Wooden stock wax/oil

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Apr 17, 2012
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West Michigan
What’s everyone using on their wood furniture? In the past I’ve just given all external surfaces a buff with fluid film and that seems fine but is there something that’s better for looks and weather resistance? Is it worth going with an actual wax product?
 
Depends on the existing finish. Depends on the rifle.

I’ve built a few Garands. The raw Walnut stock is best served with boiled Linseed oil, though many prefer Tung oil. That was correct for the rifle and the period. The “Boiled” means that drying agents have been added. The oil cures IN the wood, not on top, so excess oil is detrimental and leaves a gummy mess.

For restoring/maintaining a Garand - 3/4 parts boiled linseed oil with 1/4 part turpentine to clean it. You can use raw linseed oil (sold as Flax oil, marketed as a nutritional supplement at Whole Foods) in the mix, but you have to be careful to wipe off the excess and not use it often as it takes a long time to dry.

For a rifle with varnish - wipe it down with a soft, clean (or damp) cloth. Nothing more is required to maintain varnish. Folks like Lemon oil (furniture cleaner) and that works, too. If a varnish finish is bad, it’s hard to repair, and in general, you’re looking at stripping and refinishing. This will destroy the collector value on many vintage rifles, but for a run of the mill rifle with a varnish finish, careful work can make it look great.

For most vintage military rifles - Linseed oil mix above.

For a Swiss K-31, that depends on what is already on the rifle - some still had the oil/beeswax/vinegar (not making that up) finish, but some were re-done by the military (or the Reservists, hard to know) with Shellac.

Shellac is different than varnish. Varnish cures, and that’s it. So, subsequent layers of varnish have to be applied before the underlying layer has fully cured, or the underlying layer has to be sanded, for the next layer to bond correctly. Shellac is dissolved in alcohol and the subsequent layer dissolves the one below it. New layers of Shellac can be added anytime, and they bond without preparation like sanding. Super easy to repair. Also, easily damaged by spilled drinks…

So, for a Shellac finish on a rifle, a bit of fresh shellac.

Hope this helps.
 
Let me also add that wax, particularly renaissance wax, is good for most finishes. The Renaissance wax also helps to protect blued metal. I would not put wax over a linseed oil finish unless the rifle, like the Swiss military surplus rifles, was originally finished with a combination of wax and oil.
 
It depends on the application.

A hard use, field gun, where as grip needs to be firm, and the actual prettiness of the rifle is secondary, a penetrating oil finish is best. For an heirloom that never sees the light of day...........use whatever you want. Varnish would be at the top of my list, if I were looking for shine.

I like wood in its closest to natural form, with an oil finish.

Danish oil is a very good finish solution, and is preserving/protecting as well. It takes a while to do, but the end result will last forever. Apply a covering coat, let it soak in the wood, then rub with 0000fine steel wool, repeat. The Danish oil will soak in the wood over and over until the wood will not take anymore oil.

Good luck
 
What kind of stock and how was it finished? If it was oil finished, not something like a Danish oil that is a mix of either boiled linseed or tung oil and polurethane, or a "tung oil finish" that might have zero tung oil, or the Tru Finish "oil" finish, but a real and pure oil like boiled linseed or pure tung oil (again using real tung oil and only tung oil) then I would use either boiled linseed oil or tung oil. Tung oil is more water resistant but harder to find and once the container is opened it starts to oxidize. On an older stock that's been well maintained I do this once a year if in storage or after an outing in wet weather.

And most any plain paste wax is good for preserving them the rest of the year. Also the wax for any finish on any stock, and on any steel surfaces (that aren't lubed) for rust protection. It lasts longer and isn't as messy as oil.
 
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