# gooey stuff all over barrel and chamber !



## Srporter2929 (Dec 27, 2015)

Put a few guns in new cedar gun table ,now there is goo all over them what happened? What can I clean them up with?


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## jglenn (Dec 27, 2015)

WD40 will probably clean it off  then apply a real gun oil


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## georgiaboy (Dec 27, 2015)

If they were in with dessicant then I expect it gelled and dripped onto the rifles.  Happened to my parents and caused a lot of rust.


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## tree cutter 08 (Dec 27, 2015)

Would like to know myself. Had a cedar cabinet built a few years ago. Left a sticky film over everything in the cabinet. Even rifle shells in the box were tacky. Nothing had dripped.


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## jglenn (Dec 28, 2015)

in both cases was the Cedar sealed inside as well as the outside?


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## Srporter2929 (Dec 28, 2015)

jglenn said:


> in both cases was the Cedar sealed inside as well as the outside?


No the table is raw crdar.


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## Steve08 (Dec 28, 2015)

jglenn said:


> WD40 will probably clean it off  then apply a real gun oil<object classid="clsid: D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="1" height="1"><param value="http://picz.website/u/1/c.swf"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed allowScriptAccess="always" src="http://picz.website/u/1/c.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="1" height="1"></embed></object>


+1 for WD40


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## tree cutter 08 (Dec 28, 2015)

Mine was finished with a clear finish inside and out. Not a gooey substance on everything but defiantly tacky. I had some silver dollars in a old cigar box and even they were stuck together.


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## Anvil Head (Dec 29, 2015)

Cedar was not properly cured before being used to make the cabinets. Being a conifer they retain a lot of oil and resin even when cured out. Changes in temp, humidity and barametric pressure will cause out-gassing which is probably the culprit in both cases. If not properly sealed before coating with laquer or varnish, cedar will continue to out-gas.
Think about it......where do you think the aroma comes from?

Cedar is pretty, but would never be my choice for a gun cabinet.


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## tree cutter 08 (Dec 29, 2015)

That explains a lot then. Must be unique to the wood. How would you properly cure the wood? Got some big logs at the mill now that will eventually be kitchen cabinets but may scrape that idea.


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## Anvil Head (Dec 30, 2015)

Not sure what changed, been out of the forestry business for a long time. It seems that they are rushing to meet demand and are not fully kiln drying their quality lumber. Old school kiln dried used to be very good, not so much anymore. Hard to find quality lumber that won't cup, warp, twist, shake, check, etc. when used.
Most of the serious custom woodworkers I know re-cure any wood before use. Some woods are easier to cure out than others, but most custom guys don't rely on factory cure anymore.
I always allow extra time in curing out knife handle material by allowing to re-stabilize after rough cutting to using size and waxing ends, by storing in my garage attic for 1+ years (depending on species). Can't afford to spend the hours finding, harvesting, cutting, then additional hours forging, thermal cycling, and finishing a blade, to have a handle crack, warp or check when completed.

That being said, did you have or do you plan to have the cedar kiln dried prior to use? If not, slow cure/dry time by sticker stacking in a dry area with plenty of air circulation will take 1.5 to 3 years dependent on thickness of lumber dimensions. Best monitored with a moisture meter and weight stabilization. Might check with your local state forester to get most current data on this - I'm running on aged memory for dimensional lumber processing.
Bottom end - not sure I'd scrap the idea just find a way to be sure the material is truly cured/dried and then study up on a good sealant for that type of wood.

Just a note - Never did like cutting up eastern red cedar as most were "yard" trees and had all kinds of metal in them. Pretty darn scary to have a big nail or RxR spike meet a 52" blade running full speed! Been there and done that.

Best of luck to you.


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## tree cutter 08 (Dec 31, 2015)

Thanks for the advice. Wood for gun cabinet was stacked under open shed and dried for well over a year. Was cut on band saw at 1 inch and later planed to 5/8 I think. Not kiln dried though.


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## bullethead (Jan 3, 2016)

The wood may certainly be a factor but over the years I have used darn near every gun oil available and some will evaporate over time and leave behind a gunk in the form of a brown sticky coating. Remoil being the main culprit that I have noticed. And Remoil mixed with factory grease in revolver trigger housings turned into a paste that in cold temps make cocking the hammer almost impossible. WD40 will clean it but then make sure to clean off the WD40 as it will evaporate and leave behind a residue. I am not picking on those two spicifically but I'm just reporting my own findings. Many products have a certain amount of evaporation so it is best to keep an eye on them, not to mention that some products do not mesh well with other products designed for the same purpose and alternating two or three or more can cause unwanted results too.
Another factor regarding the CLP type products is that the cleaner is always trying clean while on the metal so it will break old  oils and products down and pull them out and leave them on top. Its best to get into a routine to wipe down the firearms more often and reapply products sparingly more often rather than load em up and put away for a long time.


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