1st impressions of Kroil & Renaissance Wax, and my waxing experiment

[guitar1580]

After reading many positive reviews, I recently purchased my first can of Kroil, and first jar of Renaissance Wax. I've been trying them both a little, and thought I'd post my initial opinions. I had not known about gun waxing until I read about it on the forums. I'm not an expert, but I've owned and maintained guns for 40+ years, mostly with Hoppes brand oil and solvents.

The Kroil is absolutely wonderful. I wish I had a gallon of it in a clear glass jug so I could admire it. I've cleaned a few guns with it, and freed up a very stubborn 99 yr old gummed up cylinder, and I can tell already that it definitely beats the other popular brands on my workbench. Two thumbs up for sure. It works better for me in the mini oil can shown in the pic, seems I waste less and can get it where I want it easier.

Now I know this will be a can of worms, but I have to bring this up, in the interest of striving for the best. I wasn't really as impressed with the Ren Wax as I thought I'd be. I'd like to see if anyone else had a similar impression, so please bear with me, since I'm still experimenting. I was expecting the white haze, and then to wipe it clean and feel the slick shiny barrier, like when I wax the car. Instead, it behaved more like paste wax does on wood, or shoe polish on leather ... kind of smeary at first, and requiring a bit of buffing. Afterward, I don't really feel the protective barrier that I expected, and fingerprints don't seem to wipe off as easily as car wax. I actually liked it alot better for the holsters and wood stocks, than I did for the gun.

The Mother's California Gold carnauba wax that I use on the car is one of the best, and will bead water for a year if I keep the car in the garage, and 4 to 6 months out in the sun & weather. I dont see the paste waxes being that durable. While the Ren is a good all around product for the museum documents and delicate artifacts, I'm still on the fence about it on hard smooth surfaces. I wonder if something mild enough for paper documents is going to be tough enough for gun steel. Sometimes an all purpose product can sacrifice a little at the extremes.

So I know that many car waxes have mild cleaning abrasives which I know should not be used on guns, but I did locate some abrasive free carnauba waxes designed for fine musical instrument finishes. One is Gerlitz, and the other is Clayton, and I am not affiliated with either. For the blue or nickel guns, I almost feel like the hard carnauba wax could provide a more effective barrier to finger oils, condensation, etc, than the paste waxes. I've heard back from the owner of Gerlitz, and he assured me that there are no abrasives in his carnauba instrument wax, and he's going to send me a complimentary can to experiment with, since I inquired and told him about the gun waxing. He is interested to hear about the results. When it arrives, I'll try it out to see how it behaves. I know it will have to be kept away from frosty or rusted areas, and oiled wood, but either way, it could be easily stripped back off of smooth surfaces with alcohol or Kroil. In the meantime, I've tried some other car wax on an old revolver, and the results are looking excellent. The wax wipes off very nicely, and the gun has a nice shine and feel.

At this point, to me, for a "working" gun that I carry, tinker with, clean, and lube on a regular basis, I think the oily rag wipedown is sufficient. For the perfect finishes that sit in a fuzzy pistol rug in a safe, I can definitely see the benefits of the waxed finish and the moisture barrier it can provide, as well as a good clean shine with no oil smears. Good for photos too.

My questions. Has anyone tried any car type waxes or carnauba wax on a gun? Does anyone know of any articles or testing of different types of waxes and their effects on blue or nickel gun finishes?

The can of Gerlitz instrument wax will be here any day. Will update.

Josh P

 

[chud333]

I've used Kroil as a Lubricant/protectant for 20 years on my guns
and love the stuff. Never have "waxed" a gun of any kind. I'll
leave the waxing to my F-150.


chuck

 

[45Wheelgun]

I was recently allowed a peek at the preservation center at the National Firearms Museum (AKA the NRA Museum). Renaissance Wax is all they use. Although when speaking with the head of that area, it was "micro-crystalline wax" that he kept repeating, not the brand name. Renaissance Wax is used exclusively there and sold in the gift shop. RW is used by museums world wide not only for guns but for the preservation of all things metal and wood.

Renaissance Wax is not intended to "feel" a certain way it is intended to protect the guns. Apparently the NFM will only use "micro-crystalline" wax to protect what must be the finest gun collection in the world. If it is good enough for them...

 

[chief38]

I can't really say that I have any "Safe Queens" so I do not own/use the Ren. Wax product. I shoot my guns on a regular basis, and after cleaning them I just wipe them down with a clean flannel cloth with RIG #2 Oil on it. That has worked for me for the past 30+ years.

If I did have a Show Piece that did not get shot and was just for admiring, I would probably get the Ren. Wax and give it a shot.

