Another project Trying a restoration

[Wrknrvr]

   This is another project I have been thinking on for 40 or so years.  It is a old 12 gauge shotgun that I first received in parts in a box. Back in the mid 70’s I did hunt small game with it.

  So since the forum had a upgrade I am now having problems posting pictures. Darryl told me to remove the Img on the end of the photo. It worked. Now I can only remove the img on the end. When I attempt the one on the right it skips to the end.

[IMG]https://i.imgur.com/N702DoQl.jpg[/

[]https://i.imgur.com/xvaRhEFl.jpg       

   So subject had a lot of dust and rust from my own negligence. I will also show one of my mishandling of this gun. It happened by accident ,sorta.

 

   Help need on picture posting.

Vern in a T-shirt 

 

Edited December 24, 2020 by Wrknrvr

[Wrknrvr]

Edited December 26, 2020 by Wrknrvr

[Wrknrvr]

   Well first of all my computer has been doing odd things since the recent updates on the forum. Today it will not let me type on the picture page.

 

  So this gun was most likely made before 1900, but it does use 12 gauge shotgun shells. In this picture the oil soaked stock is being treated with whiting compound. I am using plaster of Paris mixed with mineral spirits, then applied on the wood gun stock. The mineral spirits dissolve the old oil, then the whiting material absorbs the old oil. Today I applied a second coat. It may take 5 or so applications to get some black colored oil completely out of the wood.

 The old barrels were terribly neglected by me. Yep I did it.

 Now back in the seventies when I was hunting with this shotgun. I did use black powder cartridges that I hand loaded.   Well one day I was hunting at friends at his farm. We had to feed some livestock, so I leaned the shotgun up against a tractor.

 We were busy doing stuff and he stepped out and I heard his tractor start. I ran out and my shotgun was on the ground. So I taped it together and continued to use it with a cracked stock.  So I will need to repair that (stupidity) thing I created. 

  The parts will be displayed in a few days.

   Vern in a T-shirt 

[Wrknrvr]

Edited December 26, 2020 by Wrknrvr

[Wrknrvr]

  So this is a thought I had back in the1970s. Remember Jeremiah Johnson, well when he was first sorta starving and was trying to catch fish in the stream by hand. There was a Indian rode up tp him and just looked. That Indian was carrying a double barrel. Left side a riffle and right side was a shotgun. So I ordered a Douglas barrel and had it chambered for a 45/70.  Yep, it has taken this long to get to another of my projects. So now if I could just stuff that 45/70 into that 12 gauge???

 

 What really need is help on this computer crap. Now after I post a picture there is a blue border around the outside of the posting box. I cannot type in the box?

 

  Help,   Vern in a T-shirt 

[Darryl&Rita]

Test for Vern.

Not sure, Vern. The only thing I can think of, you might be ending up with your cursor on the right hand side of the pic. If this is the case, hit the "Enter" or Return key to get below the pic.

In the above post, I typed the text above the pic, then added the picture, then entered the text below.

 

Cool project.

[Wrknrvr]

Well I tried to edit a upper post and I could post a picture there.

 

  So I said I did a bad thing at that tractor episode. Well here is a picture of said subject. I will attempt a repair. There some other history you will see on the gun stock later. I feel I should be let show. I will try to hide as much as possible ,but it will be what it is.

 

[Darryl&Rita]

Time to get a chunk of Maple, and a good wittlin' knife.

[Wrknrvr]

That may take more bad words than I want to use. But that could be a option    

   I have few old tricks I am going to try first. The first thing is to see how the wood looks after the whiting process is completed. It is easy to do. Just time consuming. So will be working on the misc other parts for now. The one  thing I am not sure is what sights I should I use. And where should they be located. Maybe jus tape a few different ones on to see how they work.

 

 Now on cutting out a new stock one would need to make it sorta look original. That takes some thinking also. The other day a friend stoped by with a 10 gauge Damascus barreled Colt shotgun. I never remember seeing one of those in person. But I probably did at the Cody gun museum in Cody Wyoming.

  After I looked at it he said the stock was refinished. It sorta looked like it was not the original stock. I did not say anything to him of my thoughts.

 

     Vern In a T-shirt 

 

[Wrknrvr]

  Just to let everyone know what is happening on this project. On Tuesday I decided that the ice I was standing on needed to be fallen on. That is the best thinking I can think of.

