Taking care of the wood.

[RHensley]

Just got through rubbing down my rifles stock with minwax paste. This works good on my rifles and protects the wood to some degree. Now my rifles (muzzle loaders) all have true oil finishes on them. The wax gives the pretty nice shine. I was wondering what others do with there stocks. I know a lot of the older guns had a mixture of boiled linseed oil and I believe bees wax. I had shot gun that had this finish and i would repeat the steps about every 2-3 years to keep the rain out of the wood. I believe if I build another I may use this instead of true oil.

 

[PluggedNickel]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0012S1XBO/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I have used a product called Renaissance Museum Quality Wax for years on all my guns, tools, anything of value I didn't want to rust. It doesn't attract dust, is water proof, and as the name implies is in fact used by all the best museums and collectors of fine antiques. It doesn't yellow with age either.

 

[RHensley]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0012S1XBO/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I have used a product called Renaissance Museum Quality Wax for years on all my guns, tools, anything of value I didn't want to rust. It doesn't attract dust, is water proof, and as the name implies is in fact used by all the best museums and collectors of fine antiques. It doesn't yellow with age either.

I'll write this down. See if I can find this locally. Thanks for the info.

 

[Le Loup]

Just got through rubbing down my rifles stock with minwax paste. This works good on my rifles and protects the wood to some degree. Now my rifles (muzzle loaders) all have true oil finishes on them. The wax gives the pretty nice shine. I was wondering what others do with there stocks. I know a lot of the older guns had a mixture of boiled linseed oil and I believe bees wax. I had shot gun that had this finish and i would repeat the steps about every 2-3 years to keep the rain out of the wood. I believe if I build another I may use this instead of true oil.

I rub the whole gun down with neetsfoot oil.
Keith.

 

[necchi]

Furniture polish, I use Scott's Liquid Gold to be specific.
It's really not rocket science, several methods work. It's simply about caring for any quality piece of wood.
It needs to be done on a regular basis and requires observation.
I guarantee ya my Minnesota wood isn't the same as Arizona wood and both those are different then Florida wood.

 

[tenngun]

I re oil the stock with every cleaning, at least once or twice in the winter, wax my guns about every six months. I don’t know that it needs it, but it’s fun.

 

[Stony Broke]

When I finish cleaning my muzzleloaders after firing, I normally just wipe down the wood with some TC borebutter. It has a wax content of some type and seems to do a good job of sealing up the wood.

 

[necchi]

I re oil the stock with every cleaning,

With what?

 

[leverfred]

I use butcher block conditioner.

 

[Don Steele]

My rifles have Chamber's Traditional Oil Finish on them. I use Renaissance Wax also.
Every once in a while...I wipe the wood down with "Kramer's Best Antique Improver" (http://www.kramerize.com) using clean cotton patches. The first one or two show a lot of dirt. Repeat with a clean patch saturated with Kramer's until I'm no longer getting dirt off. Wipe dry with a clean cloth, then allow it to sit overnight before waxing.

 

[Vaino]

I don't intentionally apply anything to the stocks ....I use Oxyoke 1000 plus in the bore and on all exterior steel surfaces and if the wood gets smeared w/ some, so be it.......Fred

 

[Robby]

During the course of the shooting season I spray them with Lemon Pledge if I'm using them a lot. Hunting season I polish them with Renaissance Museum Quality Wax. All of them get the Renaissance treatment after the close of hunting season, a winter ritual that I truly enjoy.
Robby

 

[FlinterNick]

Just got through rubbing down my rifles stock with minwax paste. This works good on my rifles and protects the wood to some degree. Now my rifles (muzzle loaders) all have true oil finishes on them. The wax gives the pretty nice shine. I was wondering what others do with there stocks. I know a lot of the older guns had a mixture of boiled linseed oil and I believe bees wax. I had shot gun that had this finish and i would repeat the steps about every 2-3 years to keep the rain out of the wood. I believe if I build another I may use this instead of true oil.

I use a liquid bees wax from LOWES. It conditions the stock nicely. For touching up I use a small amount of boiled linseed oil and then seal it up with Formby's Tung Oil. The Tung oil is the most durable of the oil finishes and is a key ingredient in many gunstock finishes. To me straight Tung oil is much more pleasant and natural looking. It was Kit Ravensheer's choice finish.

Nick

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

Dark Brown or ebony Bri Wax. Doesn't leave a bunch of white wax in your carving.

 

[tenngun]

With what?

I use the antique oil finish from Track Of The Wolf, it feels and smells like the wakegan bay try-coat that I used to buy, but I think they went under. I think it’s linseed oil and pine oil, goes on once a day for a week once a week for a month, then as needed.

 

[necchi]

Thanks for the come back,
Does that oil stay fluid like a furniture polish or is it meant to dry and turn hard like we think of with a "tru-oil" finish?
I've met the feller (Bill) that supplied all the Wahkon Bay products all those years.
(Wahkon Bay is a town in Minn on a lake where he lives, "Wahkon" means clear water in native language)
He didn't go under, he just got old and retired. He sold the name brand,, but things changed for the buyer shortly after,, the gubbernment re-classified several of the chemicals in `02 making them not only much more expensive but requiring permits to handle.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I use BriWax as well. If spots look worn I put a drop of boiled linseed oil on my hand and rub it in to build up a bit. And the wood rammer always gets a good rubbing with boiled linseed oil.

 

[tenngun]

Thanks for the come back,
Does that oil stay fluid like a furniture polish or is it meant to dry and turn hard like we think of with a "tru-oil" finish?
I've met the feller (Bill) that supplied all the Wahkon Bay products all those years.
(Wahkon Bay is a town in Minn on a lake where he lives, "Wahkon" means clear water in native language)
He didn't go under, he just got old and retired. He sold the name brand,, but things changed for the buyer shortly after,, the gubbernment re-classified several of the chemicals in `02 making them not only much more expensive but requiring permits to handle.

It dries, makes a hard water resistant finish with a satin sheen , a few drops rubbed with hand until warm

 

[rickystl]

Plus one for Renaissance Wax per above. It's a bit pricy to purchase, but not expensive to use. A little jar last a long time. Rick

 

[M. De Land]

Just got through rubbing down my rifles stock with minwax paste. This works good on my rifles and protects the wood to some degree. Now my rifles (muzzle loaders) all have true oil finishes on them. The wax gives the pretty nice shine. I was wondering what others do with there stocks. I know a lot of the older guns had a mixture of boiled linseed oil and I believe bees wax. I had shot gun that had this finish and i would repeat the steps about every 2-3 years to keep the rain out of the wood. I believe if I build another I may use this instead of true oil.

I've been a lover of hand rub oil finishes for many years but was never satisfied with the water resistance. About five years ago I came across a product by Min-wax in an are-sol can called Spar Varethane which was designed as a spray on water proof coating for fine cabinets. I thought after seeing it in a store that this might just be the answer I was looking for as a seal coat to penetrate gun stock wood and after drying apply the Tru-0il hand rubbed finish over the top.
I feel I have found the oil finish I have been seeking as it looks just like a regular hand rubbed oil finish when completed but is now sealed much better against the elements than oil finish alone can accomplish.
In practice I use two heavy seal coats: rub in the first until it becomes a bit tacky then apply one more within fifteen minutes which seems to soften the first for even deeper penetration. It sprays on very thin and penetrates wood well. The Spar Varethane needs to dry for three full days in a well warmed room and then is ready to receive the oil finish. It is made in both high-gloss and semi-gloss , the later of which I prefer.