Post by: Feltwad on September 08, 2011, 12:51:23 PM
The last is the poor ,most of these are scrapped and broken up for spares ,I do believe that with a lot of patience and carefull restoration most of these can be restored ,they are part of our gun heritage which we must account for future generations.I have enclosed images of the poor type before and after.
Feltwad
A Flint Lock will not secure a chicken house door
Post by: Feltwad on September 19, 2011, 01:59:05 PM
Feltwad
A Flint Lock will not secure a chicken house door
Post by: sse on September 19, 2011, 02:41:35 PM
First off, I'd say your efforts are not widely practiced over here. There are many builders and stockers, but restorers...? Not really. I couldn't be more disappointed, either. There is an abundance of mid-19th century smoothbores, yet not many who want to bring them back to life. If someone disagrees with me about this, I hope they speak up. I have three wall hangers right now, two of which I'd love to see restored to shootable condition, if the timing and price is right. I left one of them with a builder a long time ago, despite his comment that he dosn't like to mess with that old stuff. Not sure it will look any different when I get it back.
Post by: Swamp on September 20, 2011, 05:53:32 AM
Bravo on your efforts here. That double smoothbore was in seriously rough shape, and the "After" photo shows us whats really under all those years of neglect.
Thanks for sharing this with us!
Post by: Supercracker on November 02, 2011, 04:47:54 PM
I agree about people going to far with the stock work. I just received a GORGEOUS Belgian 12Ga double percussion with great engraving, carved dolphin hammers, silver and gold inlays and in great mechanical shape. The bores are even still shiny. The proofs put it at 1850-1880 but the stock looks like it was made yesterday.
At some point it broke completely through the wrist and was repaired (looks to be a fairly good job) but at the same time they completely recut all of the checkering to modern pointed, sharp pyramids. I must say, it is an excellent checking job, just not appropriate for this gun. Great wood too.
Post by: Supercracker on November 02, 2011, 04:49:05 PM
Post by: Capt. Jas. on November 02, 2011, 07:24:12 PM
Post by: Feltwad on November 03, 2011, 02:25:36 AM
Quote from: "Capt. Jas."
How do you guys handle the hardware on a silver or brass mounted piece Feltwad?For brass and silver gun furniture I prefer to leave alone ,if it is dirty with dirt and grime I use a fine steel wool with a wax and polish remover solution and LIGHTLY rub just to remove the grime and not the patina.
For removing the grime from checkering using a stiff brissle toothbrush and the same solution working with the lines of the checkering,do not use a rotation movement it will break of the checkering.
Feltwad
A Flint Lock will not sercure a chicken house door
Post by: Gordon H.Kemp on November 03, 2011, 10:41:24 AM
Post by: Feltwad on November 03, 2011, 03:54:05 PM
Quote from: "Gordon H.Kemp"
Have to agree with others here, not many seem to enjoy the old and battle worn smoothies.It may be because here in the UK we have more types of originals to choose from, Be it muzzle loading rifle , shotgun or single shot pistols most use originals, repros such has the Parker-Hale Enfields and the percussion revolvers are used .In the States the repro are the most favoured maybe it is because originals are few .
Feltwad
A Flint Lock will not secure a chicken house door
Post by: Pete_Sheeran on November 04, 2011, 04:20:24 PM
Very nicely done! The shot gun in the photos is very interesting, I seldom ever see any wood other that walnut in old American, English and Belgium shotguns. Did you re-stock it? That is beautiful curly maple or an exceptional job of Faux stripping! Can you tell us anything else about the shotgun? maker, proofs locks? I could not read the lock maker name but it looked like Birmingham under the name.
Pete
Post by: Feltwad on November 05, 2011, 03:12:49 AM
Quote from: "Pete_Sheeran"
Feltwad,Pete.
Did you re-stock it? That is beautiful curly maple or an exceptional job of Faux stripping! Can you tell us anything else about the shotgun? maker, proofs locks? I could not read the lock maker name but it looked like Birmingham under the name.
Pete
The gun is buy Charles Drenham,I could not find any records of this name so I assume it is a ironmonger or such this was common in that period for ironmongers to buy guns from the Birmingham gun makers and put their name on them.The gun was proofed at the Birmingham proof house with the crossed sceptres under a crown , it also shows the provincial proof marks and the definete proof marks plus the letter V under the crown which is the viewer,s mark and the gauge number 14
The gun has 30inch Damascus stub twist barrels these were in a poor state they were to strip down to the bare mettle and the loose ribs were to resolder.The gauge is a 14 which in muzzle loading shotguns was a common gauge although guns were made in every gauge. What you see in the finished image at the beginning of this thread is all original ,the stock is English walnut and original with the dirt and grime removed but still leaving the original patina, it is not a restock.
Feltwad
A Flint Lock will not secure a chicken house door
Post by: Pete_Sheeran on November 05, 2011, 04:16:54 PM
Pete
Post by: Feltwad on November 06, 2011, 02:13:30 AM
Quote from: "Pete_Sheeran"
Walnut with such consistant curly is very rare. I have not come across any blanks that had that good a curl figuare. Thank's for the additional info on the fantastic restoration of your 14 ga.Pete i have worked on several muzzle loading shotguns in both flint and percussion with this type of curl in English walnut it is not rare ,fiddleback is more rare ,birds eye maple is also ,the latter is often found on guns and rifles by the famous gun make Joseph Manton
Pete
Feltwad
A Flint Lock will not secure a chicken house door
Types of English Walnut
Post by: Supercracker on November 06, 2011, 07:59:15 AM
Post by: Pete_Sheeran on November 06, 2011, 01:13:59 PM
Beautifuly figured wood is a joy to the crafts man to work on. It can also be a pain to deal with the change in grain when shaping or carving. The last two stock photos are quite striking. The last is cut from near the center of the "crotch" and produces the distinctively beautiful "flame" pattern. The mid photo of the set looks like it is cut from farther out from the crotch where you don't get the flame figure, but still fine figure. Sometimes the same style figure comes from wood near the outside of a large limb where compression grain distorts the pattern. If the grain pattern is distorted at 90 degrees to the longitude grain, it can form regular waves in the pattern along the length of the board , what is commonly called "curl". In this country, fiddleback is a term sometimes used to refer to that curl, especially in maple. Those who deal in wood for stocks usually reserve the term fiddleback for "instrument grade" curl that is very close in the wave amplitude and very regular along the length of the board. The very first photo at the start of this thread showes that quality. It looks to be that regular and close wave amplidtude curl, great stuff!
Thanks Pete