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Bees wax gun finishes. Recipes?
- Thread starter kjm
- Start date
This is taken from pages 59 and 60 of 'Understanding Wood Finishing - How to select and apply the right finish' by Bob Flexner. Probably one of the best books on finishing wood:
"In some ways wax is like oil and oil/varnish finishes: It is easy to apply, produces a satin sheen, and cures soft. But a wax finish is even less protective than linseed oil. In fact, wax is the least protective of all finishes. It is the closest thing to having no finish at all on the wood."
and further:
"You'll come across formulas that suggest mixing wax with other finishes such as linseed oil or a mixture of linseed oil and varnish. Though it is possible to mix wax with these finishes, it is generally not a good idea. The resulting finish will be even softer than without the wax. In many cases the finish will be so soft that you will smudge it every time you touch it."
I'd pick another finish and save the bees wax as a polish.
"In some ways wax is like oil and oil/varnish finishes: It is easy to apply, produces a satin sheen, and cures soft. But a wax finish is even less protective than linseed oil. In fact, wax is the least protective of all finishes. It is the closest thing to having no finish at all on the wood."
and further:
"You'll come across formulas that suggest mixing wax with other finishes such as linseed oil or a mixture of linseed oil and varnish. Though it is possible to mix wax with these finishes, it is generally not a good idea. The resulting finish will be even softer than without the wax. In many cases the finish will be so soft that you will smudge it every time you touch it."
I'd pick another finish and save the bees wax as a polish.
I concur with bastiat. I'm a cabinetmaker and use Flexner's book and finishing techniques almost exclusively. The last thing you want is a rifle stock that is sticky or oily. Beeswax will never dry and on hot days, will make your stock sticky.
If you're looking for an extremely easy finish, just use tung oil. You won't find 100% tung oil in a can, but mixed with some other medium. You can apply it in as many coats as you want and increase the sheen or gloss. It pronounces the grain of the underlying wood but does provide a good, stable finish for gun stocks. Most military stocks were oiled using tung.
BTW, DON'T USE MINERAL OIL!! I recently picked up a very nice Hakim but the stock was so oily that every time it was exposed to any heat, it weeped oil! Horrible. It took me two days to stabilize that stock and refinish it.
Head to the library and look up Bob's book. You'll find it a has a wealth of understandable, informative tips on finishing and stripping.
Rome
If you're looking for an extremely easy finish, just use tung oil. You won't find 100% tung oil in a can, but mixed with some other medium. You can apply it in as many coats as you want and increase the sheen or gloss. It pronounces the grain of the underlying wood but does provide a good, stable finish for gun stocks. Most military stocks were oiled using tung.
BTW, DON'T USE MINERAL OIL!! I recently picked up a very nice Hakim but the stock was so oily that every time it was exposed to any heat, it weeped oil! Horrible. It took me two days to stabilize that stock and refinish it.
Head to the library and look up Bob's book. You'll find it a has a wealth of understandable, informative tips on finishing and stripping.
Rome
The "beeswax formula" is an old GI trick (back in the days when GIs had rifles with wooden stocks). They'd mix it with their issued Linseed or Tung oil. Together they make a great non-shiny military finish and the properties of each complement one another. The "beeswax formula" is still widely used by military collectors, service rifle shooters, and anyone who doesn't care for the dipped-in-plastic-look that most new rifles have.
Here's what I use: mix equal parts of beeswax, pure Tung oil, and odorless mineral sprits. I keep mine in an 8oz. glass baby food jar. Put the lid on a shake it up. If needed warm it up in a microwave for 10 seconds to help the wax melt. It will form a viscous fluid that looks like applesauce. I use my fingers to rub it into a stock, it turns to a liquid, penetrates the wood, let it sit overnight and wipe off any excess. Little goes a long way. I've detailed stripped, power cleaned, sanded, stained, and refinished six M1 Garands and I still have 1/3rd of my baby food jar full.
You've got the beeswax, I've been using the wax from a toilet bowl seal. 100% pure Tung oil is hard to find, Brownells has it, the stuff at hardware stores will contain a long list of additives - personally I don't want anything that will add shine. The mineral spirits evaporate pretty quick but are an essential ingredient because it helps the oil and wax penetrate the wood. -- Kernel
Here's what I use: mix equal parts of beeswax, pure Tung oil, and odorless mineral sprits. I keep mine in an 8oz. glass baby food jar. Put the lid on a shake it up. If needed warm it up in a microwave for 10 seconds to help the wax melt. It will form a viscous fluid that looks like applesauce. I use my fingers to rub it into a stock, it turns to a liquid, penetrates the wood, let it sit overnight and wipe off any excess. Little goes a long way. I've detailed stripped, power cleaned, sanded, stained, and refinished six M1 Garands and I still have 1/3rd of my baby food jar full.
You've got the beeswax, I've been using the wax from a toilet bowl seal. 100% pure Tung oil is hard to find, Brownells has it, the stuff at hardware stores will contain a long list of additives - personally I don't want anything that will add shine. The mineral spirits evaporate pretty quick but are an essential ingredient because it helps the oil and wax penetrate the wood. -- Kernel