Care and feeding of wooden stocks

Big Bad

Big Bad

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With few exceptions, only my double barrels have wooden stocks I worry much about, so I'm posting this here.

I have to confess I've maybe been a little negligent about the wood on my guns up to now, no obvious harm done however. The oil finish stocks I've treated with lemon oil the odd time, always at the end of the hunting season so they wouldn't send off citrus scent trails downwind so much. I used lemon oil because that was what was around, but lately I came across the tip to use walnut oil and that's what I'm doing now. The odd book on shotgun care doesn't talk about stocks too much, the main advice I remember is not to put oil on the checkering as it will soften the points; it seemed not to be a problem with lemon oil but I'm observing that now. The other advice about walnut oil was to wipe it off after it's had maybe half an hour to soak in, so as to avoid a tacky surface. I've been using walnut oil from the grocery store, cheap and effective I believe. Any comments on maintaining oil finish stocks will gratefully be received.

Varnished stocks are more of a puzzle to me. Lemon oil will work on them, seems to penetrate the varnish, but maybe it just evaporates off. Wondering what other people are doing with those.
 
Any oiled raw wood stocks I have get a wipe or a coat of blo periodically, usually over the winter and a wax and buff after. I would wax and buff a varnished stock as well, Minwax furniture paste wax is what I use.
 
I like to wipe the stocks with a cloth soaked in warm water and dish soap, then and again with just fresh water after a weekend of shooting to get the sunscreen, sweat and bug spray off the finish.

A bit of furniture wax on the varnished stocks and a wipe of diluted blo on the oiled ones refreshes the seal. Regarding blo and checkering, an accumulation of oil in your checkering eventually fills in the groves between the points, especially with fine checkering.
 
I've used tru-oil for refinishing stock. A good product.

As far as regular care goes, I would advise against wiping with any oil product and highly endorse regular, high quality waxing of the wood. And whatever you use, keep it out of the chequering. Oils will eventually seep where they shouldn't and waxes offer far superior protection of the wood and finish from the elements and from dirt and grime.
 
I'll clean stocks with a cloth damp with dish soap (sparingly) then with clean damp cloth to remove the soap. Then when sure everything is dry will apply Renaissance wax and buff with clean cloth. Then another application of Ren wax which re-liquifies the 1st layer and next buffing lifts any remaining dirt leaving a newer wax layer. You can use a soft clean toothbrush for the checquer. I wax the metal parts as well after cleaning with cloth damp with alcohol to remove oils. The wax protects CCH and saves the steel from my caustic sweaty fingers. I tend to wear gloves shooting anyway because otherwise I etch fingerprints into ferrous things that I touch.
https://ardec.ca/en/p/432/renaissance-wax-polish. Lee valley formerly sold conservator's wax but I suspect they had a cease and desist if not a lawsuit from Ren.
 
Oh, Falconflyer I had not read your earlier post. Seems we are simpatico on the soap but I'm not re-oiling my stocks as not needed if a proper finish is kept waxed.
 
Huh. From what I know about wood, it does dry out continuously over time, I mean still losing its natural oils once all the moisture is gone, so this wax must present a pretty significant barrier if it prevents that. Anyway, much to think about.
 
I use Renaissance wax as well. I have heard reports that it doesn't last as well as some other waxes, but it's a very high quality product and my first rule is "do no harm". Oil will harm eventually. Wax will not. It's also great as protection on the metal as well.

BB, Renaissance Wax is the wax ( and coating/protection) of choice for museums caring for and protecting priceless wood furniture. Including the British Museum. Good enough for them, good enough for me.
 
Tru-Oil is more of a refinishing product than a maintenance product... I have refinished dozens of stocks with Tru-Oil... generally with 8-10 coats, it gets progressively shinier as it builds up, but the sheen can be adjusted by rubbing with "0000" steel wool or 600 grit paper... I prefer the "0000" wool.

Two maintenance products I have used for my oiled Browning, Ruger and Beretta stocks are Scott's Liquid Gold and Danish Oil... the trick with maintenance of oiled wood is to use very little product and lots of "elbow grease" by rubbing in with a non-linting cloth... I use an oval motion flowing with the grain.

https://www.homedepot.com/b/Cleanin...re-Polish/Scotts-Liquid-Gold/N-5yc1vZch5nZcyl

https://www.homedepot.ca/product/watco-watco-danish-oil-natural-946ml/1000426717
 
In refinishing stocks. I use a small piece of scrap, as a sanding block, to stop myself from rounding edges. Sand across grain with 400-800 grit sandpaper...wet with blo or trueoil. What little matierial comes off is mixed with the oil and fills voids/knotholes. To stop getting excess oil or taking the sharpness off checkering i cover that with green painters tape. To keep the finish the same, the tape comes off, and i rub oil into the checkering with a toothbrush....gently. Hang 24hrs, repeat several times. Several steps left out.....but you get the idea.
 
When you don't maintain them, it comes to a point where refinishing is needed. Often rubbed or scratched areas look different. So that's where i refinish...mottled, birthmarks, major dings, different colour between butt and fore stocks, filling bubba holes.....you get the idea.
 
My go-to shotgun is a Remington Express with what I suspect is a birch stock. The fore-end wood seems to be oi treated and the butt varnished. I treated the fore-end with tung oil until it looked really rubbed in and now use some floor wax for wood floors I found a can of in a free box after a yard sale. Good wax.
 
+1 for Renaissance Wax. It can also be applied on metal surfaces which makes it great for preserving CCH.

Lee Valley's Conservator's wax is supposedly the same as Renaissance Wax.
 
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