# Renegade Restore



## Sharps40 (Sep 22, 2013)

Here it is.  Stained and sealed straight off the pattern copier years back as a field replacement.  Lots of work to do to make it both an accurate fit and decent looking....some flaws and internal cracked wood and plenty loose wood to metal fit.  There's no fix other than bedding...odd on a muzzleloader but needed.  So, here we go.







All the carving marks from the routers still in the wrist.






Router marks up front and no effort at all to shape and smooth the action panels.











The lock is nearly rusted firm inside....barrel breech was rusted shut but strangely, the bore appears to be decent and useable.  Lets hope it all turns out well.  At least the wood is a nearly blank canvas to start with, after repairs.

Way too much wood in the wrist and the tang is a sloppy loose fit....even with screws.






But....the silver lining, its Beautiful under there!






ProBed...not as friendly to work with as Acra Gel and only one shade of brown, medium (acragel can be stained to infinite shades and has no fiberglass filler making it a much smoother application and much smoother flow...but ProBed works fine and in these times of great shortage, I'm tickled to have it...it was a 3 week wait just for this kit!)






ProBed comes with a wax based release agent.  I pitch it out along with the Liquid Acragel release agent.  If you want your parts to come out of the bedding later, use grease.  Rig is my choice, light coat on all metal parts and screw threads.  Once I started using it, parts quit stickin to the wood.  Makes me very happy.  And, no brush marks or gob marks in the bedding, just nice and smooth fit.


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## Sharps40 (Sep 22, 2013)

Prevent a mechanical lock of bedding to metal to wood by plugging holes and crevices and undercuts with clay putty.






As with any bedding compound, give it a bit of tooth to bite into....i.e. slightly rough up the bottom of the inlet so the bedding epoxy will grab the wood even better.






The outer face of the tang inlet is also roughed up and the inlet where the barrel tang fits is plugged with clay to prevent a mechanical lock when the beddin hardens...almost ready to get messy.  The broken out chunk of wood is from the lock inlet.  It will be set aside for repair after bedding the barrel.  This is broken due to firing the weapon with a loose barrel and lock....barrel sliding back and forth with each shot pounding its way into the stock like a 15/16" diameter spike.






Mix the ProBed 50/50 just like Acragel.  Just like AcraGel, if ProBed hasn't yet kicked over, clean up is easy with vinegar, dissolves it right off the wood, metal and yer hands, table top, camera, camera lens, camera buttons, camera screen, eye glasses, forhead....






Slather a thin layer into the bottom of the inlet and the faces of the breech....wipe excess off the clay, don't forget to fill the foot at the bottom of the barrel channel.






I check the grease coat on the metal parts, install them, tighten screws to where I want the tang to sit, back the screws off 1/4 turn and clean up the ooze out.  Clean off the ooze out now, its easyer than later and hardened ooze out creates a mechanical lock at best or rips away wood from the surface when you disassemble later....clean and neat, makes it pretty and accurate later.






That's about as much as I can do today.  Glassbedding is slow, nearly as slow as rust bluing, its mostly waiting for stuff to harden.  I spect with all the shapeing and fitting, this will be a long slow project, not done till after the new year as it is to be returned after a 20+ year (if I remember correctly) hiatus to its original owner as a surprise.


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## Sharps40 (Sep 22, 2013)

After about 5 hours the ProBed has had enough time to kick over and firm up....I'll break it free before its fully hardened and let it sit overnight.  Its easier to break it free now, specially if I missed a spot with grease and its glued in.  (don't force it though, the part will be tight but if it just ain't budgin, drop the whole thing in the chest freezer for a few hours, it'll usually pop right apart then unless its mechanically locked.)






Removing clay from the inletting where the barrel tang fits....the clay preserves a perfect recess, no carving the bedding required.  Much neater and easier in the long run.






A good skim coat around the tang and the breech...thin and well bonded to the wood.  No loose edges and cleaning up the excess while still soft leaves nice smooth edges just below the metal.  No slipped chisels or knives trying to pare away flashing around parts and gouging out hunks of wood.






Once this hardens up, I'll reinstall the tang, file the wrist to shape, fit and bed the barrel.  The tang will stay in place as long as possible to preserve the tight fit in the bedding.  It'll only come out again for final bluing, then back into place for the life of the stock.


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## Sharps40 (Sep 24, 2013)

So, the tang is back in and snug.  Sitting where it should be in the stock and not moving around.  What you can't see is that a simple bedding of the tang eliminated all fore and aft motion of the barrel.   Parts gotta fit or it won't last long or shoot well.

The tang is in until the reblue.  For now I'll take out the barrel and get ready to take up all the slop around it so it will stay in the stock when you want it to, come out when you want it to and shoot straight.






Again, rough up the wood, lightly, where you want the bedding to take hold and stay.  Just the bottom here as that's where the bulk of the windage is, the bottom three flats.






Wax or greese or whatever you use as a release agent.  This ProBed is much thicker than acragel, harder to mix, harder to spread and harder to compress into a flow that fills out the spaces inbetween.  It is doing the job but after 30 years I prefer Acragel.  On the tang, it pushed grease out of the way and bit the metal, some tiny chips of bedding stuck to the tang.  So, the barrel is both waxed and greased this time.






Slather it in.  Stay away from the tang and from the barrel key...enough will flow that direction and you don't want a mechanical lock when hardened.






Set the barrel into place and slowly and evenly compress it into the bedding.






Start the well waxed and greased barrel key into place and tap it home.......as needed we can tighten the barrel loop later to take up for wear.....






Lots of ooze out.  In the photo above I've already cleaned it off once and went back in 15 mins to get just a bit more.  With acragel, its floweable enough that one ooze out is all ya get.....but, though stiffer, ProBed is doing what I want it to do,....flow around and fill the spaces.


