Help caring for a wood stock

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PhilA

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Hey folks,

I'm about to take possession of a GORGEOUS Winchester 94 made in 1953. The wood has been very well maintained, and I'd like to keep it that way.

Been doing some research, and can't decide what's best...oil or wax? From what I've read about walnut oil, it seems like that's what a lot of people use, but I don't like what I'm reading about how it dries to a hard shine. I don't want a glossy finish, but would prefer a satiny smoothness. Which is what some wax finishes seem to give.

Anyone here recommend one over the other for keeping a nice, warm rich finish on a 54 year old gun stock?

Thanks.
 
Any oil you add to the stock will add a little sheen. Wax, while more dull, will do the same. It's kind of like waxing a car. From what you are wanting I would probably go with the stock wax.
 
If the reddish factory finish is still intact, all you need to do it is treat it like a piece of fine furniture.

I maintain my old Winchester collection with an occasional wipe-down with Lemon Oil on a soft cloth. That will remove surface dirt, without changing the gloss or filling the finish.

Don't even consider adding to the finish with any kind of hand rubbed linseed oil, tung oil, or other oil or wax.
It will all eventually build up, fill the grain, and make your old Winchester look like a poor copy of a Chinese Weatherby!

The old Winchesters were stained with a red-brown oil stain before the top finish was applied, and it is very difficult to match or patch it and get the right color.

rcmodel
 
The finish seems intact from the photos I've seen of it. I won't pick it up until tomorrow, but here's a pic.

All I want to do is keep the wood healthy and prevent it from drying/fading, etc. Will lemon oil work better than wax for that?
 

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Beautiful rifle. I collect Winchester's among others so here's my advice. Winchester dipped their stocks in oil stain then they applied a coat of Ducco Laquer. Ducco was the brand and the it was just a simple laquer without hardeners like todays modern "pre-catalyzed laquers. You can care for it the same way you would any 50 year old piece of furniture. Laquers are very soft so you won't want to be rubbing on it much. It really doesn't need much attention and as stated already too much rubbing and wiping of anything can make laquer become too shiny and artificial looking. Johnson paste wax will work but don't do it often because the carrier is a mild solvent. It won't hurt the finish at all but it could diminish the laquer if done too often. Also don't over oil the receiver on these. And store horizontally or on the muzzle. Most of these are a little oil soaked in the wrist. Yours looks perfect from what I can see. Take a minimalist approach. Too much TLC is a bad thing. A silicone cloth will make the stock look as good as anything and will add a little protection.
 
Thanks for all the info.

Yep--I agree, she IS lovely isn't she? :) Can't wait to get my hands on her tomorrow.
 
on the muzzle?

Horsemany--store on the muzzle? Why's that? I've never heard of storing guns that way.
 
Oil runs down out of the action and soaks into the wood.
It is especially hard on two-piece stocks like your 94 with open end-grain wood next to the receiver joint.

Many old Winchesters & other guns have ruined wood from years of oil soaking into them.

Course, it didn't help that every Hoppies cleaning kit came with a big honken can of light-weight sewing machine oil!

Everyone thought if a little oil was good, a lot must be even better!
Otherwise, why did they give you so much in the cleaning kit?

Course it all ran down and soaked into the stock in a few hours when the gun was setting in the corner muzzle up!

Stored muzzle down, it all runs down the barrel and out the end.

IMHO: Nothing wrong with muzzle up, as long as you don't drench the action in oil everytime you clean it.

rcmodel
 
I have been using a finishing mixture diluted a bit, called Slakum oil alleged to be the finish on some of the better British guns. I found the formula over on doublegunshop.com forums.

It contains linseed oil. carnuba wax. turpentine and Venetian turpentine. A little bit(finger dab) goes a long way and coats a whole stock then rub down with soft cloth or paper towel
 
Feel free to use wax. Wax will not build up because it contains a wax solvent that incorporates the old coat with the new, so the overall thickness remains the same. If you get wax in screw holes or anywhere you don't want it that doesn't wipe easily, a soft bristled brush will remove it. It will wear off on it's own with some use. Wax should not make the finish look flat. If it does, you need to wipe it smooth with a soft cloth. The gun will feel a bit more "grippy" in the hand but will look the same. As stated, a silicone cloth is always a safe bet and works well.

Wax is good for keeping fingerprints off the metal. Wax is not a barrier to water vapor movement, and is the least protective of all wood finishes. Wax is useful on a gun as a lubricant that helps prevent small scratches in the finish.

I have never heard that the solvent in paste wax will effect lacquer. I understand that lacquer is an often misused term, so whatever Winchester used might be effected by wax solvent while a true or modern lacquer would not.
 
PhilA

DO NOT use Birchwood Casey gun stock wax on your pristine Winchester please. It is a very watery thin wax that adds nothing in terms of protection or looks. It seems slightly acidic and I think it actually dulled the stock on one of my Pre 64 model 70's. It doesn't really haze up like real wax. If you love wax the two that are the most popular and work the best are; Microcrystalline Renaissance Wax and SC Johnsons paste wax. The Ren-Wax is extremely expensive, needs to be ordered, and is used by museum conservators world wide. I believe all of the guns in the NRA museum are preserved with Ren-wax, it's made in England for her majesty the Queen according to the label. But I actually prefer SC Johnson's paste wax. They are very similar in appearance and dry and buff off the same. One problem with waxes is you have to use a liquid of some sort to protect the internal mechanisms and bore that can't be reached for waxing. As stated already waxes do not offer stellar corrosion protection so I kinda gave up on wax. Do not experiment with just any wax as most auto waxes have abrasives in them to strip away oxidation in the paint. The thought of abrasives on the pristine laquer of your Winchester just made me throw up in my mouth a lil bit.

I do my own corrosion testing going on 4 years now. I've done dozens of tests and experimented with my own collection most of which is in long term storage. I have found the more conventional products such as BF CLP, Birchwood Casey Barricade, Gunslick Gun-Seal, Hoppes Gun Grease and others to be a better choice than wax. They offer more rust protection, enhance the appearance better (wax creates a grayish hue on high polish bluing), and the products I've listed will last for a year between applications without a problem. I have a corrosion test in my garage in which the bare steel treated with BF CLP is still bright and rust free after 20 applications of saltwater spray over 2 years ago.
 
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