Taking care of the wood.

[RHensley]

My gunsmith recommended the this paste and it seems to work good. I also use it in the mortise where the lock goes to keep out the moisture. The next time i remove the barrel I will also remove the trigger assembly and treat that area also.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

My gunsmith recommended the this paste and it seems to work good. I also use it in the mortise where the lock goes to keep out the moisture. The next time i remove the barrel I will also remove the trigger assembly and treat that area also.

Like the paste kids used to eat in grade school?

 

[RHensley]

Like the paste kids used to eat in grade school?

Not really. Minwax paste. used on wood. I think it's a bit better than Johnson's floor wax.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

Not really. Minwax paste. used on wood. I think it's a bit better than Johnson's floor wax.

I see, I never did care for the taste of paste anyway.

 

[NorthFork]

I know I'll take heat for this but Howards Feed and Wax has always worked OK for me.

 

[PluggedNickel]

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

Me too! It works on oil finish wood stocks as well, leaves the matte finish. I love the stuff, it ain’t the cheapest, but it is the best IMHO!

 

[M. De Land]

Me too! It works on oil finish wood stocks as well, leaves the matte finish. I love the stuff, it ain’t the cheapest, but it is the best IMHO!

In my opinion one wants the sealer in the wood not just on top where it is rubbed off. Use the wax after the seal coats and rubbed out oil are in and on the wood, as extra protection.

 

[PluggedNickel]

Exactly how I do it!

 

[john krebs]

Just reading some of the posts here on taking care of the wood on your muzzleloader. Some fine comments but there is one product I haven’t seen mentioned and I found it just by surfing the net.Itscalled Conrad’s wood food oil. It’s an 18th century formula that restores and protects, 100% Natural, non toxic, made from plants, roots, herbs and seeds.The Konrad, original name were from Austria and they were woodworkers. They built windmills, carriages and furniture.In 1903 they immigrated to Detroit, Michigan and brought the 200 year old formula which has been passed down from family generation to family generation. At the time they changed their name to Conrad.I ordered it at $20 for a 16 oz. bottle at Amazon. All I can say is WOW! It brings out the patina of the wood while actually feeding the wood, not covering it up.It truly is amazing. Your stock will cry for it, Lol! Read their story at www.ConradsOil.com. I know you will love it, for all wood products.

 

[Robby]

That does sound interesting John. Does it dry? These assorted wax treatments are really protecting the finish you have, already protecting the wood. Some of the older pure linseed or tung oil finishes might benefit from the same oil rubbed in once a year and allowed to dry, preferably in the sun. They need that UV.
Robby

 

[smo]

Right or Wrong, I've always just wiped the wood with the gun oil rag... 3M for years , then Sheath now Barricade...

Water sheds off and I've seen no ill effects...so far.

 

[FlinterNick]

I clean the wood with butcher block oil and then I've always used beeswax furniture polish and Danish oil wood rejuvenator around the lock area. My guns are finished with a few coats of linseed and then Tung Oil. I also don't trek with my muzzeloaders through the rain, so weather proofing isn't much of a concern.

 

[dixie5032]

Another plug for Renaissance Wax/Polish. I use it on antique lamps and cameras as well as the wood and metal on firearms and it actually does a pretty good job of lifting dirt and grime that you thought you had already removed. I'm on my second 200 ml can....should have bought the pail but the budget wouldn't allow it!

 

[hanshi]

All these recommendations, I view carefully for future consideration. Generally I use Johnson Paste Wax at least once a year on stocks and it works nicely as far as I can tell. Another thing I do, and I've been attacked/criticized for it, is applying Type F tranny fluid on wood and metal. I've been doing this for nearly 20 years; and if it is in any way detrimental to the wood, it would have shown up before now. Type F is paraffin based and leaves wax on the stock. It seems to leave a thin, relatively hard coat on wood and leaves a nice "sheen".

The way I use it is to take a cloth and "dampen" it with the fluid. The entire gun is thoroughly wiped, getting rid of any grime, etc, and smoothing any dings. It's allowed to set for 10-15 minutes and then wiped with a dry cloth to remove any "wet". Although it's not necessary, it's bette than handling a "slick" gun.

 

[Prairieofthedog]

Wow,as much stuff you guys are putting on your stocks,they must weigh 2 pounds more.What ever trips your trigger, but I think you are overthinking it.Most of my guns have a matte hard oil finish.Unless I wear the 6 coats of finish off,All I do is wipe it with a damp rag and dry soft cloth.But if you enjoy all the work thats what counts.

 

[Rifleman1776]

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.

I didn't realize Kramer was still in business. I have a couple bottles I bought to help restore old furniture. It proved to be much less effective for that than the advertising suggested. But, I have used it on ml and modern rifle stocks without adverse effects. Not promoting as good, just, in my experience, not bad. It is largely a beeswax/turpentine liquid mix.

 

[cannonball1]

Here is the total formula I have been using on bare wood stock. Lift the grain with a damp cloth, dry and lightly sand until smooth several times. Fill the grain on walnut and some of the other woods, on maple stocks filler is not needed, then stain. The waterproofing finish is two phase: 1/2 turpentine and 1/2 linseed oil - three coats of hand rubbing the top coats with 1 part of turpentine, 1 part of 100% bees wax, and two parts of linseed oil. A little elbow grease is needed, but nothing compared to the old linseed oil stocks. Take it in the tundra all you like.

 

[Artie Peltier]

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

Nick when you apply the bees wax from Lowe’s does it haze over and dry then buff it off?

 

[FlinterNick]

Nick when you apply the bees wax from Lowe’s does it haze over and dry then buff it off?

It dries over after about a day. I do buff it after about 25 min with an auto chammy cloth but I’ve never noticed a film or haze. It’s the consistency of hair conditioner in a bottle with a bee on it by Howard called feed-n-wax.

 

[FlinterNick]

It dries over after about a day. I do buff it after about 25 min with an auto chammy cloth but I’ve never noticed a film or haze. It’s the consistency of hair conditioner in a bottle with a bee on it by Howard called feed-n-wax.