Savage 99 restification project
- Thread starter Ian
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freebullet
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Really coming together there. Nice work indeed!
Ian
Notorious member
Almost there.....
I still need to fine-tune the shape in a couple of small areas, double-check the symmetry with a contour gauge, and do something about three of the bug holes, but it's 99% shaped and passes the sunlight test for bumps, dips, ridges, scratches, etc.
I've pretty much changed my mind about checkering this one, the wood is just too pretty in the wrist to cover up. When I get some oil on it and the quilting starts popping out you'll see. This turned out to be a pretty decent chunk of wood after all, even with the heartwood stripes, a couple of bark inclusions, and some small bug holes.
I still need to fine-tune the shape in a couple of small areas, double-check the symmetry with a contour gauge, and do something about three of the bug holes, but it's 99% shaped and passes the sunlight test for bumps, dips, ridges, scratches, etc.
I've pretty much changed my mind about checkering this one, the wood is just too pretty in the wrist to cover up. When I get some oil on it and the quilting starts popping out you'll see. This turned out to be a pretty decent chunk of wood after all, even with the heartwood stripes, a couple of bark inclusions, and some small bug holes.
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Ian
Notorious member
The screw slots do line up, they're just not all the way tight. I have the butt plate just snugged because I've had it on and off two dozen or more times doing tang bedding and futzing with the stock screw and working down the wood flush and contoured to the tangs. I don't want to wear out the threads just yet.
I still need to press out the extractor pivot pin and clean up the bolt face and locking surfaces before reaming the chamber another thousandth or two and polishing it. Then the muzzle needs to be faced and threaded, and the crown cut (it has a Bubba hacksaw crown at the moment) before screwing it together for a test fire. I'll probably sand in the first application of oil before shooting it, too, just to help prevent cracks from forming. Boiled linseed oil is extremely forgiving of touch-ups, and will take months to finish, so a head start is good and will be no issue if I do some more shaping on it later.
I still need to press out the extractor pivot pin and clean up the bolt face and locking surfaces before reaming the chamber another thousandth or two and polishing it. Then the muzzle needs to be faced and threaded, and the crown cut (it has a Bubba hacksaw crown at the moment) before screwing it together for a test fire. I'll probably sand in the first application of oil before shooting it, too, just to help prevent cracks from forming. Boiled linseed oil is extremely forgiving of touch-ups, and will take months to finish, so a head start is good and will be no issue if I do some more shaping on it later.
Your stockwork is impressive! The bug holes will add character and are just part of the stock's story. You can force the cherry to darken by applying a lye mixture (2 tablespoons to a quart of water and wear rubber gloves) until you're satisfied. You'll need to neutralize the lye, so use some white vinegar and rinse well. I DIDN'T do this and applied an oil finish to cherry knife scales and then put it in a window to darken via ultraviolet light. It really never darkened.
I notice that your action is an early, square cornered breechbolt 1899. They were prone to cracking at the corners, so were changed to radius at the rear around 1907.
I notice that your action is an early, square cornered breechbolt 1899. They were prone to cracking at the corners, so were changed to radius at the rear around 1907.
Chris
Well-Known Member
Off topic but apropos to cherry: years ago we had a couple decent cherry sawlogs left over at spring breakup. Threw them into a mudhole where the skid trail came into the landing area. Never shipped them, so later that year we sawed them... the most beautiful and interesting pink colored wood you ever saw. A cherrywood fan might throw a couple blocks of wood into a bog or mudhole and see what happens.
Ian
Notorious member
Putting unfinished cherrywood in the sun will darken it to a deep red in just a couple of days. Once it is sealed, the darkening slows or stops altogether depending on what kind of finish is applied. BLO doesn't create an impermeable barrier, but it cures by reacting with air and usually has manganese/cobalt salts (Japan drier) added as catylists. This polymerization reaction consumes air and prevents darkening of the wood until years later. The resin additives or bases of varnishes (urethane, alkyd, or phenolic) build on the surface rather than penetrate, and make a more airtight seal than the natural oils do, so even straight poly or epoxy finishes with no polymerizing oil component will keep the wood surface from darkening with time due to barrier action alone.
This square-bolt receiver SN 82,XXX hasn't cracked yet, probably thanks to the relatively low-pressure chambering (.30-30 Win). I'm not going to hot-rod it. Bret and a couple of others already warned me about the cracking tendency (thanks to all of you for the valuable input, BTW) when I was considering a 7x30 chamber with the rebarrel.
This square-bolt receiver SN 82,XXX hasn't cracked yet, probably thanks to the relatively low-pressure chambering (.30-30 Win). I'm not going to hot-rod it. Bret and a couple of others already warned me about the cracking tendency (thanks to all of you for the valuable input, BTW) when I was considering a 7x30 chamber with the rebarrel.
