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20yr old project...

DavidVanVorous

Active member
Joined
Jul 16, 2021
Member Number
4182
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38
So after having retired, figured it was time to fiddle with old hardware again.
TVM P+++ curly maple blank with only barrel inlet done by them (dont have a router)
L&R warranted side hammer cap lock
R.E. Davis long bar double set trigger
36" Moody barrel 1:66 twist (round ball for the uninformed) .50 cal taperd
Slant breach and lollypop tang
Mostly steel fittings including crescent butt plate, thimbles and fore endcap are nickel silver.
Trigger guard (not shown) is a S.Hawken design. Needs to be slimmed down given the slim nature of the piece.

Why 20 yrs? Life and doing 2 long distance moves kinda got in the way...:grinpimp:
 

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So after having retired, figured it was time to fiddle with old hardware again.
TVM P+++ curly maple blank with only barrel inlet done by them (dont have a router)
L&R warranted side hammer cap lock
R.E. Davis long bar double set trigger
36" Moody barrel 1:66 twist (round ball for the uninformed) .50 cal taperd
Slant breach and lollypop tang
Mostly steel fittings including crescent butt plate, thimbles and fore endcap are nickel silver.
Trigger guard (not shown) is a S.Hawken design. Needs to be slimmed down given the slim nature of the piece.

Why 20 yrs? Life and doing 2 long distance moves kinda got in the way...:grinpimp:
Nice stuff there. My dad had a rifle built by Bob Tingle for him in the 70’s. I fired it many times. I remember the suspense of waiting for the smoke to clear so I could see the target after taking a shot. It was a beautiful piece, and I don’t know where it went before he died. Your project reminds of that rifle. I’ll be watching.
 
Nice stuff there. My dad had a rifle built by Bob Tingle for him in the 70’s. I fired it many times. I remember the suspense of waiting for the smoke to clear so I could see the target after taking a shot. It was a beautiful piece, and I don’t know where it went before he died. Your project reminds of that rifle. I’ll be watching.
I shoot fairly regular you get used to the smoke... Folks at the range on either side of me are another matter.

Still mentally fussin' with barrel browning, uniformity and how to get it the way I want.
Tried wipe on for a few parts but thats non uniform, tried a dip approach on others and that seems to be the way to get it how I want it. Fun part is having enough solution and a long enough tank to dip the barrel. Split PVC pipe is the current contemplation and getting enough solution from Brownells.
Saving grace is that I have another .45 smokepole I building for the wife to use this contraption on.:dustin:
 
I did an ak receiver with plumb brown and rust process several years ago. If you skip the boiling you get brown.
 
I did an ak receiver with plumb brown and rust process several years ago. If you skip the boiling you get brown.
Yep...check "Firearm blueing and Browning" by R.H. Angier. If you can speak early 20th century Chemistry all of the current blueing/browning/parkerizing etc. techniques (except cerakote and other 21st century spray forms) are covered. None of its rocket science, basically all cookbook stuff. The hassle is having a proper setup for the process being done.

One of the more "backwoods" techniques I ran into was done by a gent by the name of Hershel House (a national treasure registered blacksmith in KY or TN forget which). He uses a recipe of boiling hot 1/3 bleach and 2/3 rainwater...cooked in an old house gutter he cut off and sealed up the ends on. Does it outside for obvious reasons and which immediately forms a heavy rust he buffs off via a wire wheel. He had it timed perfectly cuz the solution will seriously pit it left in the bath too long according to his comments on the vcr tape I have on building smoke poles.
 
Progress...made up my "stain". Basically 50%RO water 50% Nitric acid and enough steel wool to saturate solution. Classical stuff but a PITA to make and apply. Fortunately the wife is tolerant of my chem experiments...mixing was done outside for good reason. :laughing:
Interesting part is this is NOT what one could call a uniform process as the color is more or less dependent on the wood cellulose sugar content. In my case Tiger maple but even the species varies with attendant variation in color when this is used as the "stain".
2nd pic is with a dab of linseed oil to show the contrast. Yep, it will be finished with BLO, not Tru oil like most folks use. I like the finish better with no shine after my 20 coats...
 

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