Getting oil / polish out of old timber?

[flintandsteel]

Working on a new project which needs some serious work.

I collect and restore these old beasties for when I have some spare time.
Issue with such like is that the timber will have accrued / absorbed lots of old polish and to a degree some oil over the last 240+ years.
Traditionally Linseed is used on suchlike.
I've used Meths and Acetone over the years with varying success.
I'm wondering
a) is there a better alternative?
b) when treated with Meths or Acetone is the residue neutral and stable?
The other issue with the above is old badly glued breaks. Steaming will get those apart but will it also bring oil and polish out of the wood?
Just thoughts, always good to learn

 

[Keith 66]

A good cleaner is equal parts of turpentine, meths & white vinegar mixed with half a part of boiled linseed oil, this will remove dirt & old polish, without destroying original finish. Use sparingly with fine steel wool or brass brushes or old toothbrush.
But if a stock is as bad as that one you have your work cut out!

 

[TRITON]

Soak in acetone, and put a little pile of fullers earth on. The powder will help draw the oil from the timber. Otherwise scrubbing with steel wool or whatever is just kind of spreading it about and not really lifting it.

I got a roll top out of a big furniture manufacturers bin as it had been discarded due to an oil stain. Repeated applications drew the oil out the timber, trapping it in the powder.

What you are doing is liquefying the oil stain into the acetone(or other solvent) and the fuller's earth soaks that oil/solvent up