refinish a CVA...

[Lonegun1894]

I jusy got the stock on a CVA sanded down just right late last night. Now I have to decide what to finish it with. I am having trouble deciding between a dark reddish/brown cgerry stain my mom used on some furniture that looks great, and the truoil finish i used on the Bosslady's mossberg that left the stock blond as can be and had us both surprized as to how good it looks. I like both and cant decide. I know it is just a CVA, but I'm using it as my learning gun and am finally getting to the point to where my work doesnt look like it was done by a kindergardner following a chimps instructions. The metal is gonna be next, but not sure if i'm gonna age the blueing, or completely strip it and brown it, kinda leaning towards browning it. Thanks y'all.

 

[dlocke]

If it's your larnin' gun, why not set a couple brass inlays and try a little relief carving before finishing it? As for finish, I am a sucker for a nice reddish tint to my rifle stocks. You might want to try different color stains on top of each other, say a base of bright cherry stain with some light walnut on top of that.
DJL

 

[Lonegun1894]

i've tried carving on wood before and the results were less than impressive. I've been practicing on 2x4s lately and have been thinking about what to carve and about inlays too, but i'm not to that stage yet. Skills arent there and i have no idea as to what kind of inlay/carving to do. Been thinking about it, just not quite confident enough to try it just yet. The members on this board are a bad influence anyways, cause a year ago, i wouldnt have been doing what i'm doing now. Thanks everyone. The knowledge base and willingness to help of everyone here is just amazing.

Thought about using brass tacks but want more of a challenge than that, but the designs i keep drawing up as ideas are above my carving skills also so for now, i'm not sure what to do. And this is the third time this stock has been refinished so not all that worried about if i end up doing it again. Besides, each time it just gets better.

Any suggestions on what kind of inlays would be good for this? For now it has the brass it came with, including that patch box. I dont want it too gaudy, but like you said, it is my learning gun and anything i learn just helps on down the road. Just trying to keep it tasteful without making it too flashy.

 

[J.D.]

You sound as if you are interested in becoming a ML gunsmith. While forums like this are a good resource, many who post here, while somewhat knowledgeable, are far from expert.

I suggest investing in a coupla good books on gunsmithing in general, and ML gunsmithing in particular.

One of the least expensive GOOD books convering both bases, to include staining, refinishing, carving, and custom gunstocking, as well as articles on assembing lock kits, and restoration of antiques is "Gunsmithing Tips and Projects".

At about $25, its worth its weight in gold for a beginning ML gunsmith.

Track is sold out, but it should be available through other on-line vendors.

IMHO, you can learn more from this book in 20 minutes than you can learn on your own in 10 years.
J.D.

 

[Keppy]

i've tried carving on wood before and the results were less than impressive. I've been practicing on 2x4s lately and have been thinking about what to carve and about inlays too, but i'm not to that stage yet. Skills arent there and i have no idea as to what kind of inlay/carving to do. Been thinking about it, just not quite confident enough to try it just yet. The members on this board are a bad influence anyways, cause a year ago, i wouldnt have been doing what i'm doing now. Thanks everyone. The knowledge base and willingness to help of everyone here is just amazing.

Thought about using brass tacks but want more of a challenge than that, but the designs i keep drawing up as ideas are above my carving skills also so for now, i'm not sure what to do.

Don't cut yourself short on skills. You may surprise yourself. And for the tacks I have seen some might good looking rilfes with those tacks.

 

[dlocke]

Well, you can start with a simple 4-point star. I did that with a 3" X 1" piece of 1/16" brass. I then drafted a 3" X 1" rectangle on a piece of paper and drafted my star design. Then I cut the rectangle of paper w/ the design off the sheet of paper and glued it to my brass sheet. To shape the inlet, I cut the bulk of the extra brass with good sharp snips. To finish it, I used a small hobby vise and clamped the straight edges of the star along the top jawline of the vise. That way you can file down to the line with a mill file. Keep doing this and then clean up the corners with a swiss needle file and you can make a pretty neat looking star in less than half an hour. The pros would say to inlet a "draft" (inside angle) along the edges as it helps the inlay fit the inlet tight. They are right, but you can get away with a 90 degree edge the first time.
After you have your inlay made, you need to do the inletting. This is not as hard as it may seem. Try it on a piece of scrap hardwood first. Lay your inlay where you want it and scribe around it with a sharp pencil. A #11 exacto blade works even better. If you use the pencil, you will need to cut just inside the line. Next, sharpen your chisels and give it a go. You'll figure out the rest in no time.
DJL

