# Firearms and Shooting > Projects and Home Builds >  Self isolation gun  projects

## akaroa1

What's everyone doing for self isolation projects

I have a few years worth of gun projects on the book
But i suspect I might rip through them this winter

Fitted and tested a 209 primer conversion nipple on my muzzleloader to get it ready for the roar and winter hunting.
Better spark for cold winter tahr hunts

Fitted an extractor and started a safety tumbler for the Hollis martini 500 express 

Finally put all the parts back into my 1885 22K hornet and zeroed the scope.
I had burgled all the springs to copy and cook 2 sets for my other 1885 project

Mounted a 6x Malcolm scope on my Stevens 44 1/2 today.
Went to fit the new firing pin I got from USA and found that because the breech block was bushed it's the wrong size 
So that was a fail

Might finally get back on to my double rifle build

Have @Tentman s 44 1/2 to try and get shooting 

Waiting for jacketed projectiles to sort my  fussy 375 Winchester that doesn't like cast bullets

And that's just the last week !

Have I stick to finish
Two stocks to make from scratch
And what ever other projects come along as well

Happiness is a well stocked workshop

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## res

Im trying to make my own black powder, have made basic stuff before but now taking it a bit more seriously(balling etc) to try and get usable stuff. Want to fill the freezer with a home made gun using home made powder etc

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## akaroa1

> Im trying to make my own black powder, have made basic stuff before but now taking it a bit more seriously(balling etc) to try and get usable stuff. Want to fill the freezer with a home made gun using home made powder etc


 @res that makes you a Completist then

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## akaroa1

Actually this is more a "Social distancing projects" at the moment but has the potential to become "Self Isolation"

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## Steelisreal

"Happiness is a well stocked workshop" - And making sure to keep sharing pictures and stories of your interesting projects with those of us lacking in the workshop department!  :Have A Nice Day: 

I really appreciate the time you take to show others what can be done.

ESPECIALLY when accompanied by pictures of those glorious single shot rifles like the one above!!!

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## hotbarrels

Looking to fit a geared reduction motor to the bandsaw so I can cut steel for knife making, fit a blower to the forge, finish the anvil base, prep everything for Easter weekend bunny busting, bottle the 25kg of honey I extracted last night, put down another brew of mead now that its cooling down, paint the darn workshop (hate painting, should have used bricks!) - always plenty to do

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## akaroa1

Much the same here

Have traps around my hazel orchard and go up every morning and there are usually one or two possums to pluck and a couple of pockets full of nuts to pick up.

Have a few apple trees in the orchard that have lovely eating apples ready to pick and store away for the next few months

The walnuts are just starting to drop
So that will be a bucket full every day to pick up there

The possums will start coming to the walnuts now like kids to candy

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## m101a1

> What's everyone doing for self isolation projects
> 
> I have a few years worth of gun projects on the book
> But i suspect I might rip through them this winter
> 
> Fitted and tested a 209 primer conversion nipple on my muzzleloader to get it ready for the roar and winter hunting.
> Better spark for cold winter tahr hunts
> 
> Fitted an extractor and started a safety tumbler for the Hollis martini 500 express 
> ...


As for the 375 try using the lee bullett and shoot as cast with lee alox liquid lube , was the only way we could shoot cast in the win 375 years ago as an edit just found the load , it was lyman375449 bullet as cast with 18grns of 2205  hope this helps

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## Mr Browning

Ha, youre just trying to escape from the Mother in Law  :Grin:

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## homebrew.357

Have already made rifle primer thingy for my Hawken, but haven't used it yet as caps are ok, my .50 barrel needs rust browning now I have set the sights. There was a firing pin to make up but change of plan, bottled up 29 homebrew bottles with virus killing formula,  :36 1 5:  replaced rusting brake rod under my caravan with s/steel one and washed the house. And if I run out of things there`s always the Rolling block rifle to make, It`s all go.

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## gonetropo

no gun projects but i am building an amplifier to power transducers in the couch and chairs. so explosions on the tv will literally shake the furniture .
the double 12" subwoofer just aint enough !!

remember if its too loud, youre too old !!!

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## Sideshow

Be bloody funny testing these projects......you will have to pay your neighbours to set up the targets and not lie about the scores :XD:

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## northdude

I've got a bipod to finish off and a few rifles sitting in the safe that just need a rebluet but always on the lookout for a project

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## akaroa1

> Be bloody funny testing these projects......you will have to pay your neighbours to set up the targets and not lie about the scores


I test all my projects on things I can eat !

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## Martin358

> What's everyone doing for self isolation projects
> 
> I have a few years worth of gun projects on the book
> But i suspect I might rip through them this winter
> 
> Fitted and tested a 209 primer conversion nipple on my muzzleloader to get it ready for the roar and winter hunting.
> Better spark for cold winter tahr hunts
> 
> Fitted an extractor and started a safety tumbler for the Hollis martini 500 express 
> ...


where did you get the primer adapter

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## PaulNZ

Well, plenty of work to go on the walnut stock for my Anschutz (from the blank), and before I do final shaping I want to recontour the tang of the receiver. Replacement trigger blade and bolt knob to make too. Probably make a proper recoil pad grinding jig also. If I get to the end of that I've got 3 Emcostar wood work centers to strip and combine into 2 good ones. But given that my job is going to carry on through even if working from home, and there's kids to keep entertained as well, I doubt I'll make that much extra progress.