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## Sharps40 (Sep 25, 2013)

Left it set overnight.  Its cool here, windows open, 50s at night so, still not fully kicked over this morning but enough to break the metal away from the wood.  

As you can see, both Renegade and Marauder wood is free of its metal parts as bedded last evening.






On the Renegade barrel channel, a fine even base for the barrel to sit in and it'll wear much longer with the barrel going in and out for cleaning than the wood would have.  A bit of tear out on the right, I'll rebed it this evening....I prolly had a blob above the level of the wood or didn't do a good enough job cleaning the edges after seating the barrel.  Good thing about bedding, it sticks to itself like crazy so, a redo is the same as a single do!






And here, the inlet in the stock for the barrel key.  This is why I don't get too close to edges, holes, openings if I can help it.  Beding flows to the open spaces.  Here, had there been any more sauce in the channel, we mighta had a mechanical lock around the key way.  But all is well, trim out the excess and we'll move on with this project.  






Next I have to attempt to fix the chip of wood from the lock mortice, under the aft end of the barrel.  After that, if the lock is a clean fit, we are pretty much ready to begin refining and detailing the shape of this club of a stock.  A huge effort, this is a butt ugly shaped stock with a good bit of meat in the wrong places!


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## Sharps40 (Sep 26, 2013)

Barrels in...bedding is done. Photos later. Found another big crack in front of the lock along the top right of the forend. So, opened it up this morning, epoxied it into place and put the barrel back in place to set it. It looks like its going to be a clean repair. I'll shoot photos after its finished setting up overnight. I want it to set well and good first. But, if all is well I should be able to start shaping around the lock and side panels and wrist this weekend.

 Meantime I gotta check fit on an old Stock Compass that's goin into replace a broken stock compass on a 742 project that's coming up soon.


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## Sharps40 (Sep 26, 2013)

Good news.  The new old stock PolyChoke Gunstock compass won on e-flay and arrived at my door today via the owner of the pending 742 project gun.....well, long frackin winded way around it is to say....

The broken compass in the stock is the same as the NOS replacement in the box.  Only difference is the new one has all its solid gold plating on the rim, the crystal is not cracked and the compass works.  So, when we refinish Dads Ol 742, it'll have an original PolyChoke Gunstock Compass in the original spot on the butt so's ya can navigate in and outta the woods just like Pap did.  No crap from ya now either, yer goin huntin with it next year....Pap wants it that way.


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## Sharps40 (Oct 11, 2013)

Not much ground on this poorly formed just off the pattern copier 20 years back stock.  So, starting with round files, flat files and 100g paper wrapped on both from time to time.....up at the nose of the action panels, create some definition and a definite transition in elevation from panel to forend.

The off side, a tic mark to help me line up both sides by eye....i.e. each panel coming close to the same length on the forend.....






The action side about halfway shaped, switching from file teeth to files wrapped in 100g paper at this point to get the shape to about 75%.....yep, the forend is thinning nicely and those barrel keyways are gonna have to be properly inlet so they don't wind up on tittyshapped island of wood out front.






After some initial sanding and shaping the split line in the stock (where a large splinter of wood had been pounded loose by the loose fitting barrel) is beginning to blend in nicely...I spect it'll mostly disappear....the probed having about the same light walnut color as the unstained stock.






That's a bit better on the action side....






And not so bad on the off side either...






And the angle of the camera makes em look a bit off but they are much closer to the same length than they look and still plenty of finishing to go to finalize it all.....


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## Sharps40 (Jan 28, 2014)

Well, I decided I ain't movin today.  The Ol Truck Smasher can aim at someone else in the sleet and snow.

So, back to the Renegade.  This has been the hold up.  Gotta be in the mood...gotta have a sharp chisel and steady hand and this is getting very hard for me to do as my eyes age and I loose focus capability for close and delicate work.....bifocals are no frackin help neither.

So.

The old stock and its barrel eusticians on top of the wood......they should be inletted....I hate inletting lil bits like this.  Do it wrong and it is the glareing booger on an otherwise nicely configured piece.  Carefully plunge in with a razor around the circumference to make a parting line where wood will flake away without tear out on the surface...don't cut yer thumb.






After turning on every light in the house, carving under the brightest confluence of photons with a tiny super sharpened gouge and many fits, taps, carves, fits, etc....its in and flush.  I may replace the ugly black screws with pretty brass ones.  But for now....one down and gotta revamp the mood and go to the right side.  Hope I don't carve my thumb.  Get this done and the rest of the work is easy peasy should go pretty quick and then I can decide on browning or bluing the metal after the humidity comes up in late March or April.


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## Sharps40 (Jan 28, 2014)

Angle the razor in and under the panel to be inletted.  Scribe it several times, a bit deeper each time....20 thousands or so is plenty.  Don't slip and carve a groove in the stock around the panel....easy and patient copy the outer dimension of the panel to be inlet.  Remove the panel and check out your clean line of cut wood to follow down deeper.






Plunge straight down with a tiny but razor sharp gouge following the inside of the clean line......pare away the wood, not big hunks.....






Not bad, the panels back in and bottomed...wood higher than metal.....I can finish shaping the forend now leaving the wood a kiss proud of the metal or even with the metal....I'll probably leave it a kiss proud and slightly round over the edges to transition nicely to the metal eustachian.











Well, the absolute worst part of the job is done...

Now on to the second worst, shaping up the rear bits of the action panels and wrist.  Unfortunately, the stock is carved rough and there ain't much to go on for shaping up the panels but we'll give it a whirl cause a try will look better than this mess.  Now to find my files and sandpaper.


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## Sharps40 (Jan 28, 2014)

Drivers side action panel first.  Its easier since it has more definition.  Passenger side will be harder, less definition but we can try to match it to the off side since there is lots more wood to remove.

Here is the blurry passenger side....






