Using Butcher Block Conditioner as external protection?

[Boston123]

So, I bought a wooden bowl and spoon a few weeks ago, and in order to seal them for use I bought some "Butcher Block Conditioner". Its from Howard (Butcher Block Conditioner | Howard Products), made with "food grade" mineral oil, beeswax and carnauba wax. Worked great on the bowl and spoon, and since I've got a big ol' bottle of the stuff, why not try it on the gun?

I live in New England, coastal New England, which means (comparatively) high humidity and salt air. The bore of my gun is protected by Rem Oil (which I clean out before shooting), but I was looking for something to protect the wood of the stock and exposed metal.

So far, so good, at least as far as I can tell. No rust on the metal, no dry spots on the wood. I put some of the gunk on a soft cloth, rub it over the outside of the gun, then wipe off the excess with a clean dry cloth. The gun itself is stored "horizontally" on gunhooks with the muzzle down an inch or so, so any excess will eventually run off.

I mean.....I know it "works", but could this cause any damage to the stock? I've read some horror stories online about people oiling their guns and damaging the stocks due to the oil soaking in and softening the wood, but they all seem to happen when guns are stored butt-down, muzzle-up, which is not what I am doing.

Maybe I am overthinking things

 

[Flintlock]

I would say your fine, I think your product is mostly wax and the English have been using wax on their fine guns forever. Just my opinion, waiting for the "experts" to chime in.

 

[The Crisco Kid]

It's probably not a whole lot different than the old linseed oil and beeswax treatment. I've seen a couple of stocks treated with it a few years ago. It looks good and it's easy to apply.

 

[CTShooter]

It really depends on how your stock was finished to start with as to the best way to maintain it. If it has one of the polymer type finishes, oil will not do much for you because the wood is sealed, good ole butcher paste wax is good for everything.
If your stock is oil finished, it's best to use the same type oil to maintain the finish. About the only time I use oil after finishing a stock is to repair a scratch or something, coat of butchers wax as a maintenance coat as needed.

 

[FishDFly]

Another use for it might be sealing ball/loading blocks.

 

[hanshi]

Being basically a wax it should work well on stocks and metal. While some people's eyes may pop out on stems when when I mention this but I've used Type F tranny fluid on stocks & barrel exterior for decades and it protects both wood and metal. Type F is paraffin based, not oil, and works like a liquid wax. I also apply plain old paste wax every couple three years but use the "F" with every cleaning.

 

[NorthFork]

For what it's worth, I use a similar product on the outside surfaces of all my muzzleloaders. And I've done this for many many years with 0 rust or any other drama. It's Howard's Feed-n-Wax.

 

[oldwood]

The final addition to all the gun finishes I do , is Minwax Special Dark Finishing Wax. It makes the under finish easily maintainable by occasionally applying a coat of wax. Using the dark shade of wax eliminates hot weather melt -out of light color waxes. I can't imagine putting any oily liquid used to seal a food processing butcher block , on a gun stock. Doesn't make any sense at all.

 

[dragnetbill]

The final addition to all the gun finishes I do , is Minwax Special Dark Finishing Wax. It makes the under finish easily maintainable by occasionally applying a coat of wax. Using the dark shade of wax eliminates hot weather melt -out of light color waxes. I can't imagine putting any oily liquid used to seal a food processing butcher block , on a gun stock. Doesn't make any sense at all.

While I do like to use Minwax Special Dark on occasions, it seems to me that there isn't much difference in consistency between the Minwax (parafin wax mixed with crude oil by products) and butcherblock/spoon butter (beeswax and mineral oil usually). While some spoon butters can be on the thin side we can mix our own to the stiffness preferred. Commercial manufactuers tend to use mineral oil probably because it is cheapest and easy to use. I like to mix beeswax with grapeseed oil or olive oil. You can probably put it on anything that you want muzzle loader related; lock, stock and barrel. You might like it as a patch lube. It also works great on dry hands and chapped lips.

 

[user 34300]

I would not put any non drying oil on a stock. It will soak in and make the wood soft. If yu ever have to make a repair, you can not. Glue will not stick. I have seen threads g on for pages on how to get oil out of wood. We all know that flooding the lock or barrel with oil and letting it soak into the wood is a bad thing. Why deliberately apply oil to the wood? IT makes no sense.

What you are after is called "slackum". Use equal parts bees wax, BLO, and mineral spirits. Melt the wax, add the other two. No open flames! Mix, let cool. You will have a paste. Rub on with a rag. Buff off. Pretty...

 

[N.Y. Yankee]

I have an old can of Minwax paste wax and once a year just before hunting season, I strip the gun and gently rub in a coat of this wax with 4/0 steel wool. Let dry well and buff with an old towel.

 

[oldwood]

Have never heard of applying Minwax past wax using steel wool. Perhaps I'll have to find an old piece of gunstock , and try this. Not too old to learn something new.

 

[N.Y. Yankee]

Just rub gently. It really works the wax in.

 

[dave951]

It should work just fine since it has a large wax component. The problem with oils is they soak into the wood and that can damage the finish while wax is pretty much on the surface.