 

[AeroncaTAL]

I would agree with dlocke, a simple hunter's star on the cheekpiece is simple to do, and a great confidence builder when you get it done. You might also consider some brass inlay wire. That is even easier to put in. You can make small chisles from a hacksaw blade to cut the wire channel in the stock. You should be able to find some tutorials on wire inlay, if not PM me and I'll help you out.
J.D. is correct in that books are necessary things to have. I would suggest The Art of Building the Pennsylvania Longrifle, by Chuck Dixon, Dave Miller and Dave Ehrig. The Gunsmith of Greenville County is another book that is worth it to have. Both of these books are excellent resources in building longrifles.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Scott

 

[Slamfire]

I prefer Linspeed to Truoil, but it looks best on real walnut, properly applied and rubbed between coats it takes on a subdued luster that just speaks of good work.

 

[Zonie]

As for installing inlays, you can try tracing around the inlay with a pencil, but chanches are that you will have trouble getting it to fit the pocket.
There is also a good chanch you will cut out into the line somewhere which will leave a gap between the wood and the metal.

The best way (IMO) is to file a very slight taper around the outside with the edges angled inward towards the bottom.

Bend the inlay if required so that it will lay on the surface without any gaps.

Buy a tube of super glue and put a drop on the underside of the inlay. Position it where you want it and hold it down until the glue sets.

Use a very pointed Exacto knife or equal and hold the knife so that it will stab into the wood at about the same angle as the tapered sides of the inlay and cut down into the wood.
Do not try to cut the full depth with one cut. Just cut in a little ways, then go around the inlay again. Several times around the inlay will leave a cut that is exactly the size of the outside of the inlay.
Now, use a block of wood or a non metallic hammer and give the inlay a whack. It will break the glue joint.

Holding the Exacto knife at about 45 degrees from the surface, gently cut down inside the previously cut line to remove some of the wood. This takes several cuttings but sooner or later you will have the wood cut away to the depth of the thickness of the inlay.

Now that the fussy part is done, use the smallest chisel you have and remove the center area down to the thickness of the inlay.
Keep trying the inlay in the pocket to check the depth.
Usually, you will have to gently make another cut around the outside of the inlay with the Exacto knife to get the inlay to fit down into the pocket but do this carefully and use the edges of the inlay as your guide.
When your finished, there will be absolutly no gaps between the wood and the inlay and you will be more than proud of your work!

Have fun. :grin:
zonie

 

[Lonegun1894]

I wasnt downpalying tacked weapons or anyone who does it. I like the way it looks and have seen many georgeous MLs done up like that. I just didnt want them on this rifle, and thought a little carving would be nice. Also thought about getting rid of that patchbox by inletting that part of the stock a little more, and using a solid brass plate to cover the hole now occupied by said patchbox. Just an idea, and not sure what i'm gonna end up doing yet. Appreciate all the suggestions though.

 

[J.D.]

IMHO, trying to eliminate the patchbox would cause more problems than it would solve.

If you don't like the patchbox on this gun, change the style of the patchbox.


Track carries an assortment of patchbox styles.
This page might give you some ideas for different styles of pathcboxes or inlays you might like.

They even carry blank kits so you can make any style you want.
[url] http://www.trackofthewolf.com/(S(zsp2nx55yrpvwq550u1gacr1))/categories/catList.aspx?catID=14[/url]

Scroll down to "Patchboxes, capbox kits", and you might want to look at the "Inlays, silver wire, thumbpieces, tacks, decorations" too.

These parts are illustrated full size in Track's catalog, but I don't know if they will print out as full size from their web site. The pachboxes and inlays can be enlarged or reduced in size so's you can make and print a pattern to fit your gun.
J.D.