Waxoyl

• Aug 19, 2014

• #1

Abulg1972

Ultimate Member

Apr 11, 2014

4,234

Somewhere south of the Manson-Nixon Line

I'm looking at a rifle that has a coating of waxoyl on the wood. This one is a very collectible piece, and wood that has been permanently damaged will significantly impact value. Waxoyl is a rust preventative - basically, it's a wax suspended in a petroleum distillate, like mineral spirits, that evaporates when applied, leaving a coating of the wax particles. It appears to be used mostly in the automotive industry - often sprayed on the undercarriage as an underbody treatment. I've searched the forums and found only a few references to it - all of them relating to using it as an alternative to gun oil/WD-40 and the like. From what I've read on the car forums, it's a nightmare to remove. I believe that it can be removed with mineral spirits. I've used mineral spirits on my SKS to remove cosmoline, but I was working on a stock that had been used to drive fence posts by the Chinese army so I wasn't too worried about what it did to the stock.

Has anyone come up against waxoyl? If so, I have to believe it soaks into the pores of the wood. Is it removable?

 

• Aug 19, 2014

• #2

Augie

Ultimate Member

Sep 30, 2007

4,517

Central MD

Don't know about Waxoyl, I do know that mineral spirits with cause original finishes on vintage Winchesters to cloud, separate, crack, etc. Depending on what finish was originally on the gun you are looking at there may be damage under the coating.
Pretty much the only treatment recommended any more for vintage guns is
Renaissance Wax.

 

• Aug 19, 2014

• #3

Abulg1972

Ultimate Member

Apr 11, 2014

4,234

Somewhere south of the Manson-Nixon Line

So, from what I've read, Waxoyl is just a really expensive car wax. The rifle at which I'm looking would have had no finish leaving he factory. Just a beautiful piece of (maybe oiled) walnut.

 

• Aug 19, 2014

• #4

mgbill

Active Member

Apr 19, 2007

370

Mount Airy, MD

Waxoyl was a highly touted product in the British sports car community. I think I first came across it in England. Sold with a pump sprayer sort of thing that you inserted into holes drilled into the frame to spray waxoyl inside of the frame channel. You were to spray it anywhere salt laden water could get in. (This of course was before unibody construction - we're talking separate frame and body here.) Made an unholy mess until it solidified, and even then on a hot day (rare in England) it would melt and drip.

Cannot imagine this being used on a firearm, especially on wooden parts. Gad.

 

• Aug 19, 2014

• #5

Abulg1972

Ultimate Member

Apr 11, 2014

4,234

Somewhere south of the Manson-Nixon Line

mgbill said:

Waxoyl was a highly touted product in the British sports car community. I think I first came across it in England. Sold with a pump sprayer sort of thing that you inserted into holes drilled into the frame to spray waxoyl inside of the frame channel. You were to spray it anywhere salt laden water could get in. (This of course was before unibody construction - we're talking separate frame and body here.) Made an unholy mess until it solidified, and even then on a hot day (rare in England) it would melt and drip.

Cannot imagine this being used on a firearm, especially on wooden parts. Gad.

Click to expand...

So, do you think that it would permanently damage the wood? The walnut is/was oil finished, so you would that would give some protection against infiltration of the wax, but I have to believe that it has adversely affected the finish.

 

• Aug 19, 2014

• #6

S

smoothebore

Active Member

Feb 27, 2013

335

Southeast Dorchester as it gets

Denatured alcohol removes wax. That's all I know.

 

• Aug 19, 2014

• #7

Augie

Ultimate Member

Sep 30, 2007

4,517

Central MD

Abulg1972 said:

So, do you think that it would permanently damage the wood? The walnut is/was oil finished, so you would that would give some protection against infiltration of the wax, but I have to believe that it has adversely affected the finish.

Click to expand...

If it was an original oil finish I would have to think the Waxoyl has soaked in to some extent, oil finishes while pretty are not the most durable.

