restocking advise

JChase · Post by **JChase** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 4:49 pm

Need some advise on where to send a gun for restocking. I have an old Fox AE that has been restocked before but poorly done. I need to send it to someone to restock it for me as I am not confident to do it myself.

Also, could you give me a ballpark figure on the cost of a restock and checkering for a gun like this. I would like to get a english stock and would supply my own wood.

Also, the gun will need to be reblued? (barrels) and tightened up. Any suggestions? and in what order do I have these repairs made?

Thanks
Jim

Ken Hurst · Post by **Ken Hurst** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 8:41 am

Two excellent men come to mind, Both are members of this board. Doug Mann 815-932-4190 and Boone Berlin 910-220-3332. Both are somewhat backed up as both are very good. Doug has done one piece for me & will soon do another. Boone has done two pieces with another one in line. As an engraver, I'm use to closely examing work such as inletting --- both of these guys are really good. Of course, there is always our man Campbell but I understand he only stocks his own gun.

Glenn Fewless · Post by **Glenn Fewless** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 1:37 pm

Mr. Hurst:

What are you doing on the computer? Don't you have some engraving to do? Don't make me call Miss Julie and have you chained to the bench!

I second Mr. Hurst's recomendations. You won't go wrong with these guys when it comes to putting a new handle on your gun.

Glenn

Backbore12 · Post by **Backbore12** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 5:48 pm

Look into the metal work first. Find out the cost of "tightening up"( not sure how extensive that might be or what you mean here). After that, if the gun is still worth it to you,that's when I'd look for stock work.

eightbore · Post by **eightbore** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 1:22 pm

I would also like to hear the craftsmen's idea in what order should a project gun be completed. Some craftsmen seem to have a different idea. In what order would we do mechanical, metal sculpting and preparation, stocking, engraving? Glenn, Doug, Ken, SDH, Mike Campbell, anyone else who would care to comment.

Ken Hurst · Post by **Ken Hurst** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 2:36 pm

I have just sent a Win. Lowall off to Glenn. He will hang the 22 cal. oct/rd. bbl, tune up action & do any metal work needed. The next step is to send metal to Doug where he will do a classic PG stock with appropiate classic checkering pattern. Finally I will get the piece and engrave/inlay if needed and forward for color case & rust bluing. Gun is returned , really checked out and set in gun rack where it will probably remain never to be fired while in my possession. Ken

eightbore · Post by **eightbore** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 5:22 pm

Ken, I have a distressed finish low wall in .22 long rifle with a very nice bore. What do you think? Murphy

Ken Hurst · Post by **Ken Hurst** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 6:40 pm

Mr. Bill ..... I engraved a Win. hiwall for Glenn that would pass for never left the factory new & unblued. The action was so bad that it was all but given to him. Glenn did the finest metal prep I have ever seen --- really, the action looked better than new ! I would suggest you send it to Mr. Glenn & let him do his magic on it. He also does one hell of a great job rust bluing.

All I'll tell Glenn is the bbl is to be oct to rd. & I want the lower tang properly bent as back in the old days at the factory. For everything else, I just leave that up to Mr. Glenn --- he has never dissapointed me with his work or choices. The guy is a hidden gem. Ken

Glenn Fewless · Post by **Glenn Fewless** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 1:22 pm

Gentlemens:

See? And here y'all thought I was just getting by on my looks.

To answer Mr. Eightbore's question, the first thing what needs done to any firearm, gun or rifle, is to make it make it mechanically sound. In the case of a shotgun, the barrels must be on face and the firing, extracting/ ejecting and locking mechanisms cleaned, repaired and tuned as necessary. If the bores are to be polished and perhaps the chokes adjusted, now is the time.

One you have the gun as it should be mechanically, it is time for the cosmetic metal work. Striking and polishing the barrels, reshaping the action and such. Lastly the metal polished to "almost finish" polish. This last is most important and something of an art to get just right. The trick is to make it shiny enough so that the stockmaker feels guilty when he scratches it, but not so finely polished that it takes forever to remove the marks when he inevitably does.

Fact of the matter is that the stockmaker needs the metal at finished dimensions to do his work properly, so the work is brought very near finished before the wood work is started. There will be marks on the metal when the wood is done so finish polish is done after stocking.

Now the stockmaker does his thing. I hesitate to be too specific here, as stockmakers are not like real people. The general thing is to have the wood fit, shaped and sanded to its final form and is ready to finish and checker. Then the metal can be sent back to the metal guy to be touched up and final polished, whilst the stockmaker is applying the finish and checkering. Some wood guys prefer to keep the metal until they are completely finished with the wood. Best not to argue with them about this for reasons pointed out earlier. Besides, they will get cranky and scratch your metal.