Here is the slightly better defined drivers side....






Start by scribing the baseline to follow with a course round file, scibe it away from the panel so you can work up to the edge neatly.






The shape, depth and inside curve of the rear of the drivers side action panel is roughed in...no sanding yet, just file work.






There is a groove around the action panel tail now, deeper than the big fat wrist.  A carpenters rasp makes short work of the excess wood but gouges and is the devil to sand out without dipping too low and waivy in the wrist.....but a paint scraper pares off shavings rather quickly with minimum tear out....get the wrist to 75% size.






Clean up and start shaping after the paint scraper with a sharp razor blade....again, as fast as a file but smoother, less sanding.  Bring the shape and size of the drivers side wrist to 90%.  The rest will be hand sanding progressing from 120 to 220 grit.  This walnut is typical, porus.  Progressing past about 300g is a superb time waster, the grain is open and we'll work with it not against it for the good finish.






This panel is approaching 90%....time to move on to the much harder to do passenger side.


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## Sharps40 (Jan 28, 2014)

Lock panel shaping....scribed in about 1/16" back from where I want to end up......






Now about 75%.  A bit rougher than the first side but not much....getting close to sanding time.


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## Shug (Jan 28, 2014)

Again you have my full attention with your builds. You do nice work sir.


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## Sharps40 (Jan 28, 2014)

As we stated earlier...the wrist is very fat.  Since the trigger and trigger guard fit perfect and are on good lines along the bottom, work to thin and shape the wrist occurs on the left, right and top.

So far about 1/16" has been pared off the L, R.  More will follow as we smooth out the waves and contour it in sanding.

For now, a scraper pares about 3/16" of wood off the top and comes down nearly to the level of the tang.  I'll sand here to meet metal then lightly bevel the metal edges so the wood looks grown in and stands just a whisker proud or even with the tang when finished.

About 10 minutes with a razor blade and kisses with a medium rasp and the tang is nearly ready for final sanding and shaping a bevel along the top curves of the action panels.

As you can see, even with thinning full length along the top of the wrist there is still nearly 1/8" of excess walnut that can be smoothly pared off and shaped in a pleasing curve down to the nose of the stock.....finally the wrist will be dainty but strong allowing even an average hand to take a good solid grip and manipulate both the set and forward double phase triggers in the guard.


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## Sharps40 (Jan 28, 2014)

The hideously plain action panels....abetting the fence post look of this rough carved stock.







Under cut the panels, make them stand out, make the stock slimmer and daintier and more pleasing to the eye.  Follow the curve, up and around the top...simple layout work, file a bevel, tap in a light cut with a sharp tiny gouge if you like and rasp in with the tapered rat tail file.






Don't forget the bottom of the panel, makes the trigger guard stand out on its own island just like the lock panel will above it.






Don't forget to sculpt the little nose of wood at the upper front side of the lock inlet.....a nice ogee all the way around the lock panel makes it proud, dainty and look like a rifle instead of a 4x4 post.

Repeat for the other side!


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## Sharps40 (Jan 28, 2014)

On the left, finalizing the undercut of the Drivers side panel.  120g wrapped on a punch smooths it up and alternating wetting to raise the grain, dry sanding, pulls off the whiskers, raises the file marks and they are removed too.  Note, the finished groove will be shallower and narrower after bringing the tang and panels down smooth on their flats.






Here on the bottom, the Drivers side panel (now on the right) is also first sanded, then wetted and sanded dry to eliminate whiskers that will raise thru the finish ruining it if not raised and cut off now.   Sand all around the circumference of the panel....repeat for the lock or passenger side.


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## Sharps40 (Jan 28, 2014)

The panels are now about 95% shaped both sides.  Time to move on to power sanding the stock to remove excess wood in the forend and butt then follow with final detail sandings, whisker raisings and on to the finish.  No stain.  Its walnut....it never needs stain.






The panels will stand proud of the stock by about 3/16" on each side, slimming the action and highlighting the lock and the lock retainer bolt and washer on the off side.






A decent shape, it will refine a bit more as final sanding and shaping is done on the large flats.






Once the rest of the wrist is thinned and shaped a bit oval, the rear of the panels will transition nicely into the grip all the way to the nose of the stock.


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## triton (Jan 28, 2014)

That is going to be a shooter there I have 2 .54 Renegades that shoot verry good.Killed a number of deer with one of them.


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## Sharps40 (Jan 28, 2014)

Next step is to get the rust outta the barrel.  Owner wasn't sure bout cleanin black and didn't use water.  But, soon it'll be up and pretty and shootin even if I have to lap the barrel.  It goes back to current owner when done and then is returned to original owner who has no ider its comein home like new after 30 odd years.


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## Sharps40 (Jan 28, 2014)

Went to Lowes for sandpaper the other day and they had...you guessed it...none for my power sander.  So with my one available sheet of 120g just enough to finalize the shape of the wrist.....

A lil bunger there on the action panel, no worries, the panels need thinned slightly, a last step and the booger should disappear in a cloud of walnut dust.






Smoothed out the left side wrist and panel....






And over to work on the lock side.....straight lines straight, curves graceful, edges sharp....don't want it lookin like the uglyist of modern guns, the lazy polishers Melted 1911 Kimber.






Top line from tang to nose is established as an arrow shaped flat pointing from tang to nose.  Next task is to oval the wrist a bit and blend the sides up and into the centerline so the feel is less Glocky Blocky.






That's it for today, less ya got Velcro backed 100 and 120g for a large size pointy nosed palm sander.


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## Sharps40 (Jan 29, 2014)

So, found some sandpaper for the power sanders....off to work removing the last of the excess wood and router marks from the shaper....here's where we left off just prior to the great Central NC Snow Storm of 2014.







Shaping and thinning the forend with 80g on the jitterbug and leaving the wood proud of the metal.






