I've seen many references to using wax as a protective agent on gunmetal. I bought some Renaissance Wax for some wood and it says it can be used on guns (wood or metal) and that it strips all old oil or grease off.

Question, if it removes all the oil from the metalwork, does it provide enough protection against rust?

Stick with quality oil on blued metal. Or RIG for very long term storage.

Paste Wax is good on stocks.

Case color should be wiped clean with acetone and painted with UV blocking spar varnish.

Jim Baiar (Half Moon Rifle Shop, Gun Goddess Rust Blue) recommends and uses Renaissance Wax as a final coat/finish after rust bluing. I use it, it works.

I use wax only when taking a treasured double out in the elements of Alaska's hunting season. It stays on and protects well. After the hunt I wipe it off and oil well for storage.
Cal

Hmmmm . . . years ago, I put Turtle Wax on my Model 70. I just slathered it on, and after it dried there were white deposits.

Seemed to work just fine. No rust after several days in wet hunting conditions, and the metal looks like it did before I applied the TW.

It's an anecdotal account . . . JFWIW.

I use paste wax in Alaska, and in Africas humid climes as well as South Texas and in Idahos snow country...Wax is better than any oil..I learned this from Brads dad many years ago. We haven't always had stainless steel and plastic rifles, and if we never had them I'd still be happy cuz I got wax and like blue metal and pretty wood.

The new Johnsons wax is soft stuff so I don't know if it works or not..I am about out of an old can that I have had for ions, that stuff lasts forever..I would sure like to find a can of the old hard wax that Johnson made.

Thank you for the replies.

quote:

Originally posted by spanishhombre42:
Stick with quality oil on blued metal. Or RIG for very long term storage.

Paste Wax is good on stocks.

Case color should be wiped clean with acetone and painted with UV blocking spar varnish.

Spanishhombre42 = Larry Root's latest nom de guerre. GO AWAY, YOU SORRY-ASS BASTARD, LARRY.

I've used Johnsons floor wax on my guns for over 50 years.

Dave

When living in Indiana my uncle used to put turtle wax on all his guns, stocks and all. His guns never rusted. I oiled the heck out of my guns and found a little bit of rust forming where the wood met the steel near the action of my rifle. After that I pulled the stocks and have used wax ever since. Haven't had any rust problems since. Of course I haven't lived in a humid climate since getting out of the Army.

There have been a couple of extensive tests through the years that compared differant oils and waxes for rust resistance. Johson's paste wax always beat everything. Usually coming in for second place has been a product put out by Boeing called Boeshield.

They also found out several other paste waxes worked well as long as they contained carnuba.

Before you apply the wax, clean the metal, then warm it slightly with a propane torch. It will sweat the moisture out of the metal pores. Let it cool and apply the wax. Buff it and apply a second coat and buff. You will have the best rust protection available.

Is there an appropriate method for applying paste wax. Do I need to strip the oils off?

There is a recent lubrication and corrosion test posted on several websites I visit. The tester used Minwax and it didn't do as well at corrosion protection or lubrication as many other petroleum based products. I don't know if Minwax contains carnuba wax or not and how it compares to Johnson Paste Wax. I have some Renaissance wax but I haven't tried it yet.

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