Clenzoil seems to be well respected and label shows, the ultimate to clean,lube and protect fine firearms including gun stocks but also says it contains petroleum distillates. We are warned often by pundits that petroleum base oil soften gun stock wood and the gunsmithing forum has elaborate methosds to de-oil by soaking stock in solvents ect. How do these warnings reconcile with using clenzoil on gun stocks?
Been using it for years, I like it....keep a permeated wiping cloth to which I squirt a few drops of the stuff from time to time and use it to wipe the whole thing down after handling to remove fingerprints and keep the surface nice and slick looking before putting the guns away...wood and all
All best
CJ
Most good wood finishes contain some petroleum distillates. The trick is moderation.
Ballistol is probably the best alternative to Clenzoil as a single product to cover everything.
Another thing to keep in mind is if you just wipe down the "Exterior" of the stock, you are wiping over an already applied finish. The big danger to a stock is from oil penetrating into the end grain of the inletting from "Over-Oiling" the action.
Most good wood finishes contain some petroleum distillates. The trick is moderation.
Ballistol is probably the best alternative to Clenzoil as a single product to cover everything.
+1. The only issue for Ballistol is that it smells like a combination of anise and a wet towel.
I use some Clenzoil, but haven't used it long enough to know if or how it affects wood.
Nothing in the gun oil realm smells as good as Eezox, IMO. But, I don't know how it affects wood, either. I try to keep it off of it, until I know different.
SRH
Oil damages wood by breaking down the cellulose and lignin structure. It also softens it and provides entry and a source for bacterial and fungal growth. Over time, it becomes blackened and punky.
Wood finishes use petroleum distillates as thinners and carriers, but most of these solvent flash off as the finish cures or catalyzes. The solvent soaks often recommended to remove oil from saturated gunstocks also damage the structure of wood. But this damage is probably less than the damage caused by long term oil soaking. Still, solvent soaks are best avoided or minimized if possible.
Use oil on your metal to lubricate moving parts and to prevent corrosion, but keep the oil off of your wood at all costs. As Miller says, a bit of oil on a finished surface isn't likely to penetrate the wood as easily as getting it into end grain. But even the glossy polyurethane finishes are slightly permeable. Wood might look shiny after an oil wipe down, but it isn't doing a damn bit of good.
If you do like to use the traditional oily rag as a wipe down for a gun there is a form of refined oil you can use. Living as we do in a Maritime climate with an over abundance of rain, after walking for hours in the rain and ending up with a totally wet gun a wipe over with an oily cloth for the guns journey home is no bad thing.
The oil I am referring to is "Liquid Paraffin BP" now I can see you all rushing for your keyboards because of the word Paraffin ignoring the BP which stands for "British Pharmacopeia". This is the Oil and yes it is a Mineral oil that is safe to use on wood, well it is used on babies in copious quantities and it is the base oil sold under many brand names as "baby oil with added perfume" also Vaseline is derived from the same base. My own version has a few drops of Citronella oil added for myself and the gun the use of Citronella Oil is a traditional way to keep the Brit mosquitoes away if you rub it on hands and face.
One thing I did forget to mention that Citronella is the very recognisable smell of three in one light oil.
Thanx for your replies. I'm sure some men squirted lube oil into every opening on a double barrel guns and oil got absorbed by end grain in stock head and tang inlet's, but more common I think was using well oiled rag to wipe down metal and stock. With that in mind theres still my question if wiping stocks liberally with clenzoil is a good idea
Clenzoil is hard to beat for either wood or steel. I'm almost out and will need some soon. However...last time I tried to get some it was a challenge. Is it commonly available again?
Clenzoil will not harm finish--40 years of use.
Seems cheap enough and free shipping.
ebay