Shaping and contouring the wrist to a smoother oval on top and into the butt to where the wood is almost flush with the steel buttplate....that figured area is harder than the steel....its going to take a lot of finish sanding cause even 220 and 330g marks are going to show....course so will 400 but by then it should blend into the satin finish.....this is the only part of the stock hard enough and figured enough to merit any sanding further than 220g.....Don't waste your time sanding soft wood with super fine grits, its a waste of time since soft wood polishes shut and refuses to take stain or finish evenly if you do.






After shaping with 80 g on the super portable stock destroyer and gouger I wet it to swell the grain and the sanding scratches and open the pores......It looks pretty good, even at 80g....the figure and colors will refine further with more sanding.  As you can see, its walnut....no stain needed....Ever.
















And gentle heat to dry the wood, pop the fuzzies, open the pores and prep it for the first power sanding with 120g.






Wetted after the 120g power sanding the figure is becoming clearer and in the shop I can see some golds in the background....over all the grain is becoming less muddy and more the showpiece.


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## Sharps40 (Jan 29, 2014)

The other side after additional power sanding (1 time, 80g, 2 times 120g, 1 time 220g wetted/dried each time) and a hand sanding with dull 220g.

Much crisper and showing off her figure....






One of only two finishes I use.  This one being the mainstay.  And, the total amount of this fantastic goo needed to coat about 1/3 of the stock.  Rub it in hard till the hand is hot and the finish is nearly dry.  Don't worry about dust, we'll rub it out each coat with steel wool and do a final leveling and polish to satin at the end.  I prefer finish in the wood rather than piled on.  This ain't boob gloss and it doesn't go on thick and shiny like that Glossiest of Gun Stock Porn Stars, the Browning Rifle.  Multiple thin coats, rubbed in and rubbed out.











About 1/3 of the stock sealed with that lil bit.  I am sealing and freezing the grain for additional hand sanding before getting to the final rub in of finish coats.  Probably 2 or 3 like this sanded and then 2 or 3 more leveled with 0000 steel wool before the final rub out and waxing.






Rub it in hard, yep, its gonna hurt, lots of angles and pointy parts but ya gotta.  If ya got tender girliegirl hands, go do some yardwork to toughen em up first.






No sanding scratches showing anywhere except towards the back where the figure runs counter to the grain and the wood starts to get harder than 100 year old pine wall studs.






Same on the other side.  Done for today, I'll let this sit up till tomorrow evening.  Gotta go get an auto pack of wet/dry 320 and 400g to work the back half of this wood.  No sense hitting it again with 220, it'll just make more work on the aft end.


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## cmshoot (Jan 29, 2014)

Gorgeous!


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## Sharps40 (Jan 30, 2014)

Well, it took GoodWife and her lovely new 4wd Jeep to get out of the neighborhood ice slick 30 minutes to get the 10 minutes to work this morning.  She called, and doesn't think the old light in the butt John Lee can negotiate the first 2 miles of solid ice bridges and hills for me to go to work so back to the Renegade.  Returning to basic skills, grabbing some very worn 220g and cleaning it thoroughly as scuffing and slapping and scraping with fingernails will allow I attack the finish frozen grain at the bottom of the stocks butt.  Remembering Dons admonition to always sand with the grain (and this stock the grain changes direction three times from nose to tail) I went down thru the finish to the wood following the dark stripes at the bottom and the primary grain higher up.  

Here, the first freeze coat of finish sanded again and polished vigorously with 0000 steel wool.  This stock is not bad, doing the same with a crazy fancy piece would be and exercise in frustration.  But, better than 90% and under strong angled light, the stock looks very good.  I suspect there will be a few light sanding marks to be found in there but my old eyes probably will never see them.






And the other side, post sanding and polishing, awaiting the second thin, thin and hard rubbed coat of TruOil....






Here the second coat rubbed in and resting for at least 3 hours.  Next steps will be continued leveling with 0000 steel wool and recoating to completion.  Last step will be removal of all the metal parts and sealing inlets and the wood under the buttplate.  Then we can get off to the metal.  Guess I'll go clean the barrel and lock while this is kicking over.

High gloss at this time, it goes back to matt with each buffing of 0000 wool and the final satin is brought up with Brownells fff stock rubbing compound.  Its quite possible this stick will be completed late tonight or tomorrow.


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## Sharps40 (Jan 30, 2014)

The lock.  Cleaning off all the rust would remove all the case colors, so a light scrubbing with oil and 0000 steel wool.  Then a light coat of rig grease.  No ham handed sear adjustments with files and stones called for.  Its a TC lock, well made.  Its a set trigger, no files or stones needed....clean it, oil it, adjust it, use it but don't butcher it.











Remove the bridle, sear, sear spring...don't loose the lil tiny kick off in the tumbler, the arrow shaped bit at 4 oclock.






Remove the mainspring and shaft.






With tumbler and hammer removed, scrub it clean with 0000 wool, clean again to remove the steel wool bits and lightly grease it all over with Rig.  A little goes a long way.






Insert the cleaned and lubed tumbler and install the hammer and its retaining screw.






Insert the clean and lubed mainspring and shaft.






Insert the cleaned and lubed sear spring and cup.


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## Sharps40 (Jan 30, 2014)

Install the cleaned and lubed sear.






Insert the sear kick off. (This bit keeps the nose of the sear out of the half cock notch when the hammer falls, it is overridden when the hammer is pulled slowly to half cock or full cock.)






Reinstall the cleaned and lubed bridle and its retention screws.    Carefully check function, lube again as needed and bag it till final assembly.


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## Sharps40 (Jan 30, 2014)

The double set triggers from TC need no attacking with files or stones either.

Remove the main spring, remove the set trigger adjusting screw.  Clean it.  Lube it.






