OT Preventing wood stock from splitting or cracking.

[snowyowl]

I'm interested in refinishing a rifle stock giving the stock a matte finish that doesn't shine.
After stripping the current finish I want to treat the wood to mineral oil or Thompson water seal and put a finish over that. This will be my GoTo/Truck rifle not a hanger queen.
I want to protect the rifle from cold/wet and hot/dry climates and expect it with care of course to be outside continually just as on a cattle drive or out beaver trapping for months on end.

[Gun Smith]

I don't believe any stock finish will be totally weather proof. As long as water can get into the stock in the inletting, or buttplate joint, you would have a problem. A truly weather proof finish would have to be paint or plastic to be water proof. The inletted portion also has to be the same way. While I personally don't like synthetic stocks, they are really the way to go in your situation. There are after market plastic stocks available to fit various models of modern rifles. Just knock the shine off with steel wool or sandpaper.
Or, just buy a synthetic stocked rifle for your work and put your wood stocked gun away for better weather.

[morgan in nm]

I use tung oil when I don't want a high-gloss finish but even its not made for constant usage.

[Sixgun]

I don't believe any stock finish will be totally weather proof. As long as water can get into the stock in the inletting, or buttplate joint, you would have a problem. A truly weather proof finish would have to be paint or plastic to be water proof. The inletted portion also has to be the same way. While I personally don't like synthetic stocks, they are really the way to go in your situation. There are after market plastic stocks available to fit various models of modern rifles. Just knock the shine off with steel wool or sandpaper.
Or, just buy a synthetic stocked rifle for your work and put your wood stocked gun away for better weather.

+1 Could not have been said any better!-----------------------Sixgun

[salvo]

You can help it be as water proof as possible though. When I refinish a stock, the first 2-3 coats are thinned 50/50 with mineral spirits. Apply to the entire stock and inletting, it really soaks in! Keep applying until the 50/50 mix does not soak in any more, usually 3 coats will do it.

[Old Shatterhand]

Sand the stock, wet it and sand again. Then take a hot air gun, warm up the wood, apply boiled linseed oil with a brush and keep on warming and applying until the wood is soaked with oil. Wipe up and let the stock rest a couple of days, and then repeat the procedure with the hot air gun and linseed oil. If you don't mind smell, you could mix the linseed oil with some wood tar.

The warming has two purposes: to make the stock soak oil better and to make the hardening of the oil faster. In fact, an linseed oil soaking, that normally needs a couple of months, can be done in a week. However, I would not dare to suggest that procedure for a nice fancy wood, but for a standard rough use plank, it is good and convenient.

Old Sh.

[flb]

I've done many many stocks that are out in the weather big time(trapshooters). As mentioned in above thread, thin your Tru-oil or such 50/50 with mineral spirits. Of course get it sanded like you want then wet and raise the grain once or twice. Last time after you wet it let it dry for a few hours then slop on the 50/50 mix, let it sit for a few then wipe off, do it again. Then sand down, don't use steel wool, it gets in the poors and will back out sometime later. Sand it as desired then you can add Tung oil or Danish oil till you're happy. I soak the inletting, and butt end the same as the stock. I glass bed the tang or connection point and you are good to go. Rub down and wax, presto! Beautiful! Have fun.

[AJMD429]

Too bad someone doesn't make a synthetic stock for the 1894 Marlin or 336 Marlin or 92 Puma - the only ones I see advertisements are for the 336 - and only show they fit the .30-30. Am I missing something?

[Bruce]

My experiences suggest that Tung Oil, Linseed Oil or the likes applied as mentioned above, followed by some type of wax is about as good as you can hope for. The most important thing to remember is to make sure the internal areas get the same coverage and that you apply maintenance (follow up) applications as necessary. I have also found that storage methods have a big impact on resistance. If you put it up wet, nothing is going to stop the problems. A good rule of thumb is that if you, your clothes etc.. need to be dried after a tromp outside, your gun needs it also, but even more. I also firmly believe that things such as scabbards, cases and the like are not friendly to guns that were exposed to damp weather.

[marlinman93]

Too bad someone doesn't make a synthetic stock for the 1894 Marlin or 336 Marlin or 92 Puma - the only ones I see advertisements are for the 336 - and only show they fit the .30-30. Am I missing something?

Any stock that fits a Marlin 336 with a pistol grip, will fit any other 336 regardless of caliber. They will also fit the 1895 with pistol grip also. You may need to open up the barrel channels a bit on the 1895, but that's about it.
To ensure your stocks handle the weather better, it's best to put finish in all the recesses inside the inletting too. These bare areas will soak up water when you're outside and ruin a stock from inside out. Seal the inletting, and whatever you use outside, make sure you wax the stock outside before going in the field, and it will withstand the weather better.

[Old Time Hunter]

Hard shell enamel paint

[Malamute]

I just use them, no matter what the weather. I dont like plastic stocks, and my guns get used no matter what. I can refinsh them in a couple years if they get too shabby looking.


I have a 1920's 94 carbine that was a ranch gun in AZ, it looks like it was left out in the weather for decades (and probably was, carried in a scabbard, and never ever cleaned before I got it), but it still works fine. I use it some as my "rain gun", but I'm also OK with being the source of a guns "character". I'm going to use mine, no matter what the weather, or effect on the gun. Yes, I'll take care of them, but I'm not going to baby any of them other than the high grade Winchester, and it's in mortal danger of going hunting.


Finish inside the inletting, and go use it!

[kimwcook]

I have a blued Ruger 77 with wood stock that I hunted the Blues in Washington one year for elk. It rained continuously for the five days I was there. Of course I tried keeping it dry as best I could but at times water was literally running all over it. At the end of the day I'd wipe the exterior down and apply a light film of oil. After getting home I removed the action from the stock and wiped it down and oiled it. There was no damage to either the action of the stock. I'd freefloated the barrel previously and applied Tru Oil to the inletted area of the stock. No water penetrated it.

[Charles]

You have received lots of good advice. I can only add that the "end grain" will be the place where water will enter and create the most problems. So, extra care must be taken under the butt plate and on the places in the inletting where the end grain shows. In the days of yore we used Marine Varnish on these places. I am certain today there are products much better. Glass bedding compounds in those places also works well.

If you are dealing with a bolt action rifle, inlett a couple lengths of fiberglass fishing rod under the barrel in the channel. Then glass bed the barrel with enough space to float. This will keep the forend from warping and throwing your shots off. On a target rifle, where weight is not an issue a piece of rebar done up in the same manner is just the huckleberry.