What is your favorite wax for your stock?

[wiscoaster]

Neutral paste shoe polish.

Yes.

 

[wiscoaster]

I have a bit of a newbie question on this. The stocks on my guns appear to be varnished, and the barrels of course blued. Would waxing them make any difference at all? I always thought that waxing stacks meant that the wax was absorbed by the wood. But surely this can't happen if it is varnished?

You can use wax either way. One benefit of wax over oil. Though if you know for sure it's oil, I'd oil it first, wait a week, then wax it.

 

[Jay Templin]

Johnson paste wax

The bowling alley stuff?
Jay

 

[stronics]

I used to use Johnson Paste Wax for years till they changed it. Now it's near useless.
The old was the best release for fiberglass. I have a wood shop that I waxed the machines once a year and no rust whatever.
David

 

[Steve Lupcho]

You can't find sperm oil anymore, but bear grease is as good. Mine shine for months, then pull one down from over the fireplace, shoot, clean, wipe down with the bear grease again and hang it back up. Or put it in the safe, pull one of the others out, and hang it.

 

[Mark DeNicola]

I have used Renaissance Wax for everything, wood and metal, but what do you like for the best glow and protect your guns?

Amazon has it is unisex adult!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012S1XBO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

I noticed that when I purchased mine! LOL!

 

[Mike in FL]

I use a really old can of Johnson. I have enough left to last this old man. Apparently it never goes bad in the sealed can.

 

[rp77469]

Also a Johnson's Wax fan. They made it for over 100 years before ceasing production. I have a couple unopened cans left. A little toluene or cyclohexane rejuvenates it if it dries out.

20-25 years ago I waxed my anvil with beeswax. Drug that sucker into the South Texas sun one August morning. By about 5pm you could feel the heat radiating off it. Slathered every non-working inch with high honey content wax which almost instantly liquified then buffed with Monk's cloth. Zero rust since, and on a warm day I sometimes think I smell the honey.

Life is good.

 

[stikshooter]

I have used Renaissance Wax for everything, wood and metal, but what do you like for the best glow and protect your guns?

Amazon has it is unisex adult!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012S1XBO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

None, bear oil/and the (Looks like wax ) before the rendering works great and in a pinch makes the stock slightly more palatable ! /Ed

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

I have seen several walnut stocks go punky from bear oil. After seeing that I personally wouldn't use it on the wood. Same with sperm whale oil. I think it goes rancid and bacteria sets in. Works great in the bore and the metal surfaces.

 

[kansas_volunteer]

I have used Renaissance Wax for everything, wood and metal, but what do you like for the best glow and protect your guns?

Amazon has it is unisex adult!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012S1XBO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

I use Crayolas. Best wax going.

 

[TreeMan]

I use this like franks hot sauce. I put this s%#t on everything. Makes the stock look good, works great as patch lube and is one of the best rust preventatives I’ve ever used. I keep all my guns coated with it. Inside and out. This might open up a can of worms!

 

[zerosprk]

I use a couple of coats of Johnson's paste wax on the underside of my barrels. For the outside, I've been using Howard's Feed-N-Wax. While it works well, the name is a bit of an enigma to me. The stock, while made of wood hasn't been alive for some time and everything else which is metal of some sort never was alive, so the "Feed" part doesn't make any sense. But, regardless of what it's called, it does do a good job, IMHO.

 

[CzarJL]

I have use the Renaissance Wax and it seems to work well for me both wood and metal.

I built a Traditions Kentucky kit rifle, that I keep on the wall in the bedroom. It’s not really anything special by most standards but I am proud of the work I did and the better half has allowed it to be displayed. Well I should have known I was not shooting enough when one day pulled it down expecting a bit dust but it was shinier than I remembered.
Apparently, it hand been wiped down fairly regularly with Pledge… the better half figured it was wood and some bits of metal just like the future so she treated it the same.

 

[kyron4]

The bowling alley stuff?
Jay

It's out of production but you can still find it around if you look hard, mainly at small town hardware stores.

 

[morehops52]

Never waxed a stock ever. But I will give a shout out to Renaisance wax. Used it on every one of my valuable knives for many years

 

[Mule333]

Same as Treeman…. Used Howard’s Feed and Wax. Has natural products in it. Carnuba, beeswax, and orange oil.

 

[Mike in FL]

It's out of production but you can still find it around if you look hard, mainly at small town hardware stores.

 

[Wes]

Johnson paste wax

If I use wax I use Johnson’s Paste Wax as well, but I usually just wipe both metal and wood with Ballistol oil.

 

[OldMaineWoodsman]

There is no real definitive answer to this. It all comes down to the individual wood, stock, age, and condition. On an antique or vintage firearm, the wood is most certainly dry. It may look great on the outside, but I promise you that it is dry inside. For firearms like these, that may have had an original oil finish, a little bit of linseed oil worked into it does wonders to breathe new life into the wood.

The biggest problem that I see with linseed oil, is many people use too much of it. It dries slowly. If you use too much you could end up with a gooey mess. Just a little on the fingertip at a time and work that in.

Wait a day or two, and add another, and so on. A stock with a varnish finish still prevalent you have to be extra careful with the linseed oil. It tends to leave a film on the varnish which can turn white if you are out in the rain or damp weather. Sometimes Ren-Wax is the better answer. On a stock with chipped or flaking varnish I tend to focus the wax or even linseed oil on those exposed or bare surfaces and leave the remaining varnish alone.

But again, Ren-Wax was never intended as an everyday use item. It dries hard as a rock and can make re-finishing a stock a challenge to remove. It also breathes new life into dry wood, but again the reason it is so popular with museums is it tends to keep dust from accumulating on an artifact firearm while on long-term display. Not everyday handling and use.

A brand-new firearm is already going to have a pretty well sealed stock. By slathering linseed oil all over it you are doing more harm than good. A simple wipe down after use is fine with a new firearm.

Match the treatment to the individual stock/firearm and go easy on the product. Less is more as they say.