Reinstall the set trigger adjusting screw about 1/3 of the way.






Reinstall the main spring.  Adjust the screw until the rear trigger is a firm pull and solidly clicks into the set position.   You want enough tension to solidly set but not so much it takes a come along to set the rear trigger.






Set the rear trigger.  Turn the set trigger screw in until it fires...back it out 2 turns...recheck function.  Set rear, front should not fire till you press it.  This is the initial adjustment.  On reassembly you can set the front screw in further to lighten the release down to a pound or so.  But in any event, adjust it so that it does not accidently trip and thereby drop the hammer firing the weapon.  Finish oiling the parts again as needed, bag it till final assembly.


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## Sharps40 (Jan 30, 2014)

Just checked the trigger. With the set trigger screw 3/4 turn from releasing the triggers I get a repeatable 2 lb front trigger pull. I'll probably leave it there. There is a bit of creep to release but nothing objectionable or likely even noticeable when yer lookin at horns over the front sight.


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## Sharps40 (Jan 30, 2014)

Second coat leveled with 0000 steel wool, dusted and third coat rubbed in thin and hard till almost dry, pulling always from front to rear.  There is always a bit of streaking....less with thin coats and that's what the 0000 buff is for, leveling and blending to perfection and close to the wood.  






Again at 3 and 6 pm and perhaps one more tonight or tomorrow to finish the finish application...then on to buffing and waxing.  Either way, wood is done by the weekend for sure and I'm happy with the way the figure is showing itself.


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## Sharps40 (Jan 30, 2014)

Waiting on about 230ish PM to level that third coat of finish and start rubbing in the fourth coat.  

Meantime you wouldn't believe the crap that accumulates inside a Model 60 that is carried daily.  Bout a year since I last opened it up....cylinder was stiff, yoke stiff, action gritty....broke it down and swarfed it all out and lightly lubed it and its like new again!  Can't wait till it warms up a touch so I can get it dirty again.  Now I gotta at least clean out the serpa holster, it sure is hard on the stainless.....the cylinder looks to be brush finished now...Maybe next year the whole gun will get scotch brighted to satin so it matches the grit of the serpa.  Wonderful holsters but they sure do tear up a gun...rubbed the Smith Paint off a 643 in about a month and now eatin away at my stainless.  Might have to switch to a By-No-Key #5 for it too.

But anyway, waitin for stock finish to harden up a bit more, pulled the tang.  As you recall, brought the wood down flush to it.  Now, kissing the sides of the tang to match the left side and right side flats which are angled back.  This will also eliminate any metal edges above wood in the future as the stock changes sizes from summer to winter.  If the wood ever needs sanded again, its a simple matter to round over the top of the tang a bit to continue to have that wood grew around the metal look where all the edges of wood and metal meet neatly together with out sharp edges to snag fingers.


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## Sharps40 (Jan 30, 2014)

I got some work to do inside this barrel.  I may start with an all day soak in CLR or a week soak in white vinegar.  At the breech end, the rust is pretty thick and these old TCs have their clean out screw ground flat.  So, given the age, I'm not even going to attempt to remove the clean out plug since after drilling and installing the easyout, it'll still be stuck fast.  If it were a number 8 size, I'd drill it out and retap for a new removeable plug of number 10 size.  But this one is already a large plug installed from the factory.  So, lots of work from the front after soaking.











For now, every rifle needs a good crown.  Muzzleloader crowns take a real beating for obvious reasons and this crown has seen better days.  There is a way to fix that and make it much easier to load and less likely to suffer damage in the future.  A ball seat.  All my muzzleloaders have one.  Simply, counterboreing the muzzle, removing rifleing and establishing a recessed crown.  Now the cleaning rod and rod guide can't easily contact the edges of the crown and both ball and slug can be aligned for the quick starter using your thumb!  Very nice overall.  You can run the ball seat as deep as you like.  On my muzzleloaders I cut them 2/3 the length of a TC Maxiball.  Here I'll stop short of a half inch, say 3/8" or so.  It'll be a nice set up to thumb press align PRB and still allow straight starting of slugs.

This is the .50 caliber ball seat cutter from Clymer.  Special order these days.  Been using this one and my .45 caliber ball seat cutter for improving muzzleloaders for about 15 or 20 years now.  Still sharp as heck and cut a clean and neat new protected crown.






Some lube and start it into the bore.  Not much pressure is required...just turn it clockwise with light pressure and remove it every couple turns to swarf out chips and relube.






We are in about 1/8" and starting to see nice crisp and sharp lands and grooves again.






About 3/8 to 1/2 inch in and I'm done.  Plenty here for PRB and guiding in slugs.  And we have fine definition on the lands and grooves and its deep enough the cleaning rod guide cone shouldn't wear on the crown much at all.


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## Sharps40 (Jan 30, 2014)

Third coat of finish leveled and fourth coat rubbed in.  Its about done.  5 coats looks to be the magic number for this stock.  So, fifth coat tonight.  Last leveling and a good rubbing out tomorrow evening after its kicked over for 24 hours.  Then three or so good coats of johnsons paste wax and I'll be ready to move on to metal work.  Sure wish it were humid.  But grandkiddies not living here no more so maybe I can convert the spare bathroom to a damp box.

We'll see.


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## triton (Jan 30, 2014)

Man this is AWSOME I think I will pull my old .54s out and look at them.They probally need some TLC.


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## Sharps40 (Jan 31, 2014)

Thanks.  TC usually has nice tight grained and figured walnut with good strong straight grain thru the lock and wrist for their stocks.  Overall, I'm quite pleased with how this ol pig is shapin up.  I'll probably start rust bluing the small parts this weekend.  The barrel needs some attention.  Not sure if I'm going to try to debreach or just work on that rime of rust with a bit of gentle lapping.  I may rust blue the barrel soon as I think I can use the spare bathroom as the damp box.  Gotta install my humidity gage and see how much hot water in the tub it takes to get that space up to about 70% warm and moist for 10 to 12 hours at a stretch.


