What treatment afterwards other than Tru Oil ?

[Die Judicii]

Got my Tru Oil shipment from the US of A today.
Never having used it before, I read the label, and it says something about applying "Stock Sheen & Conditioner" or "Gun Stock Wax" after the oil.

Is this a necessary treatment, or is it optional ????

Any of you blokes knowledgeable in this field ????

[Gregg]

A wax is a supplement to use as well as your oil. Just another level of protection.

It's been a few years but I'll share what I can remember.

Wax doesn't dissipate and soak off into your skin/clothes like oil gradually, but it doesn't penetrate the timber either so it's a mixed bag. Wax provides a thicker shield against moisture but once it's through the water is basically going into raw timber and will soak in as it normally wood.

Oil will eventually let moisture in across the entire stock but with less penetration and concentration because of the oils own penetration into the wood.

If you were only going to use one or the other, I'd go with oil. It was always a better water repellent compared to wax in my experience.

When I had a few more guns than I do now and it was longer between shoots for some of them I'd oil and wax them for storage. Just oiling, if I went 6 months without handling, depending on the season when I got back to the rifles you could feel some oil protection had gone. With a coat of wax on top, going back any time later they were as good as the day they went in the safe. As a second coating working with oil, wax definitely does a great job.

Just my opinion here but in a nut shell I would only feel the need for the extra step of wax for long term storage, or hunting is seriously wet weather.

When being used and cleaned regularly, or a copping a bit of light weather here and there, oil by itself does fine.

[Ariat]

Greggs experience seems on the money.

I got interested in this after you question Die and found this - How to Use Wax to Protect Your Firearms

About 40 seconds in it hits the bit you'll want to see.

[Gregg]

I never did any testing with cross-sections of timber like that, but from touching the surface that's pretty much what I expected.

[joojoobeans]

Good video there Ariat.

Goes to show how much they'll soak up. I didn't realise the water would get completely through like in the first one in the test there.

[mausermate]

Yes, wax is a good move.

I prefer CCL's oil and wax products to Birchwood Caseys products like True Oil and Gunstock Wax.

[Manimal]

Yes, wax is a good move.

Are you using it as your regular routine or just for long term protection like Gregg mentioned?

[mausermate]

Like Gregg said, in wet weather.

Sometimes you just never know when that might happen so if in doubt I chuck some wax on.

Won't hurt.

[Manimal]

Hmmm.

I wasn't really sold maybe I'll give it a go though. Cheers.