Final step... my used Dickert stock is completely refinished

[roundball]

Last step getting the used Dickert where I wanted it was a complete stock refinish. A builder worked some real magic transforming a fairly plain looking maple stock with sanding marks still visible in it, to a much better looking rifle, taking out some dings and antiquing the brass along the way...here's a couple Before & After photos.
Any self respecting buck should be proud to be taken with it this fall !!

 

[jsn]

Looks rather Holy dont you think? The deer should feel blessed to be shot with that piece of artistry :rotf:

Great work Love the rifle! :thumbsup:

 

[roundball]

Looks rather Holy dont you think? The deer should feel blessed to be shot with that piece of artistry :rotf:

Yes, as I understand it religious themes were a common feature on Dickert builds...assume this was built with that in mind...I'm thinking I should just be able to hold it up so a deer can see it and he'll just give up and lay down
:grin:

 

[wattlebuster]

Much Better. I like it what did he put on the brass thanks Allen

 

[MSW]

wow- fantastic looking rifle!

(good Bible verse, too)

 

[roundball]

"...what did he put on the brass..."

Covered the brass with 44/40 gun blue and worked it back off with 0000 steel wool, leaving some blue/black color laying in the deeper engraved areas

 

[talkingamoeba]

Looks great!

 

[lockjaw]

Looks rather Holy dont you think? The deer should feel blessed to be shot with that piece of artistry :rotf:

Yes, as I understand it religious themes were a common feature on Dickert builds...assume this was built with that in mind...I'm thinking I should just be able to hold it up so a deer can see it and he'll just give up and lay down
:grin:

...they got vampire deer in NC...???

 

[Vaino]

Nice transformation...always liked a darker, richer color. You seem to really like this LR and "Dickert" is a suitable name but don't know if if "he" ever used a Lehigh sideplate on his LRs. Sometimes refinishing can be tricky and evidently the person that did the remake knows what he's doing....Fred

 

[Birddog6]

That looks 100% better than the original finish, IMHO.

Keith Lisle

 

[roundball]

Nice transformation...always liked a darker, richer color. You seem to really like this LR and "Dickert" is a suitable name but don't know if if "he" ever used a Lehigh sideplate on his LRs. Sometimes refinishing can be tricky and evidently the person that did the remake knows what he's doing....Fred

No question my Virginias are my favorites, but I like the Dickert well enough...probably most of the significant attraction of the Dickert is since it was a used rifle, it's actually become sort of a learning vehicle for me to experiment with things that I have no need or desire to do on the new Virginias.
Don't know what you mean by the Lehigh side plate comment but I assume its some sort of indication there's a failure to meet some "HC/PC standard" ?

The lock was a siler and I had Chambers/Evans install deluxe siler upgrade parts on it like the deluxe silers on my Virginias...if it or they don't happen to meet some precise HC/PC standard it doesn’t bother me in the least.
The Dickert and the Virginias are exactly what I bought / had them built / upgraded for...to serve as reasonably attractive Flintlocks with excellent quality components for 100% reliability to be used for my hunting purposes.
The thread was only just to share some status information on it's evolution, and to showcase a builder’s knowhow and skills in making a much better looking stock out of one that begged for attention.

 

[roundball]

That looks 100% better than the original finish, IMHO.

Ya think?
:grin:

 

[Vaino]

Having a Lehigh sideplate on a Lancaster is no big deal as far as HC/PC and I wasn't making it as such. One question...w/ all those beautiful LRs, you must be in the deer woods many days to use all of them? Must be hard to decide which one on any given day?....Fred

 

[roundball]

I basically shoot and/or hunt something year round, averaging 3 weekends a month and in planning for retirement at the end of this year, I know I'll have a lot more time for that.
So I've been selling off / converting a lifetime accumulation of all sorts of guns that I no longer used and am settling down to a few nice long guns in different calibers & gauges.

Having a few different toys is all part of the enjoyable hobby to me...will probably use them for a few years after retirement and if/when I tire of them or 'can't go' anymore I'll hang a pretty one over the fireplace, maybe make a floor lamp out of another one, and sell off the rest...
:wink:

 

[Capt. Fred]

Man, that would be a NICE lamp! For some reason that whole idea kind of reminds me of the leg lamp in "A Christmas Story" LOL.

 

[roundball]

FINAL UPDATE:

UPS delivered the Dickert in fine shape this morning...and not only were significant improvements made by re-sanding / re-staining / re-finishing the stock, he did some corrective work on the right side of the fore stock that was excellent, and even smoothed out some tiny nicks in the brass nose cap...just an outstanding job and experience in every way you could measure it. These photos really don't do it justice...looks even better in hand.

 

[fitter]

Looks more like William Antes than Dickert going by the side plate and the carving.I wonder if this is what the builder intended.TOTW's descriptions are not always accurate.