Maintaining stock with carving ?

I normally wax my rifle stocks several times a year and wipe them down with bear grease every time I clean them. I just built a new woodsrunner with the incised carving. The wax turns white in the carving and I spent an hour picking it out of the carving with a tooth pick. How do yall protect the stocks on your hunting rifles with carving?
Thanks
Marty

Meby 50 yrs. ago , I quit using white residue wax on everything. Ya wax your rifle , go to a shoot on a warm day , and the white wax begins to ooz and dry out of any orafice it's been put into. Soooo......Found Minwax "Special Dark" finishing wax. Lowes has it , and some hdw, stores , too. NO MORE OOZING WHITE WAX, Drove me nuts , as well. Done w/ that problem.

I don’t find it necessary to do anything but wipe them dry. I don’t use wax either as the finish does the work. Linseed oil wouldn’t work as well has been proven and using any kind of grease isn’t for me.

RiverRat said:

Ballistol works for me on just about everything I own.

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Have you noticed that water mix’s well with Ballistol? Spread some out on a rag and put a drop of water on it.

I alternate between using Johnson's, I think its bowling alley wax and the aerosol Lemon Pledge, neither one of them turns white.. I always use a tooth brush when applying the Johnson's to keep it from building up in the incise carving. The Pledge cleans out any build up and leaves a nice glow and some protection. Both enhance the wood grain, and the carvings, both relief and incise.
Robin

A soft towel with a thick nap is the best for buffing wax. A very soft brush may help in crevices.

Buff1958 said:

I normally wax my rifle stocks several times a year and wipe them down with bear grease every time I clean them. I just built a new woodsrunner with the incised carving. The wax turns white in the carving and I spent an hour picking it out of the carving with a tooth pick. How do yall protect the stocks on your hunting rifles with carving?
Thanks
Marty

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Hi Buff1958

I’m new to muzzleloading and really confused about stock maintenance. For metal, I have the idea down that you clean the fouling off, dry, and then lightly coat metal parts with a rust preventative.

But for a nice prefinished Pedersoli stock,
would I need to apply an oil or bear grease after cleaning to keep it from drying out and apply wax later? Or would the factory coated finish be enough? I’m also freaked out about oiling inside the lock plate inlet or in the wood between the barrel.

Just trying to come up with a consistent regimen for after my first shoot that is coming up.

Thanks!

As Phil Coffins said the finish gives the protection. I've never had any reason to use wax on a stock and I've hunted in some pretty rainy places.

The best wax to use as finishing coat on an oil finish is carnauba wax. Much harder than other waxes, especially beeswax, and remains stable in hot temperatures: its melting point is around 80C/180F, much higher than any temperature you want to handle bare-handed... No oozing whatsoever.

It gives an excellent waterproofing, and has the added advantage to have a "grippiness" to a firm touch. My stocks don't need checkering, on any rifle in any caliber..

You can buy pure carnauba on the net, which you can then mix with white spirit to make a paste, or you can buy high quality carnauba-based car wax, this works too.

After I clean my gun, I just put a little oil on a rag and polish the whole rifle. Not much, and then wipe her down with a dry towel. No wax, nothing fancy. Works great!!

Marty.......I dealt w/ the white mess clogging carving 40 yrs. ago. Get Minwax Special Dark furniture wax. Instantly eliminates the problem light colored waxes cause. I get it at Lowes.

Renaissance wax is what I use on all the original old guns I have. It was recommended to me by Jim Supica former curator of the NRA Firearms Museum years ago. It protects both metal and wood. A little goes a long way and buffs easily with a soft cloth.

another vote for Renaissance wax. 200ml for 29.00 . should last me for the rest of my life. And enough left to wax my coffin!

Buff1958 said:

I normally wax my rifle stocks several times a year and wipe them down with bear grease every time I clean them. I just built a new woodsrunner with the incised carving. The wax turns white in the carving and I spent an hour picking it out of the carving with a tooth pick. How do yall protect the stocks on your hunting rifles with carving?
Thanks
Marty

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I don’t care for wax on a stock, no matter the brand or color used, particularly on a stock with carving. And the extra ‘shine’ and residue it leaves sure doesn’t improve the look in photographs. I’ve seen folks here and on other forums trying to sell guns with wax residue buildup (or whatever) of varying shades in the carving that just kills the detail and the sellers appear perplexed when their gun doesn’t sell or at least generate interest. Poor lighting and shadows also do not help when hoping for pinup quality photographs to assist in selling a high end gun. Add the glare and wax residue…..

I use a rag dampened with Type F tranny fluid and wipe the whole thing, lock, stock and barrel. I've been attacked about this more than once yet know a few others who also use Type F. It cleans the stock and seems to make the wood harder over time but leaves no residue. I sometimes wipe it on and then wipe it off if the rag is too damp.

Thanks the dark wax works great

Buff1958 said:

I normally wax my rifle stocks several times a year and wipe them down with bear grease every time I clean them. I just built a new woodsrunner with the incised carving. The wax turns white in the carving and I spent an hour picking it out of the carving with a tooth pick. How do yall protect the stocks on your hunting rifles with carving?
Thanks
Marty

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I like to seal my stocks with 2-3 spray on pollyurethane coats that is water proof and soaks into the wood pours after final sanding. When that dries and any whiskers are cut I apply Tru-oil rubbed out to 3-4 coats which makes it look like a authentic hand rubbed oil finish. When that is dry I use Renaissance museum grade wax on wood and metal for final preservation. Applied correctly and rubbed out should leave a low luster smooth clear finish.

M. De Land said:

I like to seal my stocks with 2-3 spray on pollyurethane coats that is water proof and soaks into the wood pours after final sanding. When that dries and any whiskers are cut I apply Tru-oil rubbed out to 3-4 coats which makes it look like a authentic hand rubbed oil finish. When that is dry I use Renaissance museum grade wax on wood and metal for final preservation. Applied correctly and rubbed out should leave a low luster smooth clear finish.

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The renaissance wax turns white in the carving. I cleaned it out with a tooth pick and used the dark wax. It turned out well