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## akaroa1

@Martin358  Its from USA Mag-spark from  Warren Industries

But I think Neil Hayes has a few different models available that could be modified is the tread you want isn't in stock

Actually now that I have one it would be relatively easy to replicate
I brought a spare top cap because it would be easy to loose i the field when the adrenalin is flowing for a follow up shot
It's bloody simple

I mainly  intend using it for winter hunting because I had a few slow ignitions when I was tahr shooting last winter
It would also be useful for using up the 777 I brought to try out and found it wasn't the greatest with normal ignition caps

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## Flyblown

> no gun projects but i am building an amplifier to power transducers in the couch and chairs. so explosions on the tv will literally shake the furniture .
> the double 12" subwoofer just aint enough !!
> 
> remember if its too loud, youre too old !!!


You mate, must be barking mad. In a good way...

 :Thumbsup:

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## csmiffy

if I had a workshop similar to yours id do a lot more that's for sure. Don't have access to the metal working gear since I left the last job. makes doing some of the things I can do pretty hard.
Got some minor action to stock fitting for one of the P14 projects (ex 308 target rifle, probably going to be a 300 win mag one day), and some tweaking to the other P14 303 to see if that shoots better.
Some stock work on the SxS shottie to try to make something a little better than a sows ear.
Some rebedding on the 25-303 and got a handful of rounds to see if that shoots any good before I start reloading for that otherwise it will turn into a 264 win mag-cant do that bit.
Maybe some playing around with the lee speed project but fitting express sights I cant do. need to shoot that first and see how that barrel goes

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## akaroa1

@Martin358 here is the 209 primer conversion

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## gonetropo

> You mate, must be barking mad. In a good way...


WOOF !!!

currently in the tv room
6 ceiling mount 8" kevlar 2 way speakers
under the tv in the wall twin 5" 2 way kevlar
standing next to tv a pair of krix lyrix floor standing speakers
dual 12 isobaric subwoofer each speaker having a 250 watt rms amp

65" tv (hopefully an 85" one day"

yep its a hobby.........

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## Finnwolf

Fitting a recoil pad to the wee 7.63x39 I got from Micky Duck.
Not that the recoil (which isn’t much) worries me on the six pound rifle, it’s more to get my eye back from the scope ( I’ve a long scrawny neck!) and to make a non-slip butt for when I’ve got the rifle leaning against a tree/rock whatever.

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## Martin358

thanks ill try hayes to get one, its for a maybe project

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## nevereadyfreddy

> Well, plenty of work to go on the walnut stock for my Anschutz (from the blank), and before I do final shaping I want to recontour the tang of the receiver. Replacement trigger blade and bolt knob to make too. Probably make a proper recoil pad grinding jig also. If I get to the end of that I've got 3 Emcostar wood work centers to strip and combine into 2 good ones. But given that my job is going to carry on through even if working from home, and there's kids to keep entertained as well, I doubt I'll make that much extra progress.


Keep us posted on your progress with the stock (photos etc)

Am going to build one for my CZ 223 as soon as I can find a nice piece of walnut.

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## Russian 22.

> if I had a workshop similar to yours id do a lot more that's for sure. Don't have access to the metal working gear since I left the last job. makes doing some of the things I can do pretty hard.
> Got some minor action to stock fitting for one of the P14 projects (ex 308 target rifle, probably going to be a 300 win mag one day), and some tweaking to the other P14 303 to see if that shoots better.
> Some stock work on the SxS shottie to try to make something a little better than a sows ear.
> Some rebedding on the 25-303 and got a handful of rounds to see if that shoots any good before I start reloading for that otherwise it will turn into a 264 win mag-cant do that bit.
> Maybe some playing around with the lee speed project but fitting express sights I cant do. need to shoot that first and see how that barrel goes


Gun city auckland had some brass an sloaded rounds of 25/303

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## grandpamac

Greetings All,
Projects. Where do I start? My scoped Martini has a Weaver No 60 base fitted to the barrel which leaves the scope too far forward for all but an old Leupold 4 power. A rail type base that would extend back to the receiver would allow a 10 power scope my son has lent me to be fitted. Research and modification. There is a P14 in the cupboard that has been converted to a target rifle with no sights. Needs a base (modified) and ears removed. A H & R break open action needs a .22 Hornet and .30-30 barrel fitted together with sights. My scoped .303 could do with a better butt stock. An M38 6.5 x 55 could benefit from a new stock or at least some improvements to the current one. Then there is load development for the 7 mm SAUM and I haven't even opened the cupboard and looked yet. Then there is a new woodshed and next years firewood and the garden.  I think I need a cuppa.
Regards Grandpamac.

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## akaroa1

> Greetings All,
> Projects. Where do I start? My scoped Martini has a Weaver No 60 base fitted to the barrel which leaves the scope too far forward for all but an old Leupold 4 power. A rail type base that would extend back to the receiver would allow a 10 power scope my son has lent me to be fitted. Research and modification. There is a P14 in the cupboard that has been converted to a target rifle with no sights. Needs a base (modified) and ears removed. A H & R break open action needs a .22 Hornet and .30-30 barrel fitted together with sights. My scoped .303 could do with a better butt stock. An M38 6.5 x 55 could benefit from a new stock or at least some improvements to the current one. Then there is load development for the 7 mm SAUM and I haven't even opened the cupboard and looked yet. Then there is a new woodshed and next years firewood and the garden.  I think I need a cuppa.
> Regards Grandpamac.


