Thursday, January 24, 2013

Sheridan Stock Limbo

Project update:  Trying to get back to the Sheridan refinish, but the cold weather is thwarting me.  It warmed up to almost 20 degrees today by midday!  But now, it's 13 and dropping.  I need to get into the garage to do some sanding, but my fingers are numb after fifteen or twenty minutes.















Still figuring out what to put on the end of the stock.  I was short on recoil pads so I made a run to a local gun shop.  One of these may or may not make it onto the Sheridan.  Yep.  Decisiveness at it's best.



















Regardless of which buttpad or buttplate is used, the rifle still needs a bit more length of pull.  To that end, I cut two pieces of 1/8" thick maple and a piece of Bolivian rosewood.  I've had some problems using cuts from this particular piece of rosewood in the recent past.  Had a reaction to it similar to having poison ivy.  Needed a steroid shot as well as additional medication.  Fun stuff.  Wore gloves and a mask while making the cuts. 



















Sandwiched the rosewood between the maple.  Used Gorilla Glue.



















Clamped it in a bench vise between some thicker maple boards and cranked it down tight.  Gonna let it dry for the night.

It's not supposed to warm up for a few more days, so I may temporarily shelve this project and start something I can work on in the basement.  Where it's warm.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Refinishing a Sheridan Stock -- Part 1

Here's the second of the two Sheridans from friend, Sandy.









It's in great shape, save for a few nicks and scratches in the wood finish.













Wiped with a maroon ScotchBrite pad--sort of highlights the marks in the wood.




























Nice grain.














Removed the action screw and knocked out the two roll pins that secure the forearm to the pump lever.


 


























 
















The rear of the trigger guard is held by a screw.




































The front is held by a rivet.  "Was" held by a rivet.  It was a real headache to remove.  I, uh, won't be using it on reassembly.


























Started the sanding with 150 grit. Amazingly, Guineness makes all my projects look better.



















Ouch.  There's a pretty good ding in the forearm.


































Even with the sander, it took some time.  The paper kept glazing over as it loaded with the varnish.  I think I went through three full sheets of sand paper--a quarter sheet at a time.


































Hopefully, I'll be able to pull out the grain contrast.  Undecided as to the butt of the rifle.  The length of pull could stand to be longer and I'm not sure if I'll add a rubber recoil pad or use the old Morgan from the old QB77 project.  Also conflicted as to exactly how much fancying up I want to do to the stock. 



















The forearm before sanding.






































The plain buttstock was bothering me.  Leave it or change it?  Kinda like put up or shut up.



















Put up wins.  Now it's, Pachmayr Decelerator or Morgan?  Contrasting wood spacer(s)?  Reshape the forearm?  Ahhhhhh, too many choices at the moment.   Another Guinness.  The rest will wait.

More soon.