When the wood guy is done the metal goes back to the metalsmith, who will have to get all the sawdust out of the action and finish polish the metal. Then, and only then, should your metal go off to the engraver. The metal work needs to be finished in all respects before the engraver touches the work. Any exception to this will have you polishing next to the engraver's art, a very difficult and ultimately unsatisfactory situation. Unless your engraver is doing your polishing, have ALL the polishing done before he sees it.

When the engraving is done the metal is ready for bluing and coloring case hardening

At the end, all the finished parts meet back at the metalsmith's for final assembly. The gun is assembled and the screws fit and timed. Often there are small adjustments required because of the metal moving in heat treat. The screws are nitre blued when done and it's time to stick a fork in it. The gun is test fired and if all is right with the world the gun is ready for delivery.

Piece of cake. What could possibly go wrong?

Glenn

eightbore · Post by **eightbore** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 1:47 pm

Glenn, thank you for going through that for us. Maybe some other craftsman will have a slight different order, but yours makes a lot of sense. I especially like the idea of letting the engraver engrave instead of doing polishing, disassembly, screw mechanics, and reassembly. I'm thankful that these Foxes we're playing with don't have nearly as many screws to mess with as some other guns.

Doug Mann · Post by **Doug Mann** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 2:06 am

Glenn Fewless wrote:Gentlemens:

See? And here y'all thought I was just getting by on my looks.
Here is a picture of Glenn. He's the one on stage left or is it stage right, I get confused!

One you have the gun as it should be mechanically, it is time for the cosmetic metal work. Striking and polishing the barrels, reshaping the action and such. Lastly the metal polished to "almost finish" polish. This last is most important and something of an art to get just right. The trick is to make it shiny enough so that the stockmaker feels guilty when he scratches it, but not so finely polished that it takes forever to remove the marks when he inevitably does.

I do sorta feel guilty when I scratch the metal but it's up to the Guild metal guy to fix it in any case.

Fact of the matter is that the stockmaker needs the metal at finished dimensions to do his work properly, so the work is brought very near finished before the wood work is started. There will be marks on the metal when the wood is done so finish polish is done after stocking.

Now the stockmaker does his thing. I hesitate to be too specific here, as stockmakers are not like real people. The general thing is to have the wood fit, shaped and sanded to its final form and is ready to finish and checker. Then the metal can be sent back to the metal guy to be touched up and final polished, whilst the stockmaker is applying the finish and checkering. Some wood guys prefer to keep the metal until they are completely finished with the wood. Best not to argue with them about this for reasons pointed out earlier. Besides, they will get cranky and scratch your metal.

We are real people - just different from the metal guys! Scratches, what scratches? Well, maybe a couple.

When the wood guy is done the metal goes back to the metalsmith, who will have to get all the sawdust out of the action and finish polish the metal. Then, and only then, should your metal go off to the engraver. The metal work needs to be finished in all respects before the engraver touches the work. Any exception to this will have you polishing next to the engraver's art, a very difficult and ultimately unsatisfactory situation. Unless your engraver is doing your polishing, have ALL the polishing done before he sees it.

When the engraving is done the metal is ready for bluing and coloring case hardening

At the end, all the finished parts meet back at the metalsmith's for final assembly. The gun is assembled and the screws fit and timed. Often there are small adjustments required because of the metal moving in heat treat. The screws are nitre blued when done and it's time to stick a fork in it. The gun is test fired and if all is right with the world the gun is ready for delivery.

Piece of cake. What could possibly go wrong?

However, just to set the record straight, Glenn, Ken and I are doing a low-wall for the ASSRA. Glenn did forewarn me that the profiled stock was not very good (not very good meant it look like dog dodo) but he just knew that I could make it ok. This piece of wood looked like a beaver with severe dental issues had done the profiling. Glenn's carefull filing and polishing of the fancy butt plate was very nice except for the fact that it was to large for the buttstock profiled by said beaver. After some quality time with a large file it now fits the buttstock. Did I metion that Glenn forgot to include a tang screw with project so I could tighten the action and the wood together and final shape the wood? Hey what are friends for!

Glenn

Glenn Fewless · Post by **Glenn Fewless** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 1:27 pm

Doug Mann wrote:
...This piece of wood looked like a beaver with severe dental issues had done the profiling.

And this is somehow my fault? Are you suggesting National health care for rodents?

Glenn

Doug Mann · Post by **Doug Mann** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 2:09 pm

Glenn Fewless wrote:
Doug Mann wrote:
...This piece of wood looked like a beaver with severe dental issues had done the profiling.
And this is somehow my fault? Are you suggesting National health care for rodents?

Glenn

That's such a good idea that I just sent Barack Obama an email suggesting that it be added to the Democratic platform.