 @grandpamac so what are you going to do after this week ?

You will need more jobs than that

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## csmiffy

@Russian 22 interesting
Doesn't seem to be online? probably such a small amount it doesn't make it. Might give them a ring and see how much they want to rip me off. Don't want to spend a shit ton on a potentially naff barrel

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## gundoc

I am never short of gun projects but I will be spending the next few months completely repowering and modifying my '46 Chevy Fleetmaster (250HP modified 250 cubic inch inline 6, TH350 auto trans, Camaro 10 bolt rear end, lowered, 15" wheels, front discs, power brakes, electric assisted steering).  I am just starting the dismantling process now after having finished rebuilding the engine. It will still look like a standard Fleetmaster but perform up to modern standards.

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## Scout

You have some very cool stuff Gundoc, I see you have/had a Corvette just a while ago to, nice also !

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## gonetropo

> I am never short of gun projects but I will be spending the next few months completely repowering and modifying my '46 Chevy Fleetmaster (250HP modified 250 cubic inch inline 6, TH350 auto trans, Camaro 10 bolt rear end, lowered, 15" wheels, front discs, power brakes, electric assisted steering).  I am just starting the dismantling process now after having finished rebuilding the engine. It will still look like a standard Fleetmaster but perform up to modern standards.


i have to build a wiring loom for a mates truck. 53 chev pickup. motor is on order from the usa.
527 cubic inch with twin turbos. if it aint enough hp he wants nitrous installed.
hate to think of the fuel bill !

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## gundoc

> You have some very cool stuff Gundoc, I see you have/had a Corvette just a while ago to, nice also !


Thanks Scout.  I sold the Corvette to Auckland a week ago to give me garage space for the '46 rebuild.  I still have a '91 GMC pickup as a useful toy!

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## Scout

Way cool Gundoc, I wish I was a better mechanic/Panel-beater, there are so many cool old cars & trucks, I found some great trucks in SA, a nice 48 Bonus in drive around condition but no papers for one. 

But I think i'm going to find a Willys Overlander truck, not worth a lot of money right now & cool to me.  

gonetropo, again cool truck, one of my favourites is the '55 but heck sell the farm for one of those !!

Funny on your buddies horse power, I had a mate with a Ford lightning, I think 400Hp & 150 mph, super charged & he told me he wanted more power & was going to twin turbo & Nitrous it  
I said heck that would be too much HP !!   he kind of blinks & said he should slap me as there is no such thing !!!

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## akaroa1

Just finished two Stevens 44 1/2 firing pins 

Still have to hear treat them.
But need to go out this afternoon and shut down my work until when ever

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## akaroa1

Heat treat !

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## Russian 22.

> @Russian 22 interesting
> Doesn't seem to be online? probably such a small amount it doesn't make it. Might give them a ring and see how much they want to rip me off. Don't want to spend a shit ton on a potentially naff barrel


Was just sitting in the miscellaneous specials box next to the entrance.

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## Finnwolf

> Thanks Scout.  I sold the Corvette to Auckland a week ago to give me garage space for the '46 rebuild.  I still have a '91 GMC pickup as a useful toy!


A bit of a link with you Gundoc - ‘er indoors recently imported a ‘86 GMC Grand Sierra, some of my ‘isolation time’ will be spent getting it towards being vinned . (Not a five minute job and involves sourcing suitable parts)

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## grandpamac

> @grandpamac so what are you going to do after this week ?
> 
> You will need more jobs than that


For you akaroa1 that may be true but for me, counting down the weeks to my 71st birthday, it is more like a lifetimes work. Making the list was helpful and focused my thinking on what to do next. What do you think John Browning would have thought of your Hornet? I think he would have been impressed.
Regards Grandpamac.

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## gundoc

> A bit of a link with you Gundoc - er indoors recently imported a 86 GMC Grand Sierra, some of my isolation time will be spent getting it towards being vinned . (Not a five minute job and involves sourcing suitable parts)


The only thing involved in vinning mine was getting the headlights sorted for the left side of the road (new bulbs and a fair bit of adjustment of the lens position).

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## csmiffy

> I am never short of gun projects but I will be spending the next few months completely repowering and modifying my '46 Chevy Fleetmaster (250HP modified 250 cubic inch inline 6, TH350 auto trans, Camaro 10 bolt rear end, lowered, 15" wheels, front discs, power brakes, electric assisted steering).  I am just starting the dismantling process now after having finished rebuilding the engine. It will still look like a standard Fleetmaster but perform up to modern standards.


A nice inline 6 will be smooth as

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## gonetropo

> The only thing involved in vinning mine was getting the headlights sorted for the left side of the road (new bulbs and a fair bit of adjustment of the lens position).


similar issue on imported french cars. they dip vertically straight down not to the left or right

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## Finnwolf

> The only thing involved in vinning mine was getting the headlights sorted for the left side of the road (new bulbs and a fair bit of adjustment of the lens position).


If only it was so easy!
New idler arm, brake hoses, rear brake shoes etc etc 
Still, like guns it’s a passion! :Thumbsup:

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## gundoc

> If only it was so easy!
> New idler arm, brake hoses, rear brake shoes etc etc 
> Still, like guns it’s a passion!


I find LMC Truck good to deal with, good range of stock, reasonable prices and quick delivery.

