Wood Varnish to use, suggestions?

[Nic3500]

I purchased a Mosin and the previous owner sanded the stock and stained it, but did not put any varnish on it.
What should I use? Any regular wood varnish from the hardware store or? It will be not be used in hard conditions (like rain, mud, ...), but still I want to protect it.

Suggestions welcome!

thanks, Mic

 

[Claven2]

If you are going to actually use it, just put an oil finish on it. BLO would be a good choice, or the BLO/beeswax paste Lee Valley sells. If you put anything else on it, every nick and ding will show. With an oil finish, you just rub more on and you're good to go.

During WW2, some production batches left the factory with linseed oil finish, others had nitro-cellulose. The shellac finishes were applied post-war before the rifles went into storage. I think of it as essentially a preservative to prevent cosmolene from soaking into the stocks.

 

[7.62xfun]

i agree on the BLO. I have seen too many guns that the previous owner must have dipped in varnish. it might have been the thing in 1970 but imho its a terrible finish.

 

[freezer filler]

I like minwax tung oil.


[/URL]

 

[kjohn]

PLEASE don't use varnish. I just scooped a nice Churchill No.4 to keep my Churchill No. 1 company. Looks like Bubba used spar varnish and a mop on a cold day. Deaner has been tasked with taking that crap off so it can be done with anything but varnish.

However, it is your rifle.