Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Wax for walnut stocks

I've got the Flitz liquid wax; just wondering if there's something better.

Johnson Paste wax

I use MinWax

Everybody has a favorite. Mine's Renaissance Wax, and I also use Butcher's Wax sometimes. Truth be told most any paste wax is good or at least better than no wax at all. One wax to avoid is car wax - it'll impart silicone onto/into the wood which will make anybody who tries to refinish it in the future curse you to the high heavens.

Doubly important to apply wax to an oil finish if you wish to prevent (or slow down, actually) water fenestration when outdoors in damp weather.

For a glossier finish I like the Renaissance Wax that gnoahhh mentioned.

For a duller finish like I have on my older Marlins I like to use Axe Wax. Same stuff I use on hickory tomahawk handles.

Both are good and durable.

Using Slippery Dicks Gun wax on a AYA shotgun this week.UK company with a web site also has he own gun stock finishing products.Good products.

Keep wax out of the checkering

And if you get it in the checkering keep a soft old toothbrush handy. Better yet, your wife's toothbrush. She probably won't mind.

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Renaissance Wax does an excellent job on my rifles. Usually one coat a year., checkering included. Use very sparingly

Hard to beat Renaissance Wax for a great and long lasting finish on top of just about any wood finish. A small tub of will last most guys a lifetime as it takes very little to coat a stock. I've also used Johnson's Paste Wax and it works well also, but not quite the sheen of Renaissance ....

+2 for Johnson's paste wax.

And it don't cost much and a lot goes a long way.

Like a bunch of other folks have mentioned, Renaissance wax.

Just don't slip off when waxing your wood.

+3

Another vote for renaissance wax

Great thread, I was wondering what to use to clean and protect my P17 which has a French Walnut stock on it, so I just ordered Renaissance wax, which was recommended by a guy on a YouTube video demonstrating how to apply it wax to stocks.

He took the barrel and butt plate off of the stock, do you guys do that as well?

I never have removed the butt plate which was custom designed and sterling silver and I think the screws are as well, I am concerned if I take it off I may screw up the threading and have issues down the road.

Same with the stock, I have never taken in off the stock, afraid to mess something up!

Just leave it together and wax it good.

If it's as precious as I think you're saying I highly doubt you'd throw it in a creek with some dead salmon anyway, as I see some around here make that analogy.

Also have always had good luck with Renaissance Wax.

My personal philosophy is that if a man put it together another man can take it apart. I would think each step through and arm myself with perfectly fitted tools and fixtures etc. But --- in this case I agree with our Feral Friend and say just wax it with the metal in situ.

An old friend of mine was a conservator at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History for decades. Their go-to general elixir was/is...........Renaissance Wax.

(Remind me sometime to tell you about the time I waved around a delightful little hunting sword I picked up off his work bench whilst hanging around their workshop. Sonny said, "feels good in the hand doesn't it?" "Indeed, said I." He said, "yeah, George Washington thought so too" whereupon I gingerly set it back down where I found it....)

Muskets and the like got a gentle cleaning with Murphy's Oil Soap, dried then wiped with pure tung oil or artist's grade linseed oil. Finally, eventually after thorough drying, waxed with Ren Wax. Internal parts and stock furniture meticulously disassembled and detail cleaned (many ultrasonic cleaning tanks were setting around) and waxed also as a preservative.

lol, I don't think I'll be doing that!

Another question if I may, with the Renaissance wax, and the checkering, would it be good to use a light film on the checkering and as gnoahhh mentioned to clean off the extra with a toothbrush? This rifle has a lot of checkering.

This is what I mean about the butt Plate, it is perfectly fitted and if I screw something up, as the guy suggested to take it off and wax the inside, I would be pissed at myself forever.

Were I to build that rilfe I would have sealed the wood before installing the buttplate and not made it necessary to worry about it down the road. That is beautiful work and I completely sympathize with not wanting to take it apart.

I do allow wax into checkering myself and burnish it down with a soft bristled brush. A soft toothbrush is the perfect tool

OK thanks I will do exactly that, want to waterproof it as much as possible because it is my go-to rifle and a family Heirloom.

I have another question for you pros!

I have never waxed a rifle before I have only cleaned barrels, which I am good at. With this particular rifle, it was made for my father, who gave it to me as a gift. As mentioned the stock is made from French walnut, he put it in his gun case when it was finished and never hunted with it.