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## csmiffy

> If only it was so easy!
> New idler arm, brake hoses, rear brake shoes etc etc 
> Still, like guns it’s a passion!


Piece of weeze
If you were local and we weren't all in isolation I'd give you a hand

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## Tentman

Hmmm - here goes . . . 

- replace sear spring in Miroku 1885 "Low wall" single shot (everything on the web says its a fairly daunting task to reassemble)

 - make "AR ergonomic" stocks up for the Lee Enfields I'm converting to "Modern Sporting Rifles" - I have 3 or 4 on hand in varying degrees of completeness and barrel condition, I'll probably shoot them all before I spend a lot of time on the conversion, so quite a bit of shooting required on that basis alone

- maybe build a "proper" backstop for my range here at home (its a 22RF  one only)

And that's just the beginning, I'm ready to be egged on and lead astray by various ideas that come to light . . . .

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## akaroa1

> For you akaroa1 that may be true but for me, counting down the weeks to my 71st birthday, it is more like a lifetimes work. Making the list was helpful and focused my thinking on what to do next. What do you think John Browning would have thought of your Hornet? I think he would have been impressed.
> Regards Grandpamac.


I hope John Moses Browning would be impressed 
I'm a huge Browning fan

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## csmiffy

@akaroa1 so am I but I only have the old A5 lol. need to somehow have a catch up that doesn't look like a drug deal and see if you have some screws that match my A5 one day

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## Finnwolf

> Fitting a recoil pad to the wee 7.63x39 I got from Micky Duck.
> Not that the recoil (which isnt much) worries me on the six pound rifle, its more to get my eye back from the scope ( Ive a long scrawny neck!) and to make a non-slip butt for when Ive got the rifle leaning against a tree/rock whatever.


Got it done but by the time I finished grinding the old Bisley kick pad into the right shape I looked like a Black  and White Minstrel - (well , ok, brown and white)
And the rifle fits me perfectly now :Thumbsup:

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## akaroa1

> @akaroa1 so am I but I only have the old A5 lol. need to somehow have a catch up that doesn't look like a drug deal and see if you have some screws that match my A5 one day


 @csmiffy I have a huge gun screw selection and its pretty well organised

I also have access to a colossal gun screw selection and will continue to have access to that source during the shut down

If you can work out what you think the screw is I can see if one is here

Someone ( me ) probably needs to start a  " parts thread " for guys who are in isolation and wanting to try and move projects forward
So I'm just about to start making an 1885 firing pin from scratch
But I would much rather buy one or swap something for one

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## akaroa1

More self isolation project materials arrived today

100 x 375 projectiles for my G2 375 Winchester 

20 x 500 nitro cases for my 500 express 

So now I have 25x  500 cases
I feel a sore shoulder coming on 

But it gives me another self isolation project casting another batch of 450 grain 500 projectiles

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## akaroa1



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## Scout

Very nice & Norma .500 cases Eh, do you have dies, that was the hardest for me to source back in the day   ?

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## akaroa1

> Very nice & Norma .500 cases Eh, do you have dies, that was the hardest for me to source back in the day   ?


No factory dies

But I made a neck size only die to bump it down just to grip the projectile 
A body die to flatten the small bulge the neck for left 
A small flaring punch so I can start the projectile 
Then I run the loaded round into the first neck die and it takes out the slight flare almost like a crimp

Works just fine with a low volume use round like the 500 express

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## akaroa1

> Very nice & Norma .500 cases Eh, do you have dies, that was the hardest for me to source back in the day   ?


So 25 Norma and 5 Bertram cases should last me a life time

The case body doesn't seem to need re sizing after 5 firings
I guess eventually they might need a bump on the whole body
And the necks might need annealing also because they are getting worked a bit more

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## homebrew.357

Ordered some more 4140 barrel steel so hoping the courier's are still working, in the mean time have redrilled out one of my pp bullet moulds. I wanted a heaver bullet and the mould was casting a 410gr one  and bingo!!, just had a casting session and it came out 488gr, so should be good for long range.
, But may have to make a new barrel for them.

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## akaroa1

> Ordered some more 4140 barrel steel so hoping the courier's are still working, in the mean time have redrilled out one of my pp bullet moulds. I wanted a heaver bullet and the mould was casting a 410gr one  and bingo!!, just had a casting session and it came out 488gr, so should be good for long range.
> Attachment 133709, But may have to make a new barrel for them.


 @homebrew.357  For .45 or .50

I have just finished reading The Paper Jacket by Paul Mathews
I would love to have a crack at doing a paper jacketed bullet for the 500 express

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## norsk

> @homebrew.357  For .45 or .50
> 
> I have just finished reading The Paper Jacket by Paul Mathews
> I would love to have a crack at doing a paper jacketed bullet for the 500 express


You might be supprised at what paper works best.
For my 577/450 it is "Post-it" note paper and for a 47 Cal tapping breech loader it's regular Printer paper.

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## homebrew.357

The .50 ones no good so sticking to .45 cal barrels, I made two .45 muzzle loading ones in 12/15 steel and they came out good. So will try 4140 with my new system to see if it works and if any good will maybe fit it to my Sharps. And yes, I`m using A4 printing paper as well, seams to work, lots of confetti when it goes bang.

