Care of wood stock

[bchannell]

I know this has come up a while ago but wanted to add these comments. I currently have two walnut FX Royale and one HW100 walnut. Both seem to be very lightly finished and quite dry so to maintain them I put a heavy coat of Ballistol and let it soak in a few minutes and then wiped it down with Terry cloth rag. It darken the wood nicely and makes a nice satin finish. All were very blonde and this made them look great.
I've done this on rifles for many many years and can attest to it doing no harm while keeping them clean and well cared for

[3crows]

Birchwood Casey Gun Stock Wax:

https://www.birchwoodcasey.com/products/gun-stock-wax-3-fl-oz-bottle.html

It can be used on the blued metal or stainless steel as well.

[JimD]

I don't know what is in Ballistol but it must have a little oil in it for the results you describe.  That would make sense for it's "normal" purpose of cleaning guns.  But I would be inclined to use a more traditional wood finish like tung oil.  Or boiled linseed oil (although it dries very slowly).  Any oil finish tends to darken walnut. 

[3crows]

I don't know what is in Ballistol but it must have a little oil in it for the results you describe.  That would make sense for it's "normal" purpose of cleaning guns.  But I would be inclined to use a more traditional wood finish like tung oil.  Or boiled linseed oil (although it dries very slowly).  Any oil finish tends to darken walnut.

Ballistol as the OP is using it is not a wood finish. Ballistol does not resinify as many oils do therefore it does not get gummy or sticky or harden. It is not a finish for wood but it can be used on wood and per Ballistol it is safe and beautifies and protects wood. I would use Birchwood Casey wax for that purpose. Ballistol is a wonderful product and it tends to run women off, something about the smell repels them. I have heard it works on mosquitoes as well.

https://ballistol.com/faqs/

[PasadenaMike]

Birchwood Casey Gun Stock Wax:

https://www.birchwoodcasey.com/products/gun-stock-wax-3-fl-oz-bottle.html

It can be used on the blued metal or stainless steel as well.

+1 on this stuff I put it on my CZ 20 gauge side by side bird gun it really made the stock look good.

[JimD]

If you like wax finishes you might want to try Osmo.  It is pricey but you would use very little to finish a gun stock.  It is very easy to apply like other wax finishes.  Osmo is recommended for finishing floors.  I think it is more durable than other wax finishes.  I've used it on furniture but not on a gun stock, so far.  For stocks I like the even more durable polyurethane finish.  Oil based would have am amber cast and thus warm the wood color a bit.  But I've been using water borne just because cleanup is so much easier.

[longislandhunter]

I've been using Ballistol on my wood stocks for years and I love the stuff.  The .22 Akela I just bought came with a Turkish walnut stock that was so dry it was amazing.  I've been wiping it down with the Ballistol and it's amazing how it's bringing out the real beauty of the wood and the grain.  Yes, it does have an "odd" odor.... but over the years I've actually come to like the smell 

Jeff

[Rico14]

I use Renaissance Wax on all my stocks. Museums use it. A little goes a long way. A small container will last a long time. Amazon has it

[gilberca]

I had really good luck with ARH's Royal London Oil on the Walnut stock of my TX200.  It really brought out the grain and has a nice satin smooth finish.

[splitbeing]

I've been using Ballistol on my wood stocks for years and I love the stuff.  The .22 Akela I just bought came with a Turkish walnut stock that was so dry it was amazing.  I've been wiping it down with the Ballistol and it's amazing how it's bringing out the real beauty of the wood and the grain.  Yes, it does have an "odd" odor.... but over the years I've actually come to like the smell 

Jeff

After reading Jeff's experience with Ballistol on his Akela, I did the same and am seeing similar results so far.

I generally use two products on wood stocks, butcher block bees wax or teak oil. The teak oil dries in a day, but takes weeks or months to fully sink in.

The Akela Ballistol relationship is unusual for me. As Jeff has noted elsewhere and may be true of the OPs FX stocks, the wood is very dry.  No other stock of mine has been like that.

[kbstingwing]

I heard you can take out dents and scratches with steam, is that true, I've never tried it...

[3crows]

I heard you can take out dents and scratches with steam, is that true, I've never tried it...

Mostly yes. Deep dents may not lift completely of course and if the wood is poly coated it may not absorb the water. Use an iron, something like this works best for small dents:



Put a piece of thin dampened cotton cloth beneath the iron and atop the stock.

[Snatchcan]

I've taken dents out wood work, never a stock,with a hot, boiled rag over the dent. I've also got the area around the dent wet, and then put a little rubbing alcohol or denatured alcohol on the spot and lit it on fire. As long as the area is wet it shouldn't darken the wood.

[Fate]

To remove, as much as possible, dents in wood - a wet rag/paper towel is placed over the dent and a hot flat wood burner tip is placed on top of the dent with the wet medium between. A soldering iron also works, with care. Inspect the dent, if it's gone, great. If it's still there move the wet rag/paper towel to an unused spot, place it over the dent, and put the hot blade on top of that. Et cetera.