I do have Kroil on my bench and I do use it for stubborn screws, bolts, rusted parts of machinery and equipment, but for as for rust prevention on firearms I like the RIG Universal Grease and he RIG #2 Oil products.

Chief38

 

[deadin]

John,
Sounds to me that you might be putting the RW on too thick. Try a thinner coat and see what the results are.....

 

[Maximumbob54]

I like to polish my nickel plated guns with Mother's and then wipe them down with Johnson's Paste Wax. It works well enough for me.

 

[linde]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I have been experimenting with Ren wax on the wood stocks with good results but have not yet graduated to blue steel. Does the gun metal need to be completely degreased first and, if so, what is the most effective and safe degreaser to use?

Russ

 

[deadin]

Renaissance also makes a product called "Prelim" that is a very, very mild abrasive (I believe similar to Flitz) that works well on metal. I have found that it doesn't work all that well on wood as it will tend to leave a whitish residue in any scratchs, gouges, dings or pores in the wood.

 

[Moonman]

If it's good enough for the NRA and British Museums it will work for me. I do believe the continued use WILL NOT cause or have wax build up effects.

 

[GlossyTundra]

I own a high end automotive detailing company, and I can give you a few pointers for car wax use on guns.

Your current Mothers California Gold is whats called a "pure" carnauba wax, as in its a wax without cleaners. Any abrasive cleaners in a wax will be labled on the can/bottle as "cleaner" wax. You can use what you have, go to the Harley Davidson dealership and pick up S100 Carnauba, or you can use any type of sealant on the market (a sealant is a man made formula often having longer durability and dirt repellancy than a carnauba).

I often wax my gun metal and wood with car wax. It keeps fingerprints easier to wipe off, the wood looking nice and the whole firearm protected. I also use any sort of vinyl or rubber dressing on any rubber parts such as the buttplate, synthetic stocks etc.

 

[LazyKB]

I wasn't impressed with my first wax job either, but after the initial pain went away..........

 

[hannstv]

It is getting closer to swimsuit time! Ouch!

 

[Shooting Padre]

John,
Sounds to me that you might be putting the RW on too thick. Try a thinner coat and see what the results are.....

When I use Renaissance I apply it with my finger, just touching the wax in the container, then applying a very thin coat to the gun. A micro-fiber towel works very well for polishing, also a cotton rag. I haven't tried the others mentioned here, but find that Renaissance does a great job on my blued guns.

 

[perrazi]

kcmitch-that's exactly the way i use and it seems to work fine that way. the micofiber towel is great.

 

[45Wheelgun]

kcmitch-that's exactly the way i use and it seems to work fine that way. the micofiber towel is great.

+1 Me too.

 

[sugerwater]

I've used NU-Finish 2000 for many years.

 

[bricker]

I just love the aroma of Kroil, right up there with Hoppes, in my opinion.

 

[JCS&W]

I can only speak to my experience with Ren Wax. I like the product and to me, works great on my nickel finish Smiths. I am sure that there are other products out there that will do the job just as well, but I prefer Ren Wax. Just my opinion.

 

[guitar1580]

OP here, and thanks for the comments. I'd like to stress the fact that I'm not knocking the Ren Wax, and I do not doubt that micro crystalline is a great product for firearms, I'm just trying to take it a step further to see if it is the "best" for the actual metal part.

For me, the biggest reason for waxing, is moisture protection / rust prevention, and that is the reason for experimenting with the car & instrument waxes.

As for the NRA museum, that's great, and I would not doubt that paste wax works well, but for museum pieces in a climate controlled room, moisture & condensation are probably not an issue. I don't expect museum guns to be taken out in the rain and snow on hunting trips, or carried for 12 hrs in a leather holster or in pants pocket soaked with sweat, rain, mud, etc. To them, it may have been more important to have one product that works well for metal, leather, wood, and paper, rather than the moisture barrier that I'm looking for.

Glossy Tundra, my can of Calif Gold says "cleaner wax" on the can, but I did try it on an old gun, and it worked great. The abrasives aren't coarse enough to scratch, but I suppose it could wear a finish thin if you rubbed enough, so the pure carnauba is what I want to try. No need to spend $100 at the Harley shop, the guitar wax in my original post is pure carnauba for about $6 a can.

My next experiment will have to wait until the weather warms up. I want to compare the different waxes on the trunk lid of my car to see how they compare. I encourage anyone to try whatever non abrasive car wax you have on a gun frame and see how it feels when you wipe it down with a microfiber or flannel cloth, and let me know what you think.

JP

 

[JCS&W]

OP, I like that you are testing these products in the conditions you have to endure. I look forward to the updates, and what products work for you.