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## Scout

> So 25 Norma and 5 Bertram cases should last me a life time
> 
> The case body doesn't seem to need re sizing after 5 firings
> I guess eventually they might need a bump on the whole body
> And the necks might need annealing also because they are getting worked a bit more


Actually with normal reloading & shooting full or heavier nitro loads you lose a few cases learning with the .500NE, too much lube & you get oil dents, not enough & the very thin weak rim pulls off, ask me how I know !!

On that I fear I had a over size chamber which didn't help.

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## Bol Tackshin

Free-floated the EM-332 with a stick and some sandpaper.  Now,  it appears that the stock may need to be refinished.  (There's actually nothing wrong with the stock,  but you all know how it goes....)

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## 300CALMAN

> Looking to fit a geared reduction motor to the bandsaw so I can cut steel for knife making, fit a blower to the forge, finish the anvil base, prep everything for Easter weekend bunny busting, bottle the 25kg of honey I extracted last night, put down another brew of mead now that its cooling down, paint the darn workshop (hate painting, should have used bricks!) - always plenty to do


 @hotbarrels always wanted to make some mead but the cost of honey is eye watering now

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## The bomb

Might reshape the stock on the 10/22 ,have painted the duck boat and gonna try an strip the carb on the 7.5hp outboard.been 2 days and I’m bored already..

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## hotbarrels

> @hotbarrels always wanted to make some mead but the cost of honey is eye watering now


 @300CALMAN Yes, the price of honey is pretty prohibitive.  Fortunately I have a couple of hives, but if you price them up around $1k for the first hive plus all your start-up gear it doesn't make economic sense.  I got into it as my son was keen.  Unfortunately he's developed a bee sting allergy after being bitten by a spider and ending up in hospital.  He now reacts badly to stings.  This season has been so dry that the honey harvest is almost non-existent.  Will have been a hard year for the commercial guys.

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## Bol Tackshin

> Free-floated the EM-332 with a stick and some sandpaper.  Now,  it appears that the stock may need to be refinished.  (There's actually nothing wrong with the stock,  but you all know how it goes....)


So,  started sanding the stock down.  Decided to take a rash to it a d reshape the grip area.  It was quite clunky to hold and I'd guess anyone that has owned an EM would agree that the stock is not the best shape.  It has really come alive,  and shoulders so much better.  Subtle changes deliver big improvements.

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## Tentman

> So,  started sanding the stock down.  Decided to take a rash to it a d reshape the grip area.  It was quite clunky to hold and I'd guess anyone that has owned an EM would agree that the stock is not the best shape.  It has really come alive,  and shoulders so much better.  Subtle changes deliver big improvements.


You know the rules - photos are mandatory . . . .

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## northdude

well i was going to try a reblue but just remembered i left the fukn blue at work i guess i could go and get it as it is essentual  :Grin:

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## Bol Tackshin

@northdude - you accidentally  left your meds at work? Sounds essential to me...
  @Tentman - I completely forgot to take pics...thanks for the reminder!  I will post some in the morning showing where I'm at... I think I have a before picture somewhere too.

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## csmiffy

One of the projects might have to wait. The target rifle I have needs screws for the rear bases.
Checked the details from months ago. 3BA
Typical. Quick go yesterday trying to find them.
Not so good and ran out of time.
Probably irrelevant as we arent allowed to go out and shoot them anyway.
Got a bit to do on that one so probably not a biggy

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## Steve123

Looks like it's going to be time to start bedding the 103.
Hope C8 epoxy will do. Also hope I can find a spare stock if it goes tits up.
Bummer I didn't have time to get any arrow shafts for the pillars.


Sent from my SM-G390Y using Tapatalk

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## Bol Tackshin

Photos of the EM-332 stock as it progresses...

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## akaroa1

I just sized down some 395 grain 50 cal muzzleloader projectiles to .500
Paper patch jacketed them once i found the perfect paper to bring them up to .512

They are out drying now until I try them tomorrow 
I will load a couple as is at about .512
And put a couple through the .510 sizer die 

This bullet is a little lighter than the 450 grainers I'm currently using.
But more importantly it has a much bigger metlap which is better for hunting big game

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## akaroa1

I just sized down some 395 grain 50 cal muzzleloader projectiles to .500
Paper patch jacketed them once i found the perfect paper to bring them up to .512

They are out drying now until I try them tomorrow 
I will load a couple as is at about .512
And put a couple through the .510 sizer die 

This bullet is a little lighter than the 450 grainers I'm currently using.
But more importantly it has a much bigger metlap which is better for hunting big game

Attachment 133907

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## akaroa1

Just turned out a 50 cal pilot for my RCBS case trimmer 
Makes it quick and easy to take off the 6mm I need to 
Have 20x 500 nitro to trim down

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## homebrew.357

Had a go at paper patching twenty of my new 488gr bullets and as the paper needs wetting I thought I would use some of my lathe cooling water that's mixed with soluble oil to help it stick. Worked a treat, when dry the oil is still in the paper for a bit of lube, but still rolled them in a bit of bullet lube as well then sized them to .459" and came out looking good. As I had twenty empty 45-70 cases I thought they would look better inside them, so primed and charged with 70gr 2f , compressed to fit the nice big fat bullets in. So all loaded up and now I can't go to the range to try them out, bugger. 
, Shoulder pad stuff I reckon.

