[CW]

Hey all,
Recieved a Series 3 rifle today. It's fairly nice, but the stock has a little paint splater on it and more importantly, several small holes from some wood eatting bug. Looks similar to holes you see on old antique furniture. Is there any sort of treatment that I can spray on it to make sure the bugs are truly dead and gone? I'd hate to put it in my gun safe and have an infestation!
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Ronin48]

Interesting problem, whatever you do I'd try it on a junker stock first, bug killer could "eat" the finish worse than the bugs have the stock. You could check with an antique furniture dealer, he should know?

Lady walked into a B'ham show several years ago with a Sub.T-99 that evidently rested butt down in a shed with a dirt floor for a number of years. Termites had eaten up to the recoil bolt. Would have liked to have had it for the uniqueness, but she thought she had a treasure.

 

[Steve499]

It might be powder post beetles. You don't want them in your gun safe! I had them ruin a stack of seasoned oak I was saving for furniture. I did manage to get some of it salvaged by putting the most obvious damage on the back and bottom of a bookcase I made but that one piece was all I could use. On it, a guy told me if I sealed up the holes with varnish, lacquer or paint that the bugs would suffocate. I did that (polyurethane) and had no further problem with additional damage but the bugs may have already gotten FULL and moved on.

These bugs leave holes about the size of the two little zeros of the % sign on your keyboard and there will be a sifting of powder fine sawdust ejected from the hole, which is very obvious if the wood is still sitting where it first became infested.

You could try sealing the stock with beeswax or something if you don't wish to risk damage from chemicals. I think I'd remove the metal from the stock and lay it on a shelf in the garage or something and watch it. If it is powder post beetles and they're still in there, you'll soon see sawdust accumulating outside of any active holes. At that point, you don't have much to lose by waging chemical warfare since they'll ruin the stock eventually, anyway.

Steve

 

[Nagoya10]

I'm no bug expert, but I bet a shot of WD40 in the hole would kill whatever lurked in there. Can't imagine anything that small surviving solvent/oil combination.

 

[CW]

Steve, I think you've got it pegged. I'll keep an eye on it and get some furniture wax to plug the holes. Not too many of them, luckily enough.

 

[JarrodM]

if you bang on the stock and wood dust falls out of the holes, then the bugs are still active. if no dust comes out....then they have moved on. learned that one from an antique furniture dealer!

 

[RayG_Wisconsin]

You might try putting the stock in a freezer if you have one it will fit in. That's how you dis-infect cloth items that have little ones eating away at it. You put the item in for a day or so then take it out for a couple of days and put it back in again. They say that way you would make sure you take care of any eggs that might hatch after the first freezer time. Not sure if you have to do the 2nd part though but I suppose just to be on the safe side it should be done, Ray

 

[albacore]

I have a Chinese T-53 with a stock that's full of insect tunnels. The first T-38 I ever bought had a bunch of dead bugs under the dust cover.

 

[mjmd]

Ray In Wisconsin Is Absolutely Correct....take All Metal Off The Stock And Freeze It. It Is A Standard Old Furniture Restorers Trick. Leave It At 15 To 20 Degrees For Thirty Six Hours. When Oyu Take It Ourr Let It Air Dry...end Of Problem.. Guarenteed

 

[Jareth]

Yup, I have a mint wool Japanese navy vest in my freezer. Any wool item I get gets the deep freeze before it goes in my closet. Better than moth balls!

 

[CW]

So far I haven't seen any telltale signs of sawdust. I might go ahead and freeze the stock as the screws have been messed with already. At the momment, the freezer is full of non-collector type goodies, so I'll just leave it outside of the safe and keep an eye on it.
Thanks to everyone for the advice!

 

[Bob in OHIO]

Then there is the possibility that the beetles and their work are from long long ago- like before the tree was cut into a stock. I have a Japanese trainer that has wood that appears like wormy chestnut and in this case the stock appears oak-like. To my eye, it doesn't distract and actually I like it. Now keep in mind, there is no current "bug" activity (per powder dust). I like the freezing to to sanitize...for an active problem.

 

[arisakadogs]

Mahagony with worm holes in it costs more than clear mahagony. OT, I know - this thread just reminded me of when I bought some wood for a Jr. High wood-shop porject.