Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Wax for weatherproofing wood gun stocks??

I have a nice, hand rubbed, oil-finished black walnut stock (which now has a butt plate nicely fitted to it ). Can you guys recommend a wax that is suited for waterproofing an oil finished walnut stock? Or is waxing the stock unnecessary? I'd like to use something that will not compromise the beautiful color of the wood.

Thanks in advance for any advise.


Jordan

I use carnuba wax.
I think Mother's has some that will work without changing the way the wood looks.

The can i use is about 30 years old,i found it in an old hardware store.
You would think waxing the stock would make it slippery but the exact opposite is what i have found.

I use Birchwood-Casey stock wax, easy to apply, but if the stock gets wringing wet, no wax is impervious to keeping moisture out.
It needs periodic application to get the best results.

Cheers.

A mostly carnauba wax wears better as it's a harder wax. Also being harder it doesn't show smudges from handling like a general purpose paste wax (i.e. Minwax). I like the R. Gale Lock. Co carnauba gun wax Brownell's sells. guaranteed nothing in it like silicones that could adversely affect a stock finish. A little spendy for a small can but a little goes a long way.

But not like I did a DYIguy test of all products or anything close.

Just avoid car waxes with their silicone additives and you will be fine.

Bri-Wax is my favorite, but there are many good hard waxes out there. Plain old Johnson's works well but wears off quickly and feels gummy.

Yeah. And one reason I like the R. Gale Lock Co. wax, no gummy feel and it's more durable. Have been known to use Minwax Finishing Wax which is on par with Johnson's on my rifles with lesser grade stocks.

And I should've added no big deal if, particularly a soft wax, picks up dirt and turns dingy and grimy. A light rub with mineral spirits moves it all to your paper towel. Won't harm an oil finish. Just that and a wax can do wonders to something like a truck gun. I'll do that when I repair someone's old beater that was handed down a generation or two, usually hardware store grade and not worth a gunsmith's time. And oh man do they smile.

Back when I felt that the sun rose and set in oil finishes on gunstocks, I actually did a couple by skipping the oil entirely and went straight to the finishing wax (Butcher's in this case). Multiple coats, followed by lots more over the years resulted in finishes that are very pleasing and I daresay offer as good, if not better, a moisture barrier than if I had oiled the stocks first.

Now I prefer a barrier finish such as spar varnish dutifully applied to achieve a smooth hard finish, then rubbed out to kill the shine, then waxed/buffed to restore it to a soft luster. Wax be's your friend.

The only things I "oil" as a matter of course anymore are objets de arte made from cherry, but then it's usually with a "secret" blend of pure tung oil, varnish, and beeswax melted together- applied hot, wiped off, buffed when cooled/dried.

Edit to add: heating that concoction is probably not doing either the oil or the varnish any good, but since these things don't have to withstand outdoor environments I don't see the harm.

Trewax. Designed for use on wood floors. Contains carnauba. I've used the stuff on walnut stocks for 25 years. Works great.

In a pinch, I've actually used Sno Seal. Worked quite well.

Renaissance wax or old fashioned J&J paste wax. Nothing but wax in either of them. They work well for protecting the metal in normal cold weather use.