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## akaroa1

> Had a go at paper patching twenty of my new 488gr bullets and as the paper needs wetting I thought I would use some of my lathe cooling water that's mixed with soluble oil to help it stick. Worked a treat, when dry the oil is still in the paper for a bit of lube, but still rolled them in a bit of bullet lube as well then sized them to .459" and came out looking good. As I had twenty empty 45-70 cases I thought they would look better inside them, so primed and charged with 70gr 2f , compressed to fit the nice big fat bullets in. So all loaded up and now I can't go to the range to try them out, bugger. 
> Attachment 133956, Shoulder pad stuff I reckon.


Awesome to see you were doing the same

I can test tomorrow as the 100m range is out my workshop door

----------


## homebrew.357

Bloody skite!!

----------


## akaroa1

> Bloody skite!!


 @homebrew.357 

Sorry ! 
My bubble is about 1000 ha of land including neighboring properties 

The hare population is likely to suffer a  significant coronavirus related death rate in the next month / months

----------


## akaroa1

Paper patch jacketed 395 grain 500 express is the answer
The Henry rifling was clearly living them

I lubed very lightly with round ball patch lube 

I just shot a palm of hand sized group at 60m with the 4 rounds I had loaded

Didn't get any velocities because not much light on the screens
Or maybe the paper confetti confused the chronograph

----------


## Bol Tackshin

Here is the latest on the stock refurbish job on my EM-332.  The varnish (I strongly suspect it is epoxy) us incredibly tough - far tougher than the underlying wood. It's been a tough job slowly sanding it off.  Anyhoo, 
the main focus is on ergonomic improvements... I've reshaped the pistol grip area,  making a slight groove for right thumb on rhs of the stock,  and another for the 3 fingers  on the lhs of the grip.  This has made the world of difference. It's almost like the stock was designed to be customised.  The bottom metal also fits far better than before.

----------


## Preacher

Probably a bit late but if you have a stock with a really tough varnish, don't try sanding it immediately (or use paint stripper).

Those thin flexible $2 shop paint scraper type dealies with the corners/any burrs sanded off work like magic.

Had a stock that just instantly clogged even high quality coarse paper, dragging the scraper lightly in one direction just tore through the polymer gloss coat without damaging the surface (some care and attention required).

Then sanding was a piece of piss. And no more clogged paper.

----------


## Preacher

Stock is looking good btw.

----------


## homebrew.357

akaroa the hares will be totally confused as well when they see those slugs coming for them, "Were` d the train come from," and when they hit you will be lucky to find a hair!!.

----------


## akaroa1

Day 2 and wet so most of the day in the workshop

 

Job 1 Test the paper patch jacket projectiles in the 500 express
Total success 

Job 2 Harden and temper the Stevens 44 1/2 firing pins.
Pin 1 broke on the first shot. I think i went just past the straw colour when I tempered.
Pin 2 Worked  just fine so I put the rifle back together and bore sighted the 6x Malcolm scope.  It shot bloody well considering how stormy it was and the stock is hopeless and I need to lighten the trigger from the 8 pounds it's at.
Very happy to finally get this rifle shooting after a long list of jobs



Job 3 @Tentman s Stevens 38-303 which I have had for a while and done a number of jobs in it to finally get it ready to shoot.
Level 4 meant he sent me the cases rather than me send him the rifle.
So i worked with a range of dies to get some ammo assembled with 375 250 grain hard cast bullets.  RL 7 30 grains and exactly 1800 fps.
Sights and stock not ideal for me hence the very ordinary group I shot and miles below the target. So maybe I will have to fit a much lower fire sight tomorrow. 
It has a very nice bore and excellent trigger pull so  I'm sure @Tentman will be able to shoot it much better than me.
But at least it all worked as hoped and he can finally shoot it himself after a very long patient wait for it all to come together

----------


## Tentman

Nice.  I like .

----------


## akaroa1

> Nice.  I like .


 @Tentman the cases are ( how do I say this nicely ) rubbish.
But I managed.
I boots like a bitch 
Very lively despite the #3 barrel
Seems to like those 250s
A lot faster than you anticipated hence the " boots like a bitch "

Awesome to finally fire it
Would look nice with a repop Malcolm scope on it !

----------


## Tentman

I did allow they were a bit "tired looking" . . . I feel the same way just now having spent two days extracting the rusted in pins from a bale grab and rebuilding it!

----------


## akaroa1

> I did allow they were a bit "tired looking" . . . I feel the same way just now having spent two days extracting the rusted in pins from a bale grab and rebuilding it!


It doesn't count its not a gun !

----------


## csmiffy

> Probably a bit late but if you have a stock with a really tough varnish, don't try sanding it immediately (or use paint stripper).
> 
> Those thin flexible $2 shop paint scraper type dealies with the corners/any burrs sanded off work like magic.
> 
> Had a stock that just instantly clogged even high quality coarse paper, dragging the scraper lightly in one direction just tore through the polymer gloss coat without damaging the surface (some care and attention required).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ...


heard of using the edge of a piece of glass for this.

----------


## Gibbstl

Decided to rip apart my winchester 375 and give a hell of a clean and make over

----------


## akaroa1

> Decided to rip apart my winchester 375 and give a hell of a clean and make over


Pictures

----------


## Maca49

Stripping down and fixing the left barrel firing pin on my 450/400 double .

----------


## akaroa1

> Stripping down and fixing the left barrel firing pin on my 450/400 double .


 @Maca49 you know the rules. Pictures essential  or we don't believe you even have a 450/400 double !

----------


## Gibbstl



----------


## Scout

Oow yeah like to see the Doubles & is that a Big Bore Win 94 Gibbstl ?

