Is anyone familiar with this product from Birchwood Casey? I have used their Tru-oil a lot, and it's a phenomenal product, but a little bit "sticky" to my hands (sometimes that's good, sometimes that's bad). Wondering it this is less so.



(p.s. I cannot just buy it and try it as it cannot be shipped to California.)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: kkina,

I have never used the Birchwood Casey stuff, but I have used Tom's 1/3 Wax quite a bit. Mostly on Garands and such. It smells good, dries quickly, and protects the stock. It's based on the old "Gunny Paste" used way back in the day to protect wood stocks.

http://www.thegunstockdoctor.com/Products.html

Brownells Renaissance wax, used by museums.

Thanks, guys. Are these finishes "sticky" at all? I'm refinishing martial arts weapons, and my hand needs to slide freely, but grip when it needs to. Kind of strange, but neither sticky nor slippery. I'm finding a straight oil finish a bit sticky.

I use Johnsons Paste floor wax or Butchers Paste floor wax on my gunstocks as well as on the metal itself. It is neither sticky nor slippery, leaves a kind of satin finish and protects the metal against rust. No "finger print" rust marks after handling and forgetting to wipe it down. I keep a small rag in the can and wipe it on as needed. Let it dry for a few minutes and buff it off. It is an oil based wax (vs. water based) so a damp rag with alcohol or solvent will take it off.

quote:

Originally posted by kkina:
Thanks, guys. Are these finishes "sticky" at all? I'm refinishing martial arts weapons, and my hand needs to slide freely, but grip when it needs to. Kind of strange, but neither sticky nor slippery. I'm finding a straight oil finish a bit sticky.

Renaissance Wax nicely buffed makes a very smooth, slick finish.

quote:

Originally posted by mbinky:
I have never used the Birchwood Casey stuff, but I have used Tom's 1/3 Wax quite a bit. Mostly on Garands and such. It smells good, dries quickly, and protects the stock. It's based on the old "Gunny Paste" used way back in the day to protect wood stocks.

http://www.thegunstockdoctor.com/Products.html

I'm a big fan of Tom's. It's sticky/waxy when first applied, but dries to a nice, smooth, waterproof finish after a few days.

Very easy to apply. Rub it in by hand using moderate speed/pressure. (You should feel your hand warming up from the friction). Wait ~30 minutes. Buff it off with a clean old t-shirt. Set it aside to dry for a day or two.

I've used Howard's Feed-N-Wax with good results.

Another fan of Tom's here. Good stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiOUXOpN7DA

quote:

Originally posted by TomV:
I've used Howard's Feed-N-Wax with good results.

Haven't tried the others but Howard's has served me well also.

Michael

quote:

Originally posted by jjkroll32:

quote:

Originally posted by kkina:
Thanks, guys. Are these finishes "sticky" at all? I'm refinishing martial arts weapons, and my hand needs to slide freely, but grip when it needs to. Kind of strange, but neither sticky nor slippery. I'm finding a straight oil finish a bit sticky.

Renaissance Wax nicely buffed makes a very smooth, slick finish.

Indeed, and obtainable many places including Woodcraft.

Here's a nice video that mentions Renaissance Wax. Also interesting is his side-by-side experiment. I am interested in sample #4, which is a wax-over-oil finish. It obviously provides superior protection; if it provides a non-sticky finish, it'll be the way to go.



I was able to get a bottle of the Birchwood Casey product shipped to me. Will update this thread after I get a chance to try it out.

I just picked up a Garand. The stock is nicely grained but has so much residue on it that it looks almost black.
What would you use to clean it before applying a wax? It also has a few gouges that I would like to steam up but not eliminate. They add character.

Thanks,

Bruce

quote:

Originally posted by RNshooter:
I just picked up a Garand. The stock is nicely grained but has so much residue on it that it looks almost black.
What would you use to clean it before applying a wax? It also has a few gouges that I would like to steam up but not eliminate. They add character.

I'd recommend against steaming or waxing your Garand. Doing so will hurt its collector value.

To clean a dirty/greasy Garand stock without altering its collectors value, do what the CMP recommends. I've used this technique with good results on several dirty USGI rifle stocks.

Go to Section 9 at this link: http://thecmp.org/training-tec...od-cleaning-article/ It's the section titled "Cleaning a Dirty or Greasy or Dry Collector Stock". It reads:

quote:

All that the new owner needs to do to clean a collector stock of crud and whatever else is to get some cheese cloth, the funny open weave stuff, and use some pure tung oil to wet it. As the wood is rubbed with the cloth and tung oil, the new oil will dissolve the old crud that is dried and stuck on. The cheese cloth will collect the crud and carry it away as the cloth is turned. There is nothing more needed to clean a real USGI stock in near perfect condition.

ANY complicated formula product that is used will take away finish, stain, wood and so on. The result will be other than original. Some collectors believe that any cleaning by any means creates a non-original result and that nothing should be done to that quality of stock so as to preserve its historical originality. Again, there are choices to be made by a new owner. What is very clear is that mineral spirits, turpentine, paint thinner, refinisher, strippers, sand paper, steel wool, abrasive pads, any thing besides soft cloth, will cut the wood and take the color and finish away. Most people feel these things should not be done to a collector grade stock.

Cheese cloth, pure tung oil, and a bit of elbow grease will clean the stock, leave it protected, and it will look perfect. Don't let the tung oil sit on the top of the wood wet or soak in forever or even worse dry on the surface. Clean the wood and then wipe it dry to cure as soon as the user is finished cleaning.

Be sure you're using 100% pure tung oil. DO NOT use the "Tung Oil Finish" found at your local hardware store, which is a little bit of oil and a large amount of other chemicals like varnishes, thinners, and drying agents. I get my 100% pure tung oil from https://www.realmilkpaint.com/...pure-tung-chinawood/ An 8 ounce bottle costs $9.99, and is more than enough to do several stocks.

Like the CMP article advises, all you need is cheesecloth, pure tung oil, and some clean rags. Wet the cheesecloth with a little bit of tung oil, and scrub the stock. You'll need to use a lot of elbow grease. As the weave of the cloth clogs with old dirt and grime from the stock, switch to a cleaner section of cloth or to a new cheesecloth as needed. Reapply small amounts of tung oil as needed to keep the cloth wet, but a little will go a long way. Keep scrubbing until there's little to no additional dirt/grime being deposited on the cheesecloth. Once you're finished, wipe the stock down with a clean, dry rag to remove any excess tung oil from the surface, and set it aside to dry for a day or so.

This tung oil scrub will not only clean the grime from the wood, but will also help moisturize the dry wood. However, depending on how dry the wood is, it might need another coat of oil. Wait a day after the scrub and take another look at the stock. If the wood still looks dry after the initial tung oil scrub, then you can wipe on another light coat of pure tung oil with a clean rag, let it sit for 20-30 minutes, and wipe off the excess from the surface with a clean, dry rag.

Thanks for the info. I will try that technique.

Bruce

You can't beat Renaissance Wax. No, it isn't sticky.