Ian
Notorious member
Bill, I'm just going to sand in some BLO and let it be whatever it is. BLO will darken the wood considerably (I have some sample scraps going for the past couple weeks to test dry time and color), and since nothing pops the grain quite like a straight oil finish, that's what I decided to use. My Swedish Mauser stock was finished with Tru-oil before I knew any better, and in 16 years it hasn't darkened or reddened one bit. In the sun it looks washed-out because of the film finish. I wanted it slightly satin, so had to knock down the sheen with rottenstone and wax it, which kills the color. I prefer BLO on figured wood because it develops a satin sheen to any degree a person wants depending on number of coats, and doesn't cover up the wood.
Pistolero
Well-Known Member
Have you ever tried WATCO natural Danish oil? It does a nice job for me on walnut, but I would test
it on your cherry before putting it on. Available at Lowes or Home Depot. A rub on oil finish, doesn't
seem to leave a surface residue like Tru Oil which is sort of more like a varnish, to me.
Not disagreeing with BLO, just offering an alternative that I have found to be a very nice oil finish.
Bill
it on your cherry before putting it on. Available at Lowes or Home Depot. A rub on oil finish, doesn't
seem to leave a surface residue like Tru Oil which is sort of more like a varnish, to me.
Not disagreeing with BLO, just offering an alternative that I have found to be a very nice oil finish.
Bill
Ian
Notorious member
Danish oil is a varnish, meaning combo of seed oil and resin plus thinner. It's a great gunstock finish if you don't mind that it will build on the surface. It even does well on top of cured BLO to help see the grain plus add a little bit more surface protection. If you want to see the grain really well, like wearing 3D glasses, straight BLO or Tung oil for the first few applications (or for the whole finish process) is the only way to go. You can varnish over that, poly, whatever. I prefer to feel the wood surface rather than feeling a plastic coating on my stocks, so I use the penetrating natural oils that don't build up much, and sand them in to fill the grain.
Really, all this is a matter of personal preference and how much time is available to invest in the finish. This isn't a boat rifle so I don't care about waterproofing. I mainly want the grain to look good and it have a satin finish that's easily repairable and won't chip/flake, and since I have time to spend on it, BLO is the natural choice. Pure Tung oil is faster drying, but doesn't quite have the magic pop that BLO gives to grain. If you want a good finish, right now, wipe-on polyurethane is probably the best there is, three coats in a day and it's finished, but it covers up all that fine grain. I've finished cherrywood about every way there is (including French polish, that's another story) and for furniture I prefer just a mix of BLO, spar varnish, and naptha in thirds, over one coat of BLO sanded in and allowed to dry for weeks/months whatever before varnishing with the mix in multiple, light coats with a wet-sanding in between.
Really, all this is a matter of personal preference and how much time is available to invest in the finish. This isn't a boat rifle so I don't care about waterproofing. I mainly want the grain to look good and it have a satin finish that's easily repairable and won't chip/flake, and since I have time to spend on it, BLO is the natural choice. Pure Tung oil is faster drying, but doesn't quite have the magic pop that BLO gives to grain. If you want a good finish, right now, wipe-on polyurethane is probably the best there is, three coats in a day and it's finished, but it covers up all that fine grain. I've finished cherrywood about every way there is (including French polish, that's another story) and for furniture I prefer just a mix of BLO, spar varnish, and naptha in thirds, over one coat of BLO sanded in and allowed to dry for weeks/months whatever before varnishing with the mix in multiple, light coats with a wet-sanding in between.
Ian
Notorious member
'Nuther update. I skipped all the gory details of draw-filing, hand-sanding, and hand-polishing most of the rust pits and dips/rounded edges the last guy left me. What a nightmare. I got it mostly right, there's a pin-prick pit in a spot or two and one rounded corner I just didn't have enough metal to fix. Every surface you see had to be fixed, especially around the barrel, all those shapes were buggared and rusted. The front of the receiver, where the forearm meets, it pitted and makes for a rough edge, but I'm leaving it alone. I also skipped to the end on seven coats of rust blue, if you wanna know how I do that maybe I'll cover it in another installment when I do some of the other parts.
I also snuck in two coats of sanded-in, boiled linseed oil in the stock, and finished polishing the butt plate to 4-0 steel wool finish. I could make it a mirror in about two minutes with a wheel, but it is soft an will get scratched up anyway so I didn't bother.
The stock is just put on for show and not tightened all the way up, so there's a gap. Same for the butt plate screw.
I also snuck in two coats of sanded-in, boiled linseed oil in the stock, and finished polishing the butt plate to 4-0 steel wool finish. I could make it a mirror in about two minutes with a wheel, but it is soft an will get scratched up anyway so I didn't bother.
The stock is just put on for show and not tightened all the way up, so there's a gap. Same for the butt plate screw.
Ian
Notorious member
I'm learning how to do a lot of this as I go. This will be the first time I've taken a receiver down with a file and worked back up all the way to re-bluing. First center-fire barrel job from a blank, too. None of it is rocket surgery, but there's a pretty steep learning curve first time around, especially with no prior exposure to any professional gunsmithing operations. One thing is for sure, I have a whole new respect for Doug Turnbull!