  So after my fall i grove 85 miles home in my Jeep with a stick shift. Then I could not walk.

  So Wednesday I visited the doctor. Nothing broken, but real painnnn in the assss.

  So today I am testing my speed to go to the potty and back to my chair. 17’ feet round trip while using a walker. I am counting the square tiles in the bathroom area for speed and timing this event.  Speed has doubled since my first timing at 3:30 am.

  Steps are a limiting factor as they 4 legged drive. Maybe 1 minute a step. And it snowed outside. So the shop is probably out of limits for a week or two.

 

  Yep ,  -hit happens?

 

  Vern in a T-shirt 

[Wrknrvr]

  So today I am going to waddle over to the shop. I did ask for a clear path that a walker will fit through. I am planning on cleaning the whiting compound off. Take a look at what it is looking like. Probably put another coat of whiting compound on. As I visit the eye doc tomorrow for a shot in each eye for macular degeneration. Then visit the buttt doctor for my stupidity fall. I am feeling much better.

  I may get to my work bench today to do some minor work on the shotgun parts. I need to look at making the shell extractor fit a 45/70 case. Possibly use a metal washer and cut a piece to fit.  Then solder it onto the shotgun shell extractor.

 

  Vern in repair at the moment 

[Wrknrvr]

  Well it is about time for me to get going again. I did the whiting process again a few days ago. I hope I can waddle over there today.

  There is some stain that does not want to come out. It is dark grey. But it looks better than before. I may clean it with lacquer thinner today to remove the mineral spirits.

 

  Then I need to assemble the stock on the receiver to make sure everything is lined up. Then Put a barrier between the wood and the metal to keep epoxy from glueing all together.

  Maybe glue my hip while i am at it.  Just kidding. I am frustrated that I lost the time to sitting., but I am now trying to ween of the crutches. I did think of using the crutches to hold up targets. So it is not all lost.

 

   Vern in a T-shirt 

[Kirk W]

4 hours ago, Wrknrvr said:

I did think of using the crutches to hold up targets. So it is not all lost.

              😄   😷

[Wrknrvr]

  Today I visited the shop and was taking a good look at the stock.  I really do not what cut a new stock for this gun. This stock has a lot of history showing so I am going to use a old rv repairman trick. I think I can make it work. It’s just going to take some thinking to hide my 40 year old mistake of leaning it on a tractor.

 

  Vern in a 

[Wrknrvr]

Edited January 20, 2021 by Wrknrvr

[Wrknrvr]

  Well my computer is confusing again.

 

  But my left leg has thrown out the crutches and using a cane some. So I am feeling much better.

.I decided to try and repair this stock, or a least give it a try. So i epoxied the broken piece back in place. Also epoxied the cracks that I could find. The big crack that is exposed will not go back together. I tried  to get it apart also. But it was tight. I do believe it is my fault as it happened with the tractor incident.

  So I am going to try to hide the crack. As much as possible. With the epoxy I need to do a section and then leave it set so the liquid will run into the crack as much as possible. With covering it then it will cure much more evenly. Now I am hoping to hide this missssstake of mine. There is other history on the stock that I am trying to hide also. Or as much as possible. But history is interesting so some may still be there when I am done.

  If this does not work, then I still have cold weather time to cut a new stock if need be.

 

   Stay safe,   Vern in a T-shirt 

[Kirk W]

25 minutes ago, Wrknrvr said:

  So I am going to try to hide the crack.

I have successfully filled fine cracks in refinishing wooden furniture with a product called Starbond that you can get from Amazon. 

[Wrknrvr]

   First all I am walking without a cane. Three days since last used a cane. What a pain in the rear literally.

  So I have been doing different things on the rv and vehicles. But I finally got to work on this project. So after several applications of epoxy, I finally decided to make sure the metal parts fit the stock. It just needed a small amount on the front end sanded to make the stock fit the metal receiver.  So everything fits good. Somehow over time the trigger guard is sorta out of shape. So today I will make it correct.

  The crack on the side of the stock would not lopen up or move. I tried to remove it to completely epoxy it in place. But it would not separate. So I epoxied it in place. Also installed two small screws from the top as to hold it place. Not sure if I needed, but I did install them.

