Weather Proofing stocks

[MIdeerhunter]

Tell me if this would work, Ive been trying to think of a way to keep water out of stocks, then it came to me, minwax polyurethane sealer, you use it to put on wood and stuff, this stuff is for outdoor  use, and protects against the elements and cold and warm weather, thats what it says on the bottle...would this work good if i sprayed it on the stock?

[savageT]

MI.....,
Sure if you want to refinish the stock, but you said you wanted to weather-proof it, didn't you?..........and you don't know what finish you have for compatability??  Polyurethane finishes are very tough (great for hardwood floors!).  If I were to weatherproof my favorite stock for the season I would get a can of good qualitycarnuba wax such as Butcher's  Bowling Alley Wax or Johnson's Paste Wax and go to town on it!  Rub it in, and buff it off.  You won't find a better solution for keeping the elements out of wood stocks.

Jim

[MIdeerhunter]

if i sanded off the finish i have now and applied this stuff to it, would it make a better finish for a laminate stock, i mean like resisting water and the elements?

[MSP Ret]

No I don't think so, but then again I don't like any varnish or polyurethane products for gunstocks. If you strip the old finish I suggest a minimum of 4-5 coats or a good PURE tung oil, hand rubbed in. If you are going to leave the finish that is on use the Butchers or Johnsons paste wax that has been so wisely reccommended by SavageT. I just acquired a set of wooden stocks in a trade which I thought were solid wood but when I got them they I found out they are in fact the newer style brown stained laminates, at first glance they do look like solid wood. They are in great shape but upon close inspection I could feel real fine lines along the grain of the buttstock. This is obviously from getting wet and not being dried soon enough. The finish is in effect "cracked" along fine lines. I just finished putting on three coats of Johnsons paste wax for wood floors and bowling alleys and the stocks are just about "as new" as can be, perhaps better, and about as water/weather proof as you could make them. I will probably put another 3 to 4 coats on in the next couple of days but that will be to make me feel good, they won't get any more water proof. I will also put a couple of coats of pure Tung Oil on the unfinished flat area beneath the recoil pad and let it soak in between coats, an area to often neglected. These stocks will be about as waterproof at synthetics. I will take care of them though by wiping and drying them after a wet day in the woods....<><.... :grin:

[MIdeerhunter]

can a laminate stock actually come apart? like where the wood is joined?...i have heard that oil can cause it but will the wood really seperate? can water cause this, if your stock gets wet, how do you stop further more damage, just wipe it dry?

[MSP Ret]

This is if you are starting out with a finished stock, as I believe you are.
If your stock gets wet while hunting or shooting dry it when you get in. When it gets good and dry, inside as well as outside, a couple of days at least, perhaps a week, put on a couple of coats of a good wood wax that has been mentioned, Butchers or Johnsons. No problem on waiting until the end of the season, just wipe your stock dry each night until then. After you treat it with the wax, if it gets wet while hunting don't worry about it, just wipe it dry after the hunt. The stock I just got appeared to have been left damp for a while, it's OK now though, it was not to bad and the wax has filled all the imperfections on the finish and sealed it. Never wax or seal a damp or wet stock or piece of wood, the finish will not stay on....<><.... :grin:

P.S I really doubt that your laminate stock will come apart from becoming wet, nowadays with the new glues, and the heat and pressure used in manufacturing laminates, those glue lines are stronger than the wood!! The finish may become porous or cracked but that is an easy fix....<><.... :grin:

[mike_h]

Minwax Helmsman Spar Varnish. Made for drastic outdoors environments and tough as nails. You can find it at Wally World. good luck.

[DaveH]

I seal all my stocks with Butcher's bowling alley wax.  It has worked great for years for me.  But like said above make sure it is dry inside and out before applying the wax.