Will Water damage Hardwood stocks?

[CanadianBaconPancakes]

Will water damage a stock if it gets to wet? Need to clean all the oil that the SKS's come in and I don't want to strip the original Finnish off like they show in most tutorials.. I would like to avoid oven cleaner method aswell. Asides from using a blow dryer I really am unsure of the safest way to keep the original Finnish.

I dont have the heat to put it outside and bake it off where i live.

 

[wd123]

ive not had to do anything to mine, i just make sure it's wiped down after use. I would imagine any wood polish would be just fine to use on it though.

 

[Magellann]

I just wipe them down really good, possibly with a damp cloth, but if you really soak the stock, you will damage the original finish.
Leaving the stock out in the sun on a hot day, or on the back window deck of a car in a plastic garbage bag will allow most of the cosmoline to sweat itself out. The hot days are most likely over for most of us this season.