Since he gave it to me in 2000, I have been using it ever since in all conditions for moose, deer, and elk hunts. I have never waxed it, and over the years of hunting with it, it has a few dents and scratches on it, so here is my question.

I would like to smooth out the scratches, I can't do much with about the gouges. In the process of basically refinishing the stock, should I be using steel wool to lightly rub the scratched areas?

If that is the case, would you first run linseed Oil on after rubbing it with steel wool (what # would you use?) and then finish it with the Renascence Wax I purchased this AM? Is that the best way to go, like I said I have never done this before and I appreciate your guy's sage advice!

Thanks

Without the rifle in hand I would hesitate to answer that question. How you approach a re-finish really depends on what finish is already on it. And if you wax it now that will just unnecessary complicate refinishing unless you completely strip it.

I can't tell you what to do with your rifle, but if it was my rifle, I'd look at all those little dings and scratches as mile markers and think about all the hunts that the rifle has been on, and smile about the good memories.

Never use steel wool on a stock finish. The little shards of metal that will break off can and will rust eventually and you will never be able to repair the finish without completely stripping the stock and starting over. Use 3M Scotchbrite pads for scratched areas. Different colors are different grit ratings. I use the gray pads most, but occasionally use the maroon pads for more aggressive work. Depending on if the gouges and dents are compressed wood, you may be able to raise them with application of a slightly damp cloth over them and apply and iron over that for a few seconds to create a steam bath. Let those raised areas dry for a bit , then sand down to the surface carefully with a block to keep it flat. If the gouges are wood that has been torn out this technique won't do you much good so best to sand those areas lightly so they blend in as well as possible to the surrounding areas. Don't try to get them completely flat to the surrounding areas or you will have hollow spots in those areas. Better to let the gouge show in the finish as patina IMO.
Depending on what finish is on the rifle now, linseed or tung oil may or may not be the correct finish to use for repairs. If it has a varnish type or lacquer finish you can repair the areas with oil, let it dry, and then add whatever finish matches best with the existing finish. I've found Truoil will come as close as any to matching just about any existing finish and the sheen can be knocked down to match the existing finish with a bit of rubbing out. Patience in all of this is the key to getting it right.

I would leave it alone. Protect it, treat it kindly, and the bumps and dings you add to it will compliment the scars your father put on it. You're holding a piece of family history that I wouldn't want to erase.

Thank you all for taking the time to respond, I truly appreciate it.

My father never used it for hunting after he replaced the BSA sporterized stock. I am the culprit that has scratched the hell out of it, the payoff, it has been feeding me for years.

I do not believe that it has any type of varnish or finish on it, it memory serves it was finished with linseed oil, but my father is gone so nobody to ask. When I saw the wax idea I though it may be a good idea to wax it to waterproof it, and like I said I have no experience in that department.

I would just like to clean it up and protect it, as when it is my turn to go to the light lol, I will be passing it along to one lucky hunter, like I was when it was handed to me.

This is the rifle, one guy I talked to said I could "steam it" to get the small dent and scratches out as Sheister said, but I do not want to go to any extent where I may F up my rifle.

You will notice that I chipped of a piece of wood by the Safety, this can use some wax I am thinking.

With seeing it and more background info, would you just oil it with linseed oil, without waxing or would you guys do both or nothing at all.

All i have ever done to it besides keeping the barrel clean is to rub Extra Virgin Olive Oil on it (I was drunk at the time), that's how much I know about wood care lol

Thanks again!

Well, that's a horse of a different color! Heavy on the Germanic influence. I kinda like it! What's it chambered for?

As stated, I can't recommend a finishing protocol without knowing what's on the wood now. I could take a pretty good stab at it in person but really that would be a guess too. Seriously, wait for the Ren Wax to get there and do a section of the wood, and if it pleases you (bet it will) go ahead and do the whole gun. Nothing lost by taking the conservative approach. (And ixnay on the olive oil. At least you're man enough to admit it was done when drunk. Not that I ever did such a thing, mind you....)

I had another older friend long ago who finished the maple stocks on the muzzle loaders he built with nothing but Johnson's Paste Wax. The 50 or so coats he rubbed onto them actually made for a very pretty finish and were quite durable too.

