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.

\

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.