Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Wood Stock Polish

I picked up an extremely nice walnut wood stock and wonder if you recommend something better than Lemon Pledge and a micro fiber cloth.

Briar Wax

Any paste wax is better than Lemon Pledge. Anything.

How is the stack finished? Varnish? Lacquer? Oil?

Sorry I should have provided more detail. Rubbed oil finish, presentation grade walnut 22 lines per inch checkering.

Renaissance Wax.

That's my favorite too, but it's not the only one out there. There are cans of Butcher's Wax on my shelf also.

One type of wax certainly to be avoided is car wax. The silicone in it is bad for the wood, especially if refreshing the finish is a future possibility. Silicone is insidious stuff and will play hob with results. Same goes for pretty much all the proprietary "false impression" stuff at Pep Boys designed to make your car sparkle. Armorall is the biggie that comes to mind. WD-40 is another.

Rotten stone mineral oil and a felt pad if it really needs to be polished out and then a coat or two of Renaissance wax. I would have someone look at it and advise though before doing anything.

Ditto what Jim said: wax and polish are two different things - polishes have some degree of fine abrasive which can wear right through the original finish. Finess is the objective term when using rotten stone or any other means of polishing.

My choice for fine wood too!

+ a lot!

If it needs polishing then rotten stone or for a higher luster FFF or FFFF polishing compound. If for routine maintenance I like Clive's Lemon oil, this is not lemon oil it is his last name he worked for H&H Purdey and others, it is available under Warthog products, the double gun registry carries it. I use my own slacum mix which is linseed and/or tung oil, turpentine, carnuba wax, some varnish and shellac, plus driers. This is good as a finish and an annual maintenance application

If you don't want to fool around with mixing your own Johnson's Paste Wax or Renaissance are both good..

If the oil finish needs refurbishing then use artist grade linseed and stand oil, thin with turpentine not paint thinner, apply with vigorous rubbing and then wipe off after 30 minutes. This will keep the finish looking very good and after a 100 or so years will be very hard and durable, you can use your riflle while waiting for the century cure.