----------


## Gibbstl

Yeap is the big bore 94. Its the 2nd ive owned. First was a minter never been fired So to good to use so sold for a scope. Regretted it and found this for 500 in terrible state so bought it and chopped it. Stock and front sight is stuffed

----------


## Maca49

> @Maca49 you know the rules. Pictures essential  or we don't believe you even have a 450/400 double !


It’s in isolation, you’ll have to wait until cindy says!!

----------


## akaroa1

> It’s in isolation, you’ll have to wait until cindy says!!


Oh dear it's in another bubble
Very poor planning

----------


## gundoc

I have finished the Chevy engine and now starting to reposition the spring mounts on the 10 bolt rear end after having replaced the outer bearings and seals.  Another wee project is to make a tap to fit a new magazine tube in a Turkish shotgun.  The early models were very weak in the thread and the later ones are an increased diameter to solve the problem.  It is easier to make a tap out of silver steel than buggerise around setting up the receiver in the 4-jaw.  Some piccies attached.

----------


## Steve123

I'm going to make a home made gun vise with what ever I can find round the place

----------


## bluecod1967

hi i have a friend building a 9mm bolt gun on a ruger 22 hornet action,i have an anchutz action im thinking to get made into 9mm also,after the lockdown for me. anyone else made a 9mm bolt gun cheers

----------


## norsk

Mauser 98 Action
Kongsberg 28" Hammer forged barrel
Timney trigger
Bedding job
Cheap paint
Bolt lapped with grinding paste
100% Wind up job against my Swedish mate.
Still got a bit to do with it,but it's pretty much there.

----------


## akaroa1

This is what we will all be like in 2 weeks @norsk has a head start on The Lock down

----------


## akaroa1

500 express safety catch spindle and lever roughed out
Spindle has rough tapered square on it 
Now i need to drill the safety lever and start to file the female square taper in to that.

I expect this will take all afternoon to smoke for it all together.

----------


## Scout

Nice work to have to do, good luck on it !

----------


## akaroa1

That went ok
Not perfect yet and still need to finesse the exterior of the lever
Spindle and detents all work ok.
Might just need to tig on a tiny bit where I filed the safety notch to take up a fraction of play
And I need to re shape the screw head that attaches the square tapers together

----------


## Delphus

Not a proper gun project, but I had an old slug gun and wanted to teach my daughter to shoot in the backyard. The old iron sights were janky as and not useable. I had a crappy old Simmons scope and some old rings. With no other way to attach to the rifle, I reached for my trusty cable ties and duct tape. Seems to be holding up so far, shot about 30 or so and still holds zero

----------


## Finnwolf

I’ve got on of those rifles ( sadly swapped a BSA Meteor 22 for it  in a moment of stupidity) and tried using Araldite to stick on a home made dovetail scope mount.
It didn’t end well.

----------


## homebrew.357

Have pp all my bullets and luded resized ,so a head there. I had the last length of 12/15 steel so set it up in my lathe for gun drilling a .444" hole in it. Will end up being a .45 cal black powder barrel with a twist of 1-48", six groves cut rifling, 27" long, you know, my normal stuff. Well one has to keep busy and looking at my plans for the Remington rolling block I have a large block of 10/45 Steel that may be ok for the action but it`s round, will have to machine off 40mm, that will keep me busy for a while. 
, All up and running, drills going in.
, Oils going in at 400 psi blowing out the chips.
, All do hickeys working.

----------


## Micky Duck

ok curiosity has got the better of me and my pride will survivethe hit thats sure to follow asking this......
what is a .44 1/2   I know what a .44/40 is and what a .44 magnum is.....please enlighten this poor uneducated heathen.

----------


## Bol Tackshin

So,  after 120 grit,  hand sanding the stick to bare wood and shaping the hand grip area with a rash and sandpaper,  to 240. That was the toughest bit,  because the 120 grit left quite a few deep scratch marks for the 240 to take care of.  Then it was another go with 400, then repeat with 600. Not there yet,  because next up is 000 steel wool pad,  then 0000. Now,  the wood is smooth,  almost like its been polished.  My arms are sore from the few hours of sanding and buffing!  Here's the results - bare wood with a dab of oil on the comb to show its colour after oiling.

----------


## Bol Tackshin

And here it is,  reassembled.

----------


## akaroa1

> ok curiosity has got the better of me and my pride will survivethe hit thats sure to follow asking this......
> what is a .44 1/2   I know what a .44/40 is and what a .44 magnum is.....please enlighten this poor uneducated heathen.


 @Micky Duck

44 1/2 It's a model not a calibre

Does cause some confusion
The last evolutionary step in Stevens rifle line up
They stopped making the 44 1/2 because it was expensive to make with a forged steel receiver etc
Stevens continued to make the model 44 for a while after that but sales continued to fall

All the returned service men from the first world war had been using bolt action rifles and that was the beginning of the end for single shot rifles.
Some target single shots held on for a while and then the great depression closed all but a few of the USA gun makers

----------


## homebrew.357

Bol T, bloody lovely job, should look a treat with some oil rubbed in.

----------


## Sideshow

I have a question for you @homebrew.357 those paper patched rounds you rolled up with oil in the paper. Will the oil not sweep into the powder?
I know it’s only a little, just asking. 
Cheers S

----------


## Bol Tackshin

Thanks for everyone's interest and encouragement and for dissuading me from carving a hook into the stock.  An old English gunmaker used to say you should oil a new stock once a day for a week,  once a week for a month,  once a month for a year,  once a year forever.  I'll try it and see how we go.

