Cleaning Up Inlet Black

[RickK]

I'm in the process of building a Chambers Haines Rifle Kit. I have the Barrel inlet and would like to know the best way to clean up the inletting black.

Thanks
Rick

 

[Old Salt]

The inletting black on the external surfaces will clean up during the final shaping and sanding. I wouldn't worry about it on the internal surfaces.

 

[wattlebuster]

What old salt said will work. Post us some pics when you get her done.I love the Isaac Haines from Chambers an I have two an am building another. you will love the balance of them.Good Luck to you :thumbsup:

 

[paulvallandigham]

Alcohol will cut the grease. Then use soap and water to LIFT out the carbon( soot,or "lampblack"). For mortises, an aggressive use of an old tooth brush may be needed to get the black out of grain, using soap and water. Give the soap time to "emulsify" ( surround, and then float out) the carbon particles. You may otherwise have to repeat this cleaning process several times to remove all the carbon.

For the most part, sanding removes more than 90% of the black. You want the outside of a stock to be 100% clean, so use the alcohol first, then the soap and water, and then sand. Since the alcohol and water often raise "whiskers" in the grain, you want to do the sanding last, so that you can remove the whiskers along with any remaining tracks of the black. :thumbsup:

 

[bioprof]

A soft gum eraser will remove a surprising amount of inletting black if it bothers you. If you use solvents, it will just carry it deeper into the wood.

What Old Salt said is correct in that most of it will be removed in the process of shaping and sanding the stock.

 

[Twice boom]

I'm in the process of building a Chambers Haines Rifle Kit. I have the Barrel inlet and would like to know the best way to clean up the inletting black.

Thanks
Rick

What you can't remove you can always blend it in with the woods grain and have it look like mother nature created it. Just an idea as to what I would do.. :wink:

 

[Vaino]

I don't use the "black stuff" but prefer Permatex Prussian Blue which also does get on the wood somewhat. It's amazing that by the time the stock is "whiskered", not a trace of the blue, so don't concern yourself w/ it....Fred

 

[Mike Brooks]

If you are getting inleting black all obver you are putting too much on.

 

[justafeedboy]

Try a dry erase marker or a grease pencil, it will save the clean up if your useing too much inletting black which is easy to do. A little goes a long way