 

• Aug 19, 2014

• #8

somd_mustangs

-----

Jul 1, 2012

5,734

I don't know anything about this stuff, but in general car wax -including carnuba wax contains acids and chemicals that are no bueno for firearms. As Augie says, Renaissance Wax is really the only safe wax as it is a chemically neutral, crystalline wax (good for metal, wood, plastic, etc). It works great (and also hails from England).

 

• Aug 19, 2014

• #9

Augie

Ultimate Member

Sep 30, 2007

4,517

Central MD

smoothebore said:

Denatured alcohol removes wax. That's all I know.

Click to expand...

Yup, works well but it will also remove an oil finish from a stock dulling it.

 

• Aug 19, 2014

• #10

J

jessebogan

Active Member

Feb 25, 2012

503

Check the moss motors.com website. They sell waxoyl kits and may have a thinner or some product to remove it. They also have a tech hotline....

 

• Aug 19, 2014

• #11

Abulg1972

Ultimate Member

Apr 11, 2014

4,234

Somewhere south of the Manson-Nixon Line

jessebogan said:

Check the moss motors.com website. They sell waxoyl kits and may have a thinner or some product to remove it. They also have a tech hotline....

Click to expand...

It seems that mineral spirits is the only answer here. I guess I can remove the wax and then re-oil the furniture.

 

• Aug 19, 2014

• #12

fred333

Banned

BANNED!!!

Dec 20, 2013

12,340

I've been using Waxoyl for years (to inhibit rust in cars) and it's tough to remove from metal, so you may need to boil the wood to get it off. But, on the positive side, your stock shouldn't rust.

 

• Aug 19, 2014

• #13

Abulg1972

Ultimate Member

Apr 11, 2014

4,234

Somewhere south of the Manson-Nixon Line

fred333 said:

I've been using Waxoyl for years (to inhibit rust in cars) and it's tough to remove from metal, so you may need to boil the wood to get it off. But, on the positive side, your stock shouldn't rust.

Click to expand...

 

• Aug 20, 2014

• #14

Abulg1972

Ultimate Member

Apr 11, 2014

4,234

Somewhere south of the Manson-Nixon Line

So I ended up buying it. We'll see how she comes out. http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=434402778


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• Aug 20, 2014

• #15

Augie

Ultimate Member

Sep 30, 2007

4,517

Central MD

That's a very nice one,very scarce with a crest that was not ground.

 

• Aug 20, 2014

• #16

Abulg1972

Ultimate Member

Apr 11, 2014

4,234

Somewhere south of the Manson-Nixon Line

I had to buy it as it fits in my collection (up to 5 Argys now). I have been searching a long time and this is the first crested M1891 I've found. I asked the seller to note that the stock had been coated in waxoyl, hoping that might scare off some potential buyers . I am just hoping that the waxoyl didn't cause too much harm.


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• Aug 21, 2014

• #17

Augie

Ultimate Member

Sep 30, 2007

4,517

Central MD

You need to post some pics when it's cleaned up, I think it will be a beauty, see some light tiger striping in the wood. Really nice find and highly desirable with the crest.

 

• Aug 21, 2014

• #18

Abulg1972

Ultimate Member

Apr 11, 2014

4,234

Somewhere south of the Manson-Nixon Line

The bore is a beauty. My other M1891 has a very nice bore, but not like the Crested One (that's what I'm going to call her). The tiger striping on the handguard looks awesome too. I am just excited to have found one, and glad that, it seems, not too many people were interested (you don't know how many times I hesitated posting my original question for fear that I would lose the rifle) and didn't have to pay $800.


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• Aug 21, 2014

• #19

Augie

Ultimate Member

Sep 30, 2007

4,517

Central MD

May also want to try cleaning with Balistol, fairly mild solvent, just don't let soak on wood.

 

• Aug 21, 2014

• #20

AssMan

Meh...

MDS Supporter

Jan 27, 2011

16,468

Somewhere on the James River, VA

I would try a coat of Renaissance Wax.