the mold & dirt Oxalic Acid (wood bleach) is effective or BarKeepers Friend which is an Oxalic based cleaner. It will bleach out the dirt and mold but does not change the actual wood/grain color.

Good to know! Thanks Blue!

 

[MrM1A1]

Thanks Guys! All of the help is appreciated.

I am familiar with sandpaper and 3M red scotch bright pad but not boning. Can you explain this a bit please?

Is Tung oil all that was applied to the East German laminated beech stock?

Ya, I should've clarified. It is doubtful that the DDR used tung oil on their wood. I personally just use the stuff. It is similar to BLO (Boiled Linseed Oil), although more expensive. Don't confuse "Tung Oil Finish", like Formby's or Minwax, with pure tung oil. Pure tung oil is an amazing thing with many applications you wouldn't expect. It can mimic a lot of different types of finishes depending on how it is applied, it is very versatile. But I digress....

Boning is a process where you take a hardwood dowel, bone or other similar tool and rub down the surface of the wood with the grain to smooth the 'wiskers' out. It can give the surface a variety of different sheens and appearances depending on what tool you use. Like with anything else, it takes some practice to get predictabe results, but it really isn't hard to get good results right off the bat if you do a little research and go slow.

 

[tsmgguy]

Old thread, I know. Here are a couple of pics of my K series 1966 MPi-KM, built by original AK. I believe the wood finish to be original. Don't know what the East Germans used as a final finish,

but it is smooth and semigloss. Note the lack of provision for storing a cleaning kit under the butt plate.

he butt plate.