This assumes the dent is wood and not covered wood. If it's coated carefully remove it, then spot-steam.

[anti-squirrel]

Treat a wood stock like antique furniture.  There's tons of great, even superlative, products available.

I like Murphy Oil Soap for cleaning, but haven't settled on any particle finish as my favorite.

[kbstingwing]

Thanks Guys

[Fate]

Treat a wood stock like antique furniture.  There's tons of great, even superlative, products available.

I like Murphy Oil Soap for cleaning, but haven't settled on any particle finish as my favorite.

I learned how to do some wood repair/care from working where we had a division dedicated to repairing expensive electronics consoles damaged in shipping. Those old (60's timeframe) craftsmen that did the work did things almost impossible to believe. Spot-steaming dents was one of the things I learned from them.

Relating to gun stocks, I only have one that came oiled. The rest are "finished." Those are wiped down with oil, whatever.

My oiled Minelli stock has been made beautifully durable with Birchwood Casey Walnut Oil hand rubbed many times over months, then sealed and finished with three coats of pure Carnauba wax. I keep an old wool sock nearby for rubbing it down after handling.

[3crows]

My oiled Minelli stock has been made beautifully durable with Birchwood Casey Walnut Oil hand rubbed many times over months, then sealed and finished with three coats of pure Carnauba wax. I keep an old wool sock nearby for rubbing it down after handling.

Not to harp , I used to use Carnauba wax also but have found the Birchwood Casey Gun Stock wax to be a superior product and much longer lasting on both wood and metal. Pure Carnauba work nicely though and perhaps more readily available a auto stores, maybe. The Gun Stock wax also stop that sticky feel that some oiled stock seem to have when it is humid.

[WeeHeavy]

I've only refinished one stock (refinished might be generous). I used the same treatment I use on axe hafts. BLO on a stripped and sanded stock. Just a couple of light coats to keep from going too yellow - I use a LOT more on an axe - a week apart, carefully wiped down. Once that's cured, I just use a home made beeswax and mineral oil paste to add further moisture protection. Basically butcher block conditioner with the consistency of an automotive wax. It's a simple finish that's easy to repair. Beeswax isn't very durable, but it feels great on wood. Not sticky, not slick. I'd use tung oil or something like that on walnut, but on poplar for a field gun, BLO is hard to beat.

[Fate]

My oiled Minelli stock has been made beautifully durable with Birchwood Casey Walnut Oil hand rubbed many times over months, then sealed and finished with three coats of pure Carnauba wax. I keep an old wool sock nearby for rubbing it down after handling.

Not to harp , I used to use Carnauba wax also but have found the Birchwood Casey Gun Stock wax to be a superior product and much longer lasting on both wood and metal. Pure Carnauba work nicely though and perhaps more readily available a auto stores, maybe. The Gun Stock wax also stop that sticky feel that some oiled stock seem to have when it is humid.

I appreciate the tip on Birchwood Casey Gun Stock Wax but I'm very happy with my stock and since it's "finished" it's kind of a moot subject now. However, my CMP Daisy's stock is still unfinished like I got it and I've been undecided on its finish. I'll research the BCGSW.

As far as auto store waxes go I wouldn't touch my DS's stock with it. The Carnauba wax I use is made by Lundmark ( ).

The Lundmark wax isn't as easy to apply as car waxes I've used, requiring more attention but even after three coats leaves an invisible layer of impervious protection to the beautiful woodgrain without evidencing itself whatsoever. I was dubious about the metals but it was the same on it as the wood... invisible, undetectable, but there.

Given the amount I used from the can it could probably finish a thousand guns, so expensive for just one gun but it will be used elsewhere as well. Also, based on my car wax uses over the years none ever evidenced its root nature like this one, hard to describe but it sort of "comes apart" until hand pressure and warmth "melt" it onto the wood. Extra attention and care was necessary for the sharp checkering, although again the finish there became invisible as well unlike some car waxes I've used.

The BWC walnut oil, like the wax, was rubbed into the lightly heated wood then wiped down and let dry for a week or two between coats until the wood's hue and grain was the color and reveal I wanted arrived. Even after the oil, wax, and smoothing with very fine Scotch Brite the nature of the underlying wood's grain is still clearly visible, becoming glass-like in feel but not in appearance.

Like any work of art, preservation of the original is paramount and despite the long, tedious treatment of this gun's stock, inside and out, it is as it arrived... only protected from the elements and the vagaries of use now while retaining its original virgin beauty to the eye.

Few guns have represented more than their functional ability to me, how well they did my bidding on targets. A Kimber I owned was in the same quality ballpark, blending wood and steel into more than a great gun, but this Revere approaches emotional anthropomorphism. I want to look at it, to feel it, caress it with my hands and eyes, to show it off but reluctant to share it.