I repaired the herring bone pattern maple flooring in Howard K. Smith's den 25 years ago. Some of you older cats may remember him as a long-time foreign correspondent for one of the Big Three TV network news programs (ABC I think). While filming a biographical documentary with Walter Cronkite and friends one of the klieg lights exploded showering hot molten sparks onto the floor. He approached me and I accepted the job. What a PIA - the sections had to be replaced, there was no sanding the burn holes out, but I got to chat with Mr. Smith while I worked which made up for it. Anyway, I despaired about finding maple to match the rest of the floor. I pried up a section (they were all about 24"x4") to take around to wood guys to maybe come up with a match. Lo-and-behold right there tucked into the joists was a stash of the maple that the original flooring guy left behind! It then became a straightforward job.

The point of the story: the finish was nothing but beeswax. Rubbed and rubbed and rubbed, and nothing but straight beeswax. The repair panels are indistinguishable from the rest of the floor. The whole 1st floor of the house was finished like that, and Mrs. Smith slave-drived the "help" twice a year to get down on hands and knees to buff the floor by hand with fresh beeswax and defied them to use anything else at all. Gotta admit it was a beautiful honey color and obviously 20 years of use at that point hadn't dimmed the finish. (Put it on sparingly and molten and start rubbing before it has a chance to solidify.)

Fun story gnoahhh!

I think I will take your good advise and simply start with the Renaissance Micro-Crystalline Wax Polish, as others have recommended. Would you do any pre-cleaning to the wood prior to applying the wax?

My rifle is chambered in .30-06 and it has killed a lot of animals, I call it my "Killing Machine" and it will only be pried from "My Cold Dead Hands" lol

Thank you and everyone else for the great advise

PS: Out of curiosity, would you happen to know how to clean the silver butt plate, I own no silver except for that and have no idea?

I just ordered this stuff to clean the silver butt plate, I will tape the wood and clean the silver plate with it, then I will use the Renaissance Micro-Crystalline Wax Polish and do the entire stock, several times. I will post pictures after I am finished.

Looking forward to seeing how it looks after a good makeover. My rifle has been to hell and back and deserves a good spa treatment. I will keep the scars, sort of like notches on a pistol lol

Wright's is the secret final polish of many an Eskimo ivory carver. I use it regularly for polishing all kinds of stuff.

I use Renaissance Wax as well. I figure, if it's good enough for museum conservators, it's fine for my firearms. I use it on the walnut, (and maple stocked muzzleloaders), and on blued steel. Ive probably used less than a quarter of the can I bought decades ago.

Check out this water test from Larry Potterfield.

I would like to thank all of you Gentlemen for your input!

After reading all of the great advice here I have decided to do this project myself. I have read every word written here from you "Pards In the Know" and have studied and watched YouTube videos galore on proper rejuvenation of wood stocks.

Why am I doing this myself? Simply put, I love this rifle which my beautiful father handed down to me. In fact, I care more about this rifle than any human being I have ever met, and only trust myself with this project.

I will meticulously polish the silver plaque, then I will steam out the scratches and dings that I have put on over the years killing deer and moose. I will do this to the best of my ability, and then I will finish it by giving it a Hand Rubbed Oil Finish with Boiled Linseed Oil, might even give it 3 coats of Hand Rubbing, I will only stop until it's perfect.

I have it disassembled and my labor of love, starts tomorrow.

Thanks again gents, much appreciated!

PS Sheister: I read what you wrote:

"Never use steel wool on a stock finish. The little shards of metal that will break off can and will rust eventually and you will never be able to repair the finish without completely stripping the stock and starting over."

I will only use the finest of sandpapers to create a "Slurry" when I oil, no way with the Steel Wool. Thanks for that gem of advice!

Why would you want a "slurry" killing the luster and depth on a good piece of wood? The good guys in the old days had limited and expensive oils to deal with, hemce the rubbed or sanded in finishes. I have shown many folks how to prove to themselves why you do not want slurry in/on a good piece of wood.;

There is a huge difference between frank water and water vapor. Guess which one shoots past almost everything... the test is ridiculous for at least a hundred reasons.

Very interesting!

I was watching the YouTube video below he talked about the slurry. After reading your comment, I immediately realized that he was working on an old beaten-up wood stock, so the slurry was to cover flaws and serious imperfections.

Thanks for the heads up Sitka deer, all I want to do is lightly sand and steam a few areas to try to fix deep scratches. I will post a picture of the one scratch that I want to try to get rid of.

