Gunstock wax?

[Sirous]

I got a little wax to put on my Marlin 60. I mostly just wanted it to look a little glossier, I didn't think it really needed wax since the laminate on it was probably already pretty weather-resistant.

Friend of mine recommended using Minwax and said it would leave a much harder finish, and that seems like it would be ideal. He also suggested Turtle Wax since it has little abrasives in it that could smooth up some of the rough spots the waxing has revealed--little raised bumps is the best way I could describe it.

Right now I just have three coats of Birchwood Casey gunstock wax on. I just rubbed on by hand until dry/sticky, then buffed with speed/pressure with a wash rag. It has a nice sheen on it but I'm wondering how many more coats I'll need until it's as glossy as I'd like.

I've also seen it suggested somewhere that one should wax the underside of their barrel ( where it meets the stock ) to prevent rusting, but I don't really think that's needed since I'll probably just make sure to take the rifle down and dry it out on cold days, and I don't really do any hunting so there shouldn't be any other worries about it getting wet.


Anywho, don't wanna get too obsessive over a stock on a $150 gun, but I think I could make it look a little nicer.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

One of the best waxes, especially for the money, is Johnson's paste wax. It is for wood floors and furniture. It comes in a metal can and will set you back about 5 bucks. A can is enough to wax a truck load of guns. You can put it on all metal and wood for protection. It will really make blueing "pop". It does a great job of protecting metal from rust and keeps the guns from showing fingerprints.........With all that said, if I wanted glossier protection, I would have put a coat or two of Birchwood Casey TruOil on the stock before I waxed it.

 

[BCRider]

The wax will only do so much to make a matt finish shiney. If you want a more glossy look then one option is the steps used by the Henry lever gun guys. Get a bottle of automotive ScratchX and use that to rub out the finish on the stock to remove some of the matt dullness. THEN use a coat or two of the Birchwood Casey or any other wax to bring up a nice warm sheen. Note that it'll never build to a gloss lacquer like look. But you can get it to where it looks pretty darn nice.

More than one or two coats of wax is a waste. The application of the next coat cuts into and partially removed the lower coat. After some number of applications you're stripping away as much as you're adding. Typically it's one to three. After that you're just wasting your time.

 

[JohnM]

I use Minwax Paste Finishing Wax, probably about the same as the Johnson's paste.
Really a tough wax, I use it on everything from bamboo rods to guns.
Been working on the same 1 pound can for years

 

[jcwit]

Use a paste car wax, works great.

 

[mshootnit]

renaissance wax, but really you don't need to wax a firearm. Just keep the wood clean and once every couple years rub a light coat of BLO on it.

 

[bigedp51]

In our pre-petroleum age the triple mix of 1/3 raw linseed oil, 1/3 beeswax and 1/3 turpentine was used to protect firearms. It was applied to both the wood and metal of the firearms for protection from the elements or a "rain coat" for bad weather. This mixture was also used as a "cosmoline" for protecting Civil War firearms in storage.

And now the funny part...................

This triple mix was also used by woman of the house as furniture polish.

Natural oil and wax using the evaporative turpentine oil from pine trees as a thinning medium.

 

[frank c]

Howard feed in wax and johnsons paste wax are hard to beat.coobie

 

[SGW42]

Used Minwax furniture wax when I recently refinished my Mosin stock. Worked out very nice, was easy to apply and polish. 3 or 4 coats, and it has a nice sheen but not gloss.

 

[loadedround]

I had an old Sgt Mgr give me some advice many years ago, and that was to use 'Kiwi" clear shoe polish for polishing and waterpoofing both gunstocks and metal. I have been using this product for years since it works and it'cheap.