Show us your handy work.

[MountainBear]

Similar to the stock I was working for you. It has a notch for the bolt, which I may or may not fill. Unlike the one I was working over for you, the tip hasn't been cut back. But it has an odd wear pattern around the bottom metal. I don't see evidence of sanding, except an 1/8" or so of the sides of the mag box are exposed. It will work for now.
The metal is mostly good, as it's been reparkerized. Some of the stock metal needs to be refinished to match. Need to degrease the stock, but in its current state, I can just shoot the piss out of it...

 

[MountainBear]

Cleaned the stock today with some Tung oil and cheesecloth. Also made some paste wax compound to use on it later. We'll see how the stock looks after the fact. The attached photo (before photo) is pretty crappy, but you can see the grease on the stock below the action...

I will post an after photo in a day or two...

 

[MountainBear]

So here the stock is after a Tung oil and cheesecloth scrub down and a rub down with "gunny's paste". Glowing nicely. I think the shine will knock down a bit as the wax works in.

 

[F2CMaDMaXX]

That smartened up pretty nicely

Curious, a birch stock obviously wouldn't darken like this with tung oil, right?

 

[MountainBear]

No, birch is just a bubblegum. It darkens with age and oils, but darkens just a bit with finish. You can stain birch, but penetrating stains tend to absorb at different rates, so you get a splotchy look.
There are two ways to overcome this. First, you can use a pre-stain conditioner. The second is to use a top coat stain. Neither are my favorite. Birch is really a stain job for a pro. Even I don't like doing it. I have a friend in Sisters who has built both furniture and guns. He is very good at color work.

 

[F2CMaDMaXX]

Yeah, that's what i'm discovering.

I have some Minwax pre stain conditioner and Minwax walnut stain, i think i'll try that....

 

[tac]

All this talk of birch? You are talking about Mosin-Nagants, right? Or Swedish Mausers?

Birch is not a wood normally associated with gun stocks made in the USA, to my knowledge. I'm happy to be corrected on this.

tac

 

[Medic!]

All this talk of birch? You are talking about Mosin-Nagants, right? Or Swedish Mausers?

Birch is not a wood normally associated with gun stocks made in the USA, to my knowledge. I'm happy to be corrected on this.

tac

It's not?

 

[tac]

Quote - 'I'm happy to be corrected on this.'

I'm corrected.

Quote from Gus Fisher off the M14 rifle site - 'Brich [sic] was used as a secondary wood for stocks in this country for really cheap trade guns and low quality fowling guns as early as the 18th century.'

I guess your carbine fits somewhere into the first category, being, prolly, of wartime manufacture.

tac

 

[tac]

I bought this old Anschutz Model 1409 .22 target rifle from the gun club - they were selling off a load of stuff to raise funds to get something newer and centre-fire. I paid $40 for it back in 2004.

The varnish was peeling from the damp storage, and the entire visible metal was covered in a very thin layer of rust.



The rust came off with VERY careful use of a Birchwood-Casey lead-cleaning cloth, and the wood was cleaned up by hand with varying grades of sandpaper and long and short flat wood blocks- an a lot of care and attention around the holes and sharp edges...



The butt-plate improved no end with the application of half a can of 'Mothers' polish.



It ended up like this - BTW, I LIKE pale wood....



It still shoots like this -



Five shots @50m.

I'd say that my $40 had been well-spent.

tac

 

[Medic!]

Nice Tac. I enjoy the more natural wood tone.

 

[MountainBear]

There are guns that look fantastic with natural birch stocks. Unfortunately the Garand and some other US milsurps don't fall into that category.
Lots of lend/lease stocks came back with replacement VAR barrels and birch stocks. The barrels actually shoot great. The stocks may too, but they're ugly as sin.

 

[Medic!]

I agree.

And like you said MountainBear. It's a pain to work with. And it won't take stain evenly.
I call my Birch 30 carbine ugly betty.

Only thing uglier than Burch to me is Beach wood.
I hate the maggot look of that wood.

 

[Medic!]

Double post.

 

[Medic!]

Triple post.

WTF!

 

[F2CMaDMaXX]

All this talk of birch? You are talking about Mosin-Nagants, right? Or Swedish Mausers?

Birch is not a wood normally associated with gun stocks made in the USA, to my knowledge. I'm happy to be corrected on this.

tac

So, it's an early 1930's Wards Westernfield, a single shot bolt action .22.

Has some weird varnishy kind of finish on it now and it's not a looker of any sort.

 

[Blackpowdrkeg]

View attachment 307572 Some y'all have seen this pistol on the bottom before.
I made it from spare parts from around the shop.
A maple stock blank , hand carved.
Old chunk of a cut off rifle barrel .54 caliber.
L&R lock , converted from flintlock.
Antique hammer.
Antique side plate.
I did have to order the trigger guard.
40 grains of 2F , .15 patch and a .530 round ball equals lots of "oomph" on the target.
Just worked slow and used lots of Infantry Language when things got trying LOL
Andy

So is that other gun a Colt Dragoon? Possibly second generation?

 

[Andy54Hawken]

So is that other gun a Colt Dragoon? Possibly second generation?

You have a very good eye Blackpowderkeg.
It is indeed a Colt 1st model Dragoon , 2nd generation.
Welcome to the forum.
Its nice to to see another blackpowder enthusiast here.
Andy

 

[Blackpowdrkeg]

You have a very good eye Blackpowderkeg.
It is indeed a Colt 1st model Dragoon , 2nd generation.
Welcome to the forum.
Its nice to to see another blackpowder enthusiast here.
Andy

I used to have a dragoon. Sorta still do. Pretty dang heavy to hold, but it sure makes a big boom, and I'm all about the boom.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

They sure do make a big boom.
This likes 38 to 40 grains of 3F. It really puts a smack on the gongs.
But it sounds like you might already know that seeing as how you sorta own one LOL!
Andy