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## godogs57 (Jan 31, 2014)

Explain your rust blue process please.....I adopted a 54 cal Renegade from the dog pound years ago that was in the same shape as this one...she turned out beautiful as well....you have done a great job on the refurb....pat on the back to you.


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## Sharps40 (Jan 31, 2014)

Easier if you start reading at post 47....

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=697595&highlight=


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## Sharps40 (Jan 31, 2014)

Rub out time....final buff of 0000 wool and now on to terry and brownells fff.  Satiny velvet comin up after the rub and wax.


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## The Original Rooster (Jan 31, 2014)

That turned out great!


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## Sharps40 (Jan 31, 2014)

A tour around the stock...but first, the first two coats of wax....rubbed in hard, hot, dried, buffed back, repeat 3 to 5 times...just two for now....we'll be handling the stock some more for bluing and final metal installation....

This is about enough wax to go inside and out one time.  I was EVERYTHING including the bedding.






After a couple coats rubbed in hard, hot, dried and buffed, I installed the metal parts for now, screws too...they don't get lost this way.  And I'll pull them in a day or so to start striking what needs to go to rust blue.  But first gotta see my schedule and wrestle with that dirty bore.


























Nose has been round over, under and around to trim up the profile from blunt to at least like a wooden nosecap.






Lock looks pretty good considerin all the rust.  We didn't buff all that rust off, still some hidin there in the grease, its just dark brown with grease on it and it blends into the case colors.  Just needs to be retouched occasional.


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## Sharps40 (Jan 31, 2014)

RoosterTodd said:


> That turned out great!



Not yet.  Still a ways to go....more to come as we wrestle a pig of a bore and rust blue the metal.


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## Sharps40 (Jan 31, 2014)

Plane and simple lock screw and washer in the newly shaped island of walnut that is the left side panel.







Cheek side butt.  If you do not hand rub wood from sanding to waxing you will never see all the beauty the tree has to offer.  Mostly its always hidden under quick and dirty gobbs of finish slathered on like deep fried sticks o butter stuck to yer face when yer at the county fair.  Rub yer wood, ye'll be glad ya did.











And packaged for storage.  It stays wrapped from now on, it ain't mine and I ain't buttin the first scratch in it.  So, careful, carful from here on out.


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## Sharps40 (Feb 3, 2014)

Its just warm enough with my trusty cheep damp box I can blue somma the small parts.  

Ain't gonna be much of original finish on this gun.  It would be nice to see it go back to the original owner with at least one or two parts that still looked like they did before breaking the original stock and cobbling together the replacement that is getting finished here.  The lock is one piece, its colored so I left it alone rather than remove all the colors in an attempt to remove all the rust.  Much of the rust is still on the outer surface of that lock, just cleaned a bit and blended in with the coating of Rig grease.  But the triggerguard is still in wonderful cosmetic shape.  Only slight wear around the edges.  I'm going to leave it in TC finish....so, the working section of the gun, the action, will have its original finish and a bit of those years of wear showing around the edges.  I think it'll look great.

As for some of this other metal....

The buttplate gets an 80 grit finish before rustblueing....its going to take a beating every time its loaded and such a finish helps blend out existing rust pitting at the very bottom edge of the plate.

The key plates and the tang get 120g finish...nice satin grey black when done.  The barrel will also get the 120 finish....just a touch shiner than the matted TC front and rear sights and still no glare to deal with.

Tight fit on the key plates, lifting them out, I didn't pull this one straight up and lifted a chip on the edge....but the miracle clamp, saran wrap and a touch of carpenters glue puts the lifted feather back in place and it'll stay there.  I believe I'm going to scout around for brass screws for these plates and perhaps for the tang and trigger guard as well.  Findin slotted head screws these days can be a chore.  (But strangely, the buttplate screws on this rifle are Phillips.)






The trusty cheep damp box pre heating with a wet paper towel in the bottom and a large coffee cup of water nuked for 3 minutes in the Radar Range.....Good steam for the rust.






The parts treated with their only Wet coat of pilkingtons (all subsequent coats are nearly dry wipes of rusting agent)....30 minutes and I'll check the first bloom, recoat, reheat the water and leave it sit till tomorrow morning, when I may do a first boil and carding.






Here the glue has set and the key plate inlet looks just fine again.


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## Sharps40 (Feb 3, 2014)

First rust.  Always a joyous occasion round my place.  And soon, TC soup.

Very nice bloom of rust on these components.  I suspect they will blacken quickly with a fine grain and durable.

A second very thin, nearly dry coat is applied...after rusting agent is also a rust remover.  all coats from here are nearly dry so as to build up rust, not remove it.


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## Sharps40 (Feb 4, 2014)

Looking good on an over night rust.






Into the boiling water for TC Soup.






Looking good on an over night rust.






Into the boiling water for TC Soup.


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## Sharps40 (Feb 4, 2014)

After the boil, red rust is converted to black.  Only the tightly bonded oxides will be left on the steel.  For now they look fluffy.






After carding off the fluff with 0000 steel wool, we have a medium grey black of hard iron oxides, translucent but a very fine grained and even first blackening.  Four to six further cycles of rust and boil will refine the color to deep grey black and move toward opaque.


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## Alan in GA (Feb 4, 2014)

*nice!.....*

very interesting steps through out this topic. I just picked up my 3rd [4th if count the one I bought/sold in 1977] Seneca 45. It has some 'cleaning patch eating' rust about halfway down the bore. Might try a brush with 0000 wool a bit. Have not shot it. Seeing what you did with the lock on the Renegade gives me hope. However even if the original 45 barrel on this Seneca turns out to be 'toast' it is worth the cost of a new Green Mountain blank to me to 'bring it back'. I have access to all machine tools if so.
I now have more incentive to 'revive' the original bore after reading this line of posts/pictures.
You did wonders with that Renegade lock!
I hate rust, but now rethinking your 'we love rust' ideology....hmm. 'If you can't beat it, work WITH it'...?! I might like that...