  Now since the crack would not move I opened the crack with a Dremel tool. Well if I need to match the color what is the difference in 1/16” size.

  Well now I do need to go to matching color on wood. Yep I doooooo. So I think the stock originally had a toung oil  finish. The clear that was on top of it came off with paint remover. But the wood does not really absorb moisture. I did need to apply vinegar to clean the whiting compound out of some pores in the wood grain. 

  I also had to repair the checkering across the crack also. First time I ever did checkering.

  So now I can put a new tongue oil finish on the wood as it should bind to the original finish. At least the net says it will.

  So now to earn some time at the machine shop to get the barrel liner to fit. I also need to make the ejector fit a 45/70. There is a etch-eon missing on the forearm. There is one on one side but it’s missing the other side one.

  Now I need to figure out what sights to put on the left 45/70 barrel. Thinking required on this subject.

 

[Wrknrvr]

   Also I did not mean for the picture to be fuzzy. But heck it hides some blank stuff. I will take a better photo and post it.

 We still have lots of snow once you get above the valley floor. Still not wanting to drive up the mountain roads yet. So now that I am feeling better, I am looking for other places to shoot.

  This covid thing has kept me from going into stores and talking to people about shooting and such.

   I also noticed Daylight is sooner in the am so that makes me feel better as spring is getting closer. Even thinking about going fly fishing some .

 

 Stay Safe,    Vern 

[Wrknrvr]

  Being is that we have been in 0 degree weather or below for awhile it has been just thinking time in Montana.

  There are scheduled long distance Black powder shoots west of Missoula Mt this year. So with me and the wife both having our covid shots till then I am going to try and at least go watch what they do. Just to see in person what they do.

  Now I did find that they do have long distance muzzleloader shoots at Ben Avery shooting ground during the winter. But we are not there this winter.

  I have been looking for other places to shoot also. But open flat areas in western Montana west of the divide are mostly on reservation land and the reservation will not permit me to shoot there. I mite try and call them in the spring again. There are us government owned sections in the valley. But none that I can find that do not have houses beyond there boundaries.

 

  Now once the snow melts in the mountains that will give me some places to go look at.

 

  Vern in a T-shirt 

[Wrknrvr]

  Well now I finally got back to this project. Darn if something did not bore holes in the stock while in storage.                 So I guess a bumble bee tried to make some nest holes.

  So now what should do. I do have a idea to fill these holes. Since the weather is getting better it is time to start getting things done. But the mountains snow still is not really melting. Although I did find a 100 yard range out in the valley.

  I am working on thoughts for bullet molds. One for paper patching a 45 caliber bullet. And also how to improve the one for the muzzleloader.

 

  Also I need to figure out this computer as it is harder to operate on this forum.

 

  Stay Safe in your spring travels,    Vern

 

 

[Darryl&Rita]

Lightening holes. Faster second shot.

[Wrknrvr]

   So you guessed it Darryl.

 

  Yep, 45/70 shells fit in there nicely.  Now for the leather,.....?   It is covering a historical bad thing. The stock had a section of the stock replaced well before I ever seen this gun. It was repaired with what looked like walnut. Then it was finished with a shellac or something similar. The finish was in bad shape. And the repair piece of wood was loose. So I epoxied it back in place. The  stock really looks like walnut, although it has what looks like curly maple marks at the Looks.    I do believe that a small amount of walnut can have marks like curly maple. The marks are only at tha one end. And the original finish was tongue oil I do believe. When I drilled the holes the wood never had the color of wood without oil. It may have had quite a few coats of oil finish over the years.

  So I am hoping to make the new barrel fit soon. Finding new brass for loading black powder cartridges seems hard to find. So I will buy some smokeless cartridges and replace the powder with black powder.

  Figuring out sights in the next few days also.

 

  And the best thing on this project is the snow is melting. Maybe get out to a range late in the week. Or next week.

 

 

  Vern in a T-shirt 

[Kirk W]

19 hours ago, Wrknrvr said:

Darn if something did not bore holes in the stock while in storage.

There is a variety of hornet that does that to make nests. 

19 hours ago, Wrknrvr said:

Also I need to figure out this computer as it is harder to operate on this forum.

Looks like you have it workind?

[Wrknrvr]

Edited March 22, 2021 by Wrknrvr