The question I have, is would any of you very lightly sand this entire stock, minus the checkering to clean it before applying the linseed oil? I am thinking 400 Grit, is that too aggressive? Also after you sand what do you guys use to clean the dust off of the stock, a damp rag?

Also, I did order Renaissance Micro-Crystalline Wax Polish, arriving today, but I am not sure it will need it after the oil application. I will be using it on the interior part of the stock to waterproof it.
The video:

This is one of the deep scratches I want to get out, not sure if steaming alone will do the job. How would you get it out, anyone?

Happened on a moose hunt when I fell over a dam log in thick chit. as you can see there are other smaller scratched and one area when the wood is compressed in, hoping so steaming will raise it a bit.

Usually, the 3M Scotchbrite pads are used between coats of finish to take off the rough spots and little nibs before putting on another coat. Then wipe it down with a good tack cloth to remove all the dust particles before adding another coat of finish.

As far as that scratch , it looks like you may need to take a hard wood block about 3 inches long and wrap some sand paper around it and go after that scratch carefully , blending into the surrounding wood surface so you don't end up with a hollow spot. There is a good chance you won't get all of it out without causing a hollow spot so knowing when to stop is going to be the trick here. Unless you want to strip the whole stock and reshape in places to remove all the scratches and dents (or what we call patina) , you will probably need to live with a few scratches left after refinishing. By time you get done with steaming all the dents and dings and sanding the scratches, you will need to add finish before putting on the wax. Matching the existing finish may or may not be difficult so that will be your call once you add finish. This is one of the reasons I use Truoil or Tung oil on vintage stocks- it seems to match most finishes as well as anything and it's easy to build up the finish until I'm happy with the thickness and gloss.

Thanks Sheister, what # grit would you go with I was thinking 400, but that might be too aggressive?

Once you take it off there is no going back, my goal is to get it back to looking "Refreshed" not to change any of its shape, as it fits me like a glove although it was formed (hand carved) to custom fit my father perfectly.

Thanks again!

Sorry Bob, but I think that scratch will go away easily and would not block sand it to depth at all.

I would use Formby's Furniture Refinisher on a Q-tip to wet it and keep it wet for about 10-15 minutes. Then wipe with the grain with the Formby's on a cloth. I bet it almost goes away as the finish comes together.

I agree with you.

The issue with a wood block when it comes to that scratch is that it is not on a flat surfaced area, it is contoured to fit my father's cheek, so if I were to use a block the indent is hollow and the block would be above the scratch and it would not touch the scratch if you know what I mean? I was thinking of using my fingertips and going very lightly. Would you steam the scratch before sanding?

You may well be right. All depends on how deep the scratch is and how contaminated the wood below the finish is. If it is just in the finish it will be easy to take care of as you stated, but if it is down to the wood the block sanding will at least level it off and give a good chance for finish to get into the scratch. If this stock was in my hands I would have a much better idea of how to approach these repairs...

I didn't notice the contour in the pictures. In any case, the least intrusive method is always the best way to start a repair- so as Art stated, use the Formby's repair first and see how it works out. If that doesn't take care of it to your satisfaction, move to lightly sanding with 240, then 320, but not any finer or your new finish won't have anything to gain a mechanical bond to . If you go down to the wood the finish will have a chemical bond to the wood and you shouldn't have any problems, but I still wouldn't go any finer than 320 with sandpaper.

OK got it Sheister, 320 it is!

I got the big scratch out today, very happy about that tomorrow it's Iron and Steaming Day to try to fix the dents, then a light sanding, followed by 2 or 3 coats of Boiled Linseed Oil, then the final touch a wax job with Renaissance Micro-Crystalline Wax Polish.

Should be done by the end of next week. Can't wait to see it beautified and rejuvenated and that monster scratch gone.

Thank you for all of your advice and I wish you a great weekend

Not boiled linseed oil... it has no place in a fine finish... BLO is very low grade oil before it starts, then they add driers to catalyze the oil and inhibitors to extend the shelf life. In the end it takes too long to dry and often gets gummy instead of hard. Despite many these days look highly on gummies it is a bad thing in finish. Go to a decent art or paint store and get pure oil and a tiny bottle of hardener.

You will eliminate a huge bit of risk that way...

BLO is for picks and pan handles.

+++a lot!

Thanks, Gents!

I saw so many people saying BLO on YouTube videos I assumed it was a good choice, but they all said it dried in 24 hours vs. days with Pure Oil and think they wanted the convenience of quick and were working average stocks. I want the best, not the quickest drying. I am in no rush.