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## Sharps40 (Feb 4, 2014)

Clean the bore and shoot it.  Sane loads (70, 80g, plenty for deer) with PRB and say a heavy duty greased patch (.018 pillow ticking) may shoot very well.

Folks get consternated about rough bores.  As long as the rifling is crisp and the crown is good, it should shoot plenty well for hunting game and practice.   Especially if the important part of the barrel, the muzzle, is in good condition, betcha it throws lead with suprizing deer accuracy out to the humane limit for such weapons, about 100 yards.  Iron sights, slow projectiles, etc, 4" 5 shot groups would be a superbly reliable hunter for game at 100 yards and you'll have great confidence without the expense of a new barrel.

Unless its a sewer pipe, the only real impacts you will see from a somewhat pitted bore is a slight reduction in accuracy at max range of 100 yards and naturally, a bit more difficult to clean.

If its a 48" twist, try also, Maxi Balls or other snug fitting lead slugs with similar sane charges.  They may also shoot well at 100 yards, regularly placing all slugs in the middle of the deers pie plate sized kill zone. (Don't bother with sabots, rough bores and plastic ain't really gonna get along.)


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## Sharps40 (Feb 4, 2014)

Lots more black than grey after this second rust/boil and card.  Still a bit translucent at the toe of the recoil plate so I'll flip that side up in the damp box....must be more humid on top than on the bottom of the box.  

At this rate of color, these steel components should be done Thurs or Fri evening allowing complete reassembly of the stock.  So, all that would be left is a barrel cleanup and reblue and location of some brass screws I hope.


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## Sharps40 (Feb 5, 2014)

This part is done.  Small parts that needed it blackened, everything back in place, lock and trigger guard with its original but cleaned finish, all the old plane steel screws replaced with solid brass screws.  That bit of plumb brown on the trigger bow looks awesome, been held onto a lot I'd say.  Bright now but they can be browned a touch with oxpho or superblue or just left to the elements to take a natural dull finish.  But a touch of bling and mostly the old battered stock and parts are in newer shape....a few more coats of wax and a barrel job and its ready to go home.


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## triton (Feb 6, 2014)

Looks great


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## Sharps40 (Feb 6, 2014)

Stripped the barrel of sights and nipple and ramrod loops.  Its pretty evenly rusted inside...nipple vent to muzzle.  Fortunatly, its fairly smooth inside and does not cut patches to shreads or even snag them.  I quit while I was ahead, when they are like this...hours and hours of scrubbing just leads to more dirty patches and ya still have a frosty evenly rusted bore.  Near as I can tell, the rifling and grooves are cleaned out now, no fouling left in them and the edges and bottoms of the lands and grooves appear plenty sharp and well defined.   

I think this will be a fine round ball shooter and in 50 caliber that's still a 75 yard gun for deer, any day of the week.  I spect it'll be plenty accurate for coyotes, bunnies and squirrlies and turkeys too.  A bit tougher to clean but H777 will ease that process, its loads easier to clean than black....don't smell as nice though.   Keeping this one in shooting shape is going to require a bit more attention to cleaning now and perhaps an oiled patch down the bore from time to time in storage.

A sampling of patches, about the third series, each started with a wad of #9 soaked 0000 steel wool wound about the jag.






Finishing up, it looks about the same as when I started but now we can see all the way to the bottom of the grooves....It does in fact have grooves...they was just fulla junk.






This is mostly surface rust, and this area is ever rusty anyway.  But it'll clean up a bit and I'll blue it again so it can get rusty once more!






Pretty much at this point I need to pick a start day....draw polish the flats the night before and start rusting.  Maybe this weekend.  Gotta check the propane supply and decide where to set up the tank, prolly in the garage.  Usually takes about 4 to 6 boilings with 3 to 12 hours of rusting between to get a barrel blacked.


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## Sharps40 (Feb 12, 2014)

Outside of the barrel is in pretty good shape.  Some lite pitting up near the muzzle and no where else.  So off to striking.  Gotta keep flats flat and straight lines unwavy so wrap 120g about a file and draw polish the length of each flat till the blue and rust and junk comes off and all the polishing marks are in one direction and all the lettering is crisp and clear.






Flash hides it but top flat is unpolished, right flats are completed.






Next is to build humidity in the kids old bathroom and use it for a damp box.


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## godogs57 (Feb 12, 2014)

Looking good....will the muzzle get cleaned up too?


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## Sharps40 (Feb 12, 2014)

Yep....just a bit.  Its old and the bore is rusty so I won't waste time taking all the pits out....a polish with 120 to remove much of the pitting and square the muzzle then blacking to satin finish.


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## Sharps40 (Feb 12, 2014)

An old and reliable winter time method of rust blueing.  Hot water in the tub, door closed, vent closed.  70% humidity and the first wet coat of rust bluing agent to sit 30 minutes and rust.


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## Sharps40 (Feb 12, 2014)

The first wet coat rusts well....all subsequent coats will be nearly dry wipes and then boiled and carded, repeat 4 to 10 times till ya have the color you like.  We'll set up the boiling tank now and get ready in about 2 hours or so to do the first boil and carding.  Initial color should be a translucent gunmetal grey deepening to satin gray black as the finish builds.  As long as the ice don't kill the power, I'll have hot water for the damp box bathroom and with luck, done perhaps Thurs or Friday sometime.


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## Sharps40 (Feb 12, 2014)

Boiling...

Suspend the rusted barrel in the tank, close to the bottom for good heat but not touching bottom.....I typically suspend open ended barrels on a rod, this one is on wires as the breech is closed.






Just enough hot tap water (double filtered for sediment and charcoal for chemicals, when in doubt, use steam distilled water)  to cover the barrel.






Light the flame, turn it up, cover the top to hold heat/boil faster and let the part in for 10 minutes after achieving a rolling boil.


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## Sharps40 (Feb 12, 2014)

This ain't paint.  Rust blue requires a bit of work.  More durable too.  Member, paint is for fence posts.  Got steel?  Blue it!

Turning black in the boiling tank....






Pull it out, its hot.  Get all the water off it and out of every screw hole an crevice.....if not, ye'll splotch it.  






Looks fluffy, and its uneven...no worries, its grey under the fluff.











Do not touch the finish with yer hands, finger prints now will be duplicated at the end....I hold the steel with clean paper towels.  Right, the fluff to remove.  Left, the fluff removed with a vigorous scrubbing of clean 0000 steel wool leaving the first hint of ferroferric oxide bonded to the steel.  Color is translucent battleship grey, it'll darken as we proceed.  Probably take 4 rust and boils to finish this mild leaded steel.






Loose oxides off...only strong oxides left.  This is what makes rust blue a bit more durable than hot tank caustic blue....you remove anything that doesn't want to be there prior to each coloring phase.  Leave it in one or two coats for an old worn look.  Take it to 4 to 10 coats (depending on the alloy) for a fine satin more black than grey perfect finish.











Now, dust, recoat with a thin nearly dry swipe of rust bluing solution and refill the tub with hot water, let it sit 1 to 12 hours (depending on alloy) to rust - then,....boil and card again, it'll be blacker and less translucent.

Next photos will be a completed barrel and then a completed Rifle.


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## Sharps40 (Feb 12, 2014)

Second rusting, blacker than grey.  Probably twice more maybe three but twice for sure to finish the barrel.






Crisp letters, satiny finish coming on strong.


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## godogs57 (Feb 12, 2014)

Looking good....how is this rust bluing process affecting your somewhat rusty bore? Wondered about that....

The rusty bore would not concern me much with a bp gun....it seems like the ones I've seen in that condition appear to shoot about as good as a new one in many cases, with just a light rust like you have in the bore of this one. Now, craters in your bore, that would be different...


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## Sharps40 (Feb 12, 2014)

No impact.  Rust blueing, like caustic hot bluing has NO (0) impact on the bore.  No plugging needed or recommended.  The difference, this process does not blue the bore where caustic hot blueing does.  Rust and pitting in the bore of a rifle, and especially in the form of blueing, is not the detractor that most folks worry about.  

They all have rust in them, including the stainless steel ones.  As long as the rifling is holding the bullet and the crown is good, it will very likely shoot well.  It may be harder to clean but we'll leave that to the anal retentive types that have to break in a bore with hours of useless cleaning and then spend 12 if their allotted 3 score + 10 years of life in scrubbing out Internal Worries that don't exist or else feel a need to condemn the barrel as ruined garbage not capable of shooting groups!  (Here come the flames, I can feel em!)


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## Sharps40 (Feb 12, 2014)

Third boil and carding down and the color is very nice.  I'll rust and boil once more tonight and then greasy/oil wipe it and let it rest overnight for reassembly.


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## Sharps40 (Feb 12, 2014)

Last boil...dried and carded and while its still screaming hot from the boil, a rag thoroughly saturated in Rig and Hoppes 9 oil is run down the bore and all over the exterior.  The barrel will be left to rest over night allowing grease/oil to fill all the pores.  Final assembly and photos in the morning.

Rust is good.  Don't let anybody fool ya.  (And this my friends is a 120g finish, it'll satin up when the excess oil/grease is wiped away.  It'll be lovely.)


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## Lead Poison (Feb 13, 2014)

Sir you have a world of talent and patience making an old rifle look new....no, better than new!


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## Sharps40 (Feb 13, 2014)

Completed.  Not factory new but things like loose and cracked wood, no shape, external rust, cleaning and function check, fresh bluing, etc...all completed.  A couple coats of wax shy of storage.  Perhaps a day at the range soon to see how round balls fly, pretty straight and true I suspect.  But, other than that ready to go home.


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## Sharps40 (Feb 13, 2014)

And here....


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## lagrangedave (Feb 13, 2014)

Wow that's beautiful and just in time for turkey season.


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## snuffy (Feb 13, 2014)

Looks GREAT. Ever browned a barrel?


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## godogs57 (Feb 13, 2014)

Masterpiece....great work. With some of the rust left on the lock, did you ever consider taking it all down and rust bluing it too? Might have looked good!

Question: in post #63 you mentioned "carding".....not familiar with that...mind explaining?

Again...great work, you should be proud of your efforts!


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## Sharps40 (Feb 13, 2014)

No rust on the lock would have ment buffing it bright and then blackening.  Color case is prettier even if a bit rusty.  Plus wanted to retain some of the indications of wear for history, as such the triggerguard, thin blue and turning plumb was reinstalled with no changes either.

Carding - removing the loose oxides from the steel....the rub out with 0000 steel wool.

Owner is excited.  This one is being returned by the borrower to the original owner after more than 25 years on loan.


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## godogs57 (Feb 13, 2014)

ok...thanks!


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## triton (Feb 13, 2014)

Looks great You sir have a talent to be proud of!!!!


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## snuffy (Feb 13, 2014)

Guess not!


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## Sharps40 (Feb 13, 2014)

Missed yer post. Yep brown em wif laurel mountain forge. Its a great lookin plumb brown and very durable.


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## ncrobb (Feb 17, 2014)

Excellent job.


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## hayseed_theology (Feb 18, 2014)

Awesome!


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