----------


## Micky Duck

thanks for that explanation...isnt it a funny thing that the single shot is sort of making a comeback again.....

----------


## The bomb

Made up a biltong  drying box this afternoon,got some venison marinating overnight,4days from now should be tucking into it..

----------


## gundoc

> Made up a biltong  drying box this afternoon,got some venison marinating overnight,4days from now should be tucking into it..


Don't worry about the photos, just send out some free samples!

----------


## homebrew.357

Sideshow , no should be no problem, such a small amount of oil will not even lube, that's why I roll them in a bit more and a card wad goes in first.

----------


## gundoc

I took my bottle of marking blue off the window sill to mark out a wee job and the bottle disintegrated in my hand when I tried to unscrew the top.  Luckily it was over my bench and I only got it on my hands and not my clothes.  What was left has now been transferred into a glass bottle.  Moral; Don't leave plastic in the sun!

----------


## akaroa1

> I took my bottle of marking blue off the window sill to mark out a wee job and the bottle disintegrated in my hand when I tried to unscrew the top.  Luckily it was over my bench and I only got it on my hands and not my clothes.  What was left has now been transferred into a glass bottle.  Moral; Don't leave plastic in the sun!
> Attachment 134464


Interesting hand sanitizer

----------


## Bol Tackshin

> I took my bottle of marking blue off the window sill to mark out a wee job and the bottle disintegrated in my hand when I tried to unscrew the top.  Luckily it was over my bench and I only got it on my hands and not my clothes.  What was left has now been transferred into a glass bottle.  Moral; Don't leave plastic in the sun!
> Attachment 134464


Yes Papa Smurf...

----------


## homebrew.357

I did a cunning trick with that blue stuff, I refilled some used marker pens with it now no mess just pull off the cap and mark the job. BUT!!, don`t leave it in your back pocket and sit down on it,  :XD: , Old blue bum.

----------


## akaroa1

I turned  a 375 tapered swaging die to swage soft lead parallel 375 bullets for use on a muzzleloader 

Now the heel is a few Thou smaller
I used the tail  stock hand wheel to press them in with a flat ended pusher
Another rod to knock them out through the head stock

----------


## The bomb

Made case tumbler from plastic container ,a bolt and nut and cordless drill today,biltong box yesterday.

----------


## Kiwi Greg

New stock for a cheap 22LR Benchrest rifle

----------


## Bol Tackshin

Nice work...  What flavour .22 is that in the stock?

----------


## Bol Tackshin

.

----------


## homebrew.357

Here`s my idea akaroa1, I made up a sizing dia that screws into my reloading press and a push rod in the case holder. Just place bullet on rod and lower handle, bullet popes out the top nicely sized to .459".
, PP bullet ready for sliming down.
, Starting into dia.
, Sized and popes out the top.

----------


## akaroa1

> Here`s my idea akaroa1, I made up a sizing dia that screws into my reloading press and a push rod in the case holder. Just place bullet on rod and lower handle, bullet popes out the top nicely sized to .459".
> Attachment 134606, PP bullet ready for sliming down.
> Attachment 134607, Starting into dia.
> Attachment 134608, Sized and popes out the top.


 @homebrew.357  I have a few of the pass through one also

But this one has a few Thou of taper 
So has to come out once it reaches the correct depth

----------


## Tuidog

> Made case tumbler from plastic container ,a bolt and nut and cordless drill today,biltong box yesterday.


Pics of Biltong box please

----------


## Kiwi Greg

> Nice work...  What flavour .22 is that in the stock?


1971 Anschutz Model 54 22LR small bore rifle

----------


## Bol Tackshin

> 1971 Anschutz Model 54 22LR small bore rifle


Looks quite similar to an EM-332, at least externally.  Do you know happen to know whether Norinco based theirs on the 54 action?

----------


## akaroa1

Today I made a custom light bar for above my milling machine 
4 x 50 watt GU10 light fittings 
Pull switch within arms length

----------


## Walker

Work in progress JW-145

----------


## Walker

Unsure how the lakelander got in there and upside down!

----------


## gundoc

I finally got all the rust, tar and mud encrusted fasteners undone (only had to cut two) and have got all the sheet metal off back to the fire wall.  I water blasted the parts and only have to do tiny rust repairs on the guards, but they total only about 4 square inches so no big deal.  Next job is to disconnect the old motor and gearbox and lift them out, then I start looking at new engine and gearbox mounts, fire wall mods, etc.

----------


## Finnwolf

@gundoc, are you keeping the ‘lucky dip’ motor etc or is it going to be ‘modernised’?

----------


## gundoc

No, the entire original engine and drivetrain is being replaced with a '72 Chevy Nova 250 cid 6 cylinder (rebuilt to about 250 hp), TH350 3 speed auto, and a 8.5" Chevy 10 bolt rear end, power brakes, disc front.  It will have wider 15" wheels that retain the original appearance, and be lowered a couple of inches but still look like a standard Fleetmaster.  In short, a wolf in sheep's clothing! Have a look at the pictures on page 7 of this thread.

----------


## csmiffy

Should be a doddle with the guard's off like that. Even my galaxie didn't have as much room in the engine you'd think it would.
there