Pure Linseed Oil is it! Can you recommend a brand name you trust?

Why the hardliner?

Can you give me a brand name of one you trust? How about this one, I like the fact that it is cold pressed, no heat involved in the extraction process.



As mentioned I just want to refresh, the finish, I definitely do not want to change the shape or form at all. I already got the deep scratch out, I am going to steam the dents to try to get them out today. Do you agree with the 320 grit, or would you go higher?

I used 400 grit to get the scratch out, worked like a charm. I panic when I start to see sawdust, as little as I have seen lol.

Thanks Again

That's the reason Sitka deer said to acquire a tiny bottle of drier/hardener along with the oil. If you don't have a local art supply store I suppose you have to order it online.

"I saw it on YouTube so it must be true" is the new "if it's published in the newspaper it must be true." In this game nothing beats hands-on empirically gained knowledge. Watch all the videos you want but at some point you gotta roll up your sleeves and learn for yourself.

Like so many other things, we all have convictions about how fine to go with the sandpaper. For axe handles( ) I'll go 150-220x, a Mossberg shotgun maybe 320x, and a fine gunstock 600x. My philosophy is to take the wood surface to the level of smoothness desired in the final finish before applying oil. When employing a barrier finish I stop at 320x. Heck, in the marine industry we stopped at 150x on exterior teak before varnishing (but blocked out with 320x between coats).

Partially guilty lol

But, fortunately for me, I have you gentlemen's advice to go with!

This is the only rifle I have ever done, will never do another, because my long-range rifle is a composite. Not much of a collector, I have been using this rifle for years, all I really need, except for elk, whenever I see them puppies while rifle hunting they are at longer ranges.

All I am trying to achieve is to get that nasty scratch out which I have done, and to try to correct the dents through steaming, hoping it works I will know by tonight. After that I just want to take the old oil off. I put Extra Virgin Olive oil on it one night after a successful moose hunt while parting with my friend Jack Daniels lol. I am using the #400 sandpaper, I am in no rush. I think I am going to go with #600 to take off the old oil, as mentioned I am in no way interested in modifying the shape.

At this point, I only wish that I had some experience on lesser rifles. The first being French walnut hand carved by a master Stockmaker make me very nervous, if you know what I mean.

Another question for you gent in "The Know"?

Would you steam the dents Before or After the light sanding?

Thanks and have a great Saturday

Resting in its dust-free hanging closet to dry out after a long day at the Steam Spa, worked on it for an hour or so, lots of smaller scratches and small dents to fix.

I am super happy with the progress! All but the nasty big dent above the big scratch came out, could not be happier. Tomorrow I will work on the big dent again I figure it's 80% better than it was. Hopefully tomorrow I will get it out completely, don't think I will but it's a huge improvement.

After that, light sanding to get it uniformed to the same color of the big deep scratch area, then a few coats of Organic Cold Pressed Linseed oil, with a finish of the Renaissance Micro-Crystalline Wax to protect the finish while hunting and to take it to Museum quality finish.

I figure with the Organic, Cold Pressed Linseed Oil, I will have to wait 3 weeks for the next application, so it will be a 2 1/2 month project.





Cleaned and polished the Sterling Silver Butt Plate, looks great.

Before



After

I am LOVING what I am seeing so far!

The dents, even the 2 biggest dents are gone, because of the heavy steaming applications I did, and the scratches are gone now as well. I had to do some heavy sanding (with extreme caution and only because it was necessary) with 400 grit to get the deep scratch out.

Here is a question for you boys in the know?

Because I had to sand the deep scratch to get it out, no choice, the color in that area became very light, I will now have to sand the entire rifle, to get it to a uniform color before I start oiling, I would like to clean the old oil out of the checkering, so it's not darker than the stock when I am finished.

How do you get the old oil out of the checkering, any suggestions? I am thinking Acetone and a toothbrush will work?

There are also a few small areas where the checkering is "Muddled" and slightly compressed. Will steaming the checkering bring them back, like it got the dents out?

Any assistance would be appreciated!

Thanks Kindly ~

Getting finish out of checkering can be a challenge. About the best way I've found is to use chemical stripper and brush it out as completely as possible as soon as the stripper starts to work and is still somewhat liquid. Acetone will quite possible thin down what finish is there and cause it to seep deeper into the cut grain and darken the checkered areas. If you're at that point, might as well chemically strip the entire stock . You will be left with a fairly clean wood surface with just some finish sanding to do for finish prep.

