Wooden Stock Treatment

DennisCA · September 24, 2013, 09:29 PM

Most of the firearms I own have wooden stocks, a lot of them are C&R's.

So what's a good product to use on them?

Buzzcook · September 24, 2013, 11:46 PM

Mild detergent in warm water to clean them. Oil based furniture polish every once in a while. Auto paste wax to protect the finish.

Refinishing is another matter.

wogpotter · September 25, 2013, 08:18 AM

To use, or to preserve for a collection?

Different techniques & materials suit the different applications.

PetahW · September 25, 2013, 11:18 AM

.

I use Howard's Feed 'N Wax, found in most good harware stores or Home Cheapo/Lowe's.

http://www.howardproducts.com/prod-feed-n-wax.php

.

DennisCA · September 25, 2013, 02:55 PM

wogpotter- To use, or to preserve for a collection?

All my guns are shooters, no wall-hangers (so far).

So I guess I'll need something to preserve the wood, since of my guns are fairly old.

tahunua001 · September 25, 2013, 03:58 PM

the two most common are boiled linseed oil and pure tung oil. japanese and american rifles used BLO, as far as I know most europeans flip flopped back and forth between PTO and BLO, ruskies used shellac.

for the most part either BLO or PTO are acceptable on anything with PTO giving a shinier finish for guys that like their warhorses decorative. I use linseed on all my guns. it's easily removed if anyone wants to.

wogpotter · September 25, 2013, 04:29 PM

OK.

It depends on the original finish. Mostly because you don't want incompatible layers reacting.

British rifle. Linseed oil. If the finish is matte & almost tacky raw linseed, if it's semi-gloss & non tacky Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO).

US prior to the end of WW2 BLO.
US after WW2: Tung oil.

Russian: any kind of hard varnish, shellac preferred.

Japanese: I have no idea someone else will chip in on that one.

Hey, at least I got you started off

tahunua001 · September 25, 2013, 09:20 PM

wogpotter, as far as I have been able to ascertain, the japs used linseed oil as well.

Tidewater_Kid · September 26, 2013, 09:38 PM

The original finish on Japanese rifles was Urushi. Found this on another forum...

By Cabinetman:
The Urushi was, in fact, the finish as you've indicated. However, while it's called a "lacquer", it's really a distillation of a tree sap from a family of trees related to the Sumac family. And, not the pretty, edible Sumac, but the one we called "poison Sumac". There have been many cases of guys who sand away the original failed finish only to break out in a terrible rash, even inside their mouths as this stuff powders up easily. So, keep that in mind.

TK

gdvan01 · September 27, 2013, 02:18 PM

I've used Tom's 1/3 Mix on my Garand and a Vietnam bring-back SKS:

http://www.thegunstockdoctor.com/

September 24, 2013, 09:29 PM	#1
DennisCA Senior Member Join Date: June 3, 2012 Location: Union City CA (a.k.a. Poople's Republik of CA) Posts: 451	Wooden Stock Treatment Most of the firearms I own have wooden stocks, a lot of them are C&R's. So what's a good product to use on them?

September 25, 2013, 08:18 AM	#3
wogpotter Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2004 Posts: 4,811	To use, or to preserve for a collection? Different techniques & materials suit the different applications. __________________ Allan Quatermain: “Automatic rifles. Who in God's name has automatic rifles”? Elderly Hunter: “That's dashed unsporting. Probably Belgium.”

September 25, 2013, 03:58 PM	#6
tahunua001 Senior Member Join Date: July 21, 2011 Location: Idaho Posts: 7,839	the two most common are boiled linseed oil and pure tung oil. japanese and american rifles used BLO, as far as I know most europeans flip flopped back and forth between PTO and BLO, ruskies used shellac. for the most part either BLO or PTO are acceptable on anything with PTO giving a shinier finish for guys that like their warhorses decorative. I use linseed on all my guns. it's easily removed if anyone wants to. __________________ ignore my complete lack of capitalization. I still have no problem correcting your grammar. I never said half the stuff people said I did-Albert Einstein You can't believe everything you read on the internet-Benjamin Franklin

September 25, 2013, 04:29 PM	#7
wogpotter Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2004 Posts: 4,811	OK. It depends on the original finish. Mostly because you don't want incompatible layers reacting. British rifle. Linseed oil. If the finish is matte & almost tacky raw linseed, if it's semi-gloss & non tacky Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO). US prior to the end of WW2 BLO. US after WW2: Tung oil. Russian: any kind of hard varnish, shellac preferred. Japanese: I have no idea someone else will chip in on that one. Hey, at least I got you started off __________________ Allan Quatermain: “Automatic rifles. Who in God's name has automatic rifles”? Elderly Hunter: “That's dashed unsporting. Probably Belgium.”

September 25, 2013, 09:20 PM	#8
tahunua001 Senior Member Join Date: July 21, 2011 Location: Idaho Posts: 7,839	wogpotter, as far as I have been able to ascertain, the japs used linseed oil as well. __________________ ignore my complete lack of capitalization. I still have no problem correcting your grammar. I never said half the stuff people said I did-Albert Einstein You can't believe everything you read on the internet-Benjamin Franklin

September 24, 2013, 11:46 PM	#2
Buzzcook Senior Member Join Date: November 29, 2007 Location: Everett, WA Posts: 6,126	Mild detergent in warm water to clean them. Oil based furniture polish every once in a while. Auto paste wax to protect the finish. Refinishing is another matter.

September 25, 2013, 11:18 AM	#4
PetahW Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2008 Posts: 4,678	. I use Howard's Feed 'N Wax, found in most good harware stores or Home Cheapo/Lowe's. http://www.howardproducts.com/prod-feed-n-wax.php .

September 25, 2013, 02:55 PM	#5
DennisCA Senior Member Join Date: June 3, 2012 Location: Union City CA (a.k.a. Poople's Republik of CA) Posts: 451	wogpotter- To use, or to preserve for a collection? All my guns are shooters, no wall-hangers (so far). So I guess I'll need something to preserve the wood, since of my guns are fairly old.

September 26, 2013, 09:38 PM	#9
Tidewater_Kid Senior Member Join Date: July 3, 2005 Location: Alabama Posts: 925	The original finish on Japanese rifles was Urushi. Found this on another forum... By Cabinetman: The Urushi was, in fact, the finish as you've indicated. However, while it's called a "lacquer", it's really a distillation of a tree sap from a family of trees related to the Sumac family. And, not the pretty, edible Sumac, but the one we called "poison Sumac". There have been many cases of guys who sand away the original failed finish only to break out in a terrible rash, even inside their mouths as this stuff powders up easily. So, keep that in mind. TK

September 27, 2013, 02:18 PM	#10
gdvan01 Senior Member Join Date: November 15, 2006 Location: Home of the first First Lady Posts: 463	I've used Tom's 1/3 Mix on my Garand and a Vietnam bring-back SKS: http://www.thegunstockdoctor.com/ __________________ NRA Endowment Life Member Proud Son of a former Tomb Guard