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Caring for Wood Grips?
Big Daddy Don
Member Posts: 54 ✭✭
What suggestions does anyone have regarding caring for wood grips, specifically walnut and Goncalo Alves? In particular, I'd like to know what to use on the insides (the sides mated to the frame) of these grip panels to keep them from drying out and possibly cracking - Tung oil, boiled linseed, Murphy's, or ... ?
I've read where they shouldn't be oiled; other places say they should. I'm talking about unfired NIB guns such as S&W and Colt Pythons that only need periodic maintenance, as well as shooters, too.
Thanks, as always!
I've read where they shouldn't be oiled; other places say they should. I'm talking about unfired NIB guns such as S&W and Colt Pythons that only need periodic maintenance, as well as shooters, too.
Thanks, as always!
Comments
-Do not use linseed oil!
You should not have to pull maintenance on the grips very often, if you don't use the gun. In fact, you take a chance on damaging the screws and dinging up the grip if you remove the grip to oil them.
Personally, for this type of maintenance, I would use pure, 100% lemon oil and nothing else. A lot of products say they are lemon oil, but look closely at the label. Most of them say "contains petroleum distillates". Make sure you buy the 100% pure stuff. An Ace hardware store or one of the home center-type stores will probably have it, but when I can't find it locally, I order it from one of the "essential" oil vendors on eBay. .
Perry has a very good point, and multiple ingredient products will open you up to more of that possibility.
Some use mineral oil, like for kitchen utensils and chop blocks, on interior surfaces and knive handles. It's not very durable though, and you want something that will work for 'life'.
I can't see why prudent use of tung, linspeed, or Danish Oil wouldn't do the trick ...prevent dry-cracking. I've been wrong before though.
-That's right. Pure linseed oil takes a very long time to dry and is a gooey mess. Pure, boiled linseed oil is mostly an anachronism today, and for the most part "boiled" linseed oil today actually contains various dryers, which often will discolor wood. Why take that chance with a collector's item?
Ballistol might be a good alternative, I suppose. Interesting stuff, really. Invented around 1870 it was in constant use by the German army through WWII and was adopted again by the Germans in the 1970's I believe. It's major ingredients are high quality mineral oil and isobutyl alcohol. It also contains other stuff, perhaps lemon oil (not sure). It's a good gun cleaner, wood preservative and lubricant and believe it or not, the Germans also used it as a leather treatment and preservative and as a topical antiseptic for the troops.
I suggested pure 100% lemon oil, because it's a one-ingredient product and I'm pretty sure it won't discolor the wood. Can't say that for the other stuff.
Neal
Renaissance wax is no better than shoe polish, but it is more expensive.
Bill