Steaming won't bring back compressed checkering in a reliable manner and will probably soften the diamonds enough that they will break off when brushing them or other wise contacting them . Best way to deal with compressed checkering is to get a single line checkering tool and recut them carefully to match up to the rest of the checkering pattern. If you haven't done this before you can screw it up pretty quickly so be very careful or have someone who knows how to checker do it for you.

Thanks for that info Sheister, after reading this, no way in the world will I even attempt fixing the checkering! It isn't that bad, but I am a perfectionist by nature, so I was hoping it was as simple as steaming out the dents and sanding out the scratches.

A before and after steaming and sanding and the color difference between the prepped stock and the checkering area. I was thinking of lightly sanding the entire rifle to get a uniform color, except for the checkering areas, with 600 grit.

I am pretty pleased with the steaming and got all of the dents out, then really big dent needed a little light sanding after steaming, but the steaming made it 95% better!

Can you recommend a stripper? Here is what I am dealing with. I have already lightly sanded out the imperfections after streaming throughout the rifle, instead of lightly sanding the rest of the rifle to get the uniform color I want before oiling, based on your recommendation, that stripper is a better option to get the old oil out of the wood that does not need to be repaired?

BEFORE





AFTER



Checkering Loaded in oil. F'ing Jack Daniels and Olive oil!

I just use what commercial strippers I find at Home Depot and never had a problem. Citrustrip usually works well as long as you follow directions. Be sure to remove all metal pieces- grip cap, butt plate, etc... Using stripper also reduces the chance you will round over your sharp edges sanding off the original finish- which most guys will do when sanding off finish- especially if you don't use a block around the sharp edges. Your stock has a lot of fine details that will take some careful attention to detail when final sanding to avoid losing the fine lines and sharp edges. You may need to invent some tools to deal with some of those fine lines or shaped areas, or leave them be and work very carefully around them.

I hear you loud and clear Sheister!

As mentioned I used 400 grit and took special care around the edges.

I bought EZ Strip this morning after reading your comment this morning. Luckily for me, there is no grip cap, it is all hand carved and rounded I am done sanding and steaming the bottom or the fore-end had several flattened areas, all fixed with steaming, super happy about that.

I did a trail area with Acetone, specifically the bottom rounded end of the pistol grip, it did a pretty good job removing old oil. Appreciate your advice about not using Acetone on the checkering as it may dilute the oil and make it penetrate deeper into the wood.

I will do one of the fore-end checkered grips, painting on EZ stripper and soft facecloth, if the results are good I will work on the pistol grip checkering, I may have to do it twice.

Thanks again!

Hey Sheister,

Well here are the before and after pics, some areas of the pistol Grip would use another session, but I will wait until they are completely dry before I make the call. What do you think?

I am very happy with the results, thanks for your guidance, sir!

Excellent results so far. One more light application of the stripper should take it down to bare wood or very close in all areas and then you can assess the next step. If it looks good, light sanding after a couple days of drying should get it ready for finish application. If you have some scratches that it would take excessive sanding that may leave a hollow spot, don't be afraid to leave a few patina marks like that in the finish. This is , after all, an heirloom piece and all those dings and dents are memories of use and don't need an excuse or explanation to anyone...

I agree with your assessment Sheister, I will do all the checkering 1 more time tomorrow after it dries for 24 hours and post the results.

You have no idea how grateful I am that you and others are assisting me on this important project!

Have a great evening Sir

Hi Sheister, I hope your day is going GREAT!

I have been working on the stock since last week (many hours of loving care) and just finished all of the work, except for the final sanding, and prep work for the oil.

I knew nothing of wood care before getting all of the great advice from gentlemen like you here on 24 hourcampfire. I never did any woodwork before the stock, and I have to say that because of you guys, it has turned out way better than I expected!

Would you like to see it, pre-oiling, I think it could use a little more work, your input would be appreciated!

I stripped the Checkering in some areas 4 different times until the Olive Oil staining was gone, as mentioned Jack Daniels and Olive oil do not mix well lol

Have a great evening Sir, and thanks again!

Good Evening Sheister this is it, still needs a little work IMO.

What do you think?

Another question for you Sir! I will be oiling the rifle with my fingers, how do you oil checkering? After all of my work that last thing I want to do is to over oil the checkering!

Looking good so far. Keep in mind any finish left on/in the wood will affect how the future finish looks so be careful to blend in the darker spots where finish is left after the stripping. It can get blotchy if left and finished over so keep that in mind. It wouldn't be the end of the world if you had to go back and resand an area to get to virgin wood in order to get a perfect finish, but hopefully it won't come to that. Might be good idea to remove the sling swivel studs before finishing so you can run long strokes and not have build up around the bases of the studs.

I left what I consider a good way, but probably not the only way, to do the checkering- in the other thread. Man, that's a good looking stock. Somebody loved what they were doing.

I hear you Sheister!

I am trying to avoid having to do it twice.

Tomorrow I will apply more stripper to the areas I circled, what say you?

If that takes it off it won't be necessary to remove wood by sanding. However, if it is "in the wood", stripper may not be able to pull it out. You may need to do a bit of sanding to get to virgin wood. Be careful not to reshape any areas by sanding. Only take off what you absolutely have to, or try some finish in those areas and a small adjacent area to see how it looks

I wish I could've seen it in person before the refinishing. Were the pores filled or was the finish open grained? Duplication of the original finish would've been dictated by those traits.

It would appear you're moving slowly and wisely asking for help which is to be commended for a first-timer!

And yes, I would apply the oil with fingertips. Less is more is a good rule to follow here.

Good morning gnoahhh,

The words I would use are completely Flooded and F'd Up!

As mentioned, I am the person to blame for this. I had absolutely no understanding of how to care for a high-quality stock and one night I loaded it up with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, figuring I was protecting the wood. Admittedly not one of my best decisions and do I ever regret that now, Jack Daniels and EEVO don't mix well. lol

When I get to the oiling stage, I will "Gingerly" apply the Oil, I will do two coats, giving it a minimum of three weeks to dry between coats. Going back to the Thread Heading, I bought Renaissance Wax, and am seriously considering finishing it with that to "Waterproof the oil finish"

Here are the before pics.

Hi Sheister, well I finished the final round of stripping, I actually was brave enough to take the butt plate off and while I did that a tiny chip of part of the top wood/plate connection broke off, very small, upset about it though! I think it was glued on before he screwed it on.

With that said I am happy I took it off it was very dirty behind the plaque.

Now that I am ready for oiling, and have wetted down the stock I can feel that the wood fibers are raised, it feels rough. Would you recommend very light sanding before I apply the oil, I bought some 600 grit which is pretty light, I just want to smooth it out without taking any wood off. Do you agree with that strategy?

Also how many days would you give the rifle to completely dry out, since last week it has been through quite the ordeal with all of the stripping, steaming and ironing, sanding, and getting wet, should I give it a full week to be on the safe side?

I am in no rush, thank you and have a great day!

Taking the raised grain off is a fairly simple matter. Any 320-400 grit sandpaper will take it off quickly with a very light sanding. Just don't remove any additional wood once you get a smooth surface.
If the stock is hung inside to dry it should be ready in a couple days. Doesn't hurt to be on the safe side and let it dry longer if you feel it needs it.

Would you put any glue on the back of the butt plate, before screwing it back on?

I think the best bet is to screw it back on before I oil, what say you?

It polished up pretty nice, good scratch on it most likely from the same fall that made the big scratch on the cheek rest. What can a poor boy do right lol

No, butt plates shouldn't be glued on IMO for many reasons. One of the most important is that wood moves from moisture changes and any glue you put on is likely to fail at some point anyway due to this movement. Also, you need to be able to remove the plate for future repairs if they become necessary.

I hope the EVOO was organic, cold-pressed!
🤣

Of course, I used the same oil on my girlfriend, would be a cad to use boiled Olive Oil on her 🤣

OK nix on the glue, nice call. So happy to have your insight Sheister!

Hi Sheister, a few more questions.

Picture # 1

Then I screwed in the Sling screw, it popped through through a very thin layer of wood and is now exposed, had no idea that would happen when I screwed it in, man was I pissed!

So I am thinking I will reverse it 1 rotation and fill the top of the hole with Plastic Wood, do you have a better idea? I am thinking plastic wood filler will stop the water from leaking into the screw hole.

Picture # 2,3

As mentioned I took off the Butt Plate, this was my discovery inside, quite surprised to see it was Black, I figure it is some kind of mold, messy chit for sure. I tried to get rid of it by putting some stripper on it, didn't work. What it did do was leach some black mold onto the wood at the top of the plaque. How would you tackle that?

I have taped it and thinking of stripping the wood butt again, is that what you would do?

Picture #4,5

There is a tiny piece of wood that popped off the design, I do not think I can do anything about that, except to replace the plaque and oil it to protect the wood. Any suggestions?

Thank you Sir!

Well, guys, I just finished all of the stripping, steaming, and sanding. Took me an entire week.

After a week of work and many hours, I am now ready to oil my new and improved stock. Don't think you can do much better, even if you paid a pro.

What do you guys think?

Excellent

Nice. Evidently you're a quick study!

Good job of prep. Any finish job is only as good as the prep. The finish is the easy part in most cases....

Sorry I didn't see your post earlier about the sling stud. I wouldn't worry too much about it at the moment. Once you have the finish work done, grind the tip of the stud down just enough so you have room for a bit of epoxy and install it. Then put a bit of epoxy in the hole in the barrel channel , let it dry, and sand it down level. Then finish the inside of the barrel channel to seal it from moisture intrusion.

I wouldn't worry about the butt too much actually. You have to consider that first off the butt is end grain so it will look different once it has finish on it. Also, since the butt stock is relatively elaborately checkered and carved to fit your silver plate, anything you do to the butt risks damage to the existing work. The small chip can be repaired but it will take some thought how you want to go about it. The easy way is to mix up some epoxy with brown die in it and put it on the spot after the finish is complete, let it dry, and sand very carefully to match the surrounding surfaces. Since it is such a small repair it may not show up much. Adding some walnut sawdust to the epoxy would help to hide the repair substantially. Another way to deal with it is to get a small sliver of walnut and shape it to the corner with the silver plate installed. Don't worry about it being too big, just shape the corner to fit the small area good and tight, then glue it in and clamp it in place. Once dry, sand down to match the surrounding surfaces very carefully and add some finish to match. It is actually much easier than it sounds and will be almost invisible once completed.

Thanks for the kind words gents, and thanks for the additional tips Sheister.

Well after researching the hell out of which oil to use, I have decided to go with Pure Tung Oil, and finish with the Renaissance Wax. Looking forward to showing you guys the finished rifle!

Have a great day ~

I use pure tung oil a lot on various projects, but I measure out a couple teaspoons full into a small container then add a couple drops of varnish. That gives a little bit of a "pop" to the finish. Sort of a dilute TruOil.

Great choice gnoahhh!

Been doing tones of research on oils, and after all the reasearch I discovered the following?

It's all-natural, non-toxic, and eco-friendly, and it doesn't yellow as much over time as common finishes like linseed oil, nitrocellulose lacquer, or varnishes like polyurethane. On the other hand, tung oil is expensive and susceptible to water rings, stains, and scratches.

Susceptible to water damage and stains (although more resistant to liquids than linseed oil) plus I will have 1 finishing coat of wax to further protect it.

Susceptible to scratches (although more durable than linseed oil)

Cost is typically higher than linseed oil.

Typically requires up to 5 coats to produce a more pleasing satin sheen.

Winner, Winner Tung Oil for Rifle Finisher for Diner hehehe.

My goal, when I am done with the final coat of Renascence Wax after 7 coats of Tung oil: I want the rifle to look PERFECT, so I will get a big "Atta Boy" from my departed father, who I am sure is looking down at me with a smile on his handsome face while I work on his beautiful P17!

Well guys, after all of my hard detailed work the 1st Oiling with a 40/50 cut of Tung Oil and Mineral Spirits. in 30 minutes I will dry it off and let it sit for the next application, heavier on the oil, thinking of putting on 8 coats, with the final coat being 100% pure Tung Oil

I was as nervous as a bed bug applying it!

What do you think?

Looks nice.

Thanks Craigster, appreciated!

Keep on rockin'! (But I'm not so sure the thinner in the oil helps with penetration into the wood. It'll soak in, sure, but it doesn't carry the oil with it. It'll help with drying though.)

Hi gnoahhh, I was watching a YouTube of a carpenter that said to cut it that way for better penetration.

here is his video:



Tomorrow I will be going 60/40 oil to Mineral Spirits.

better picture of the other side. I am soooooooooooooo happy that Cluster F of EVOO is gone from the pistol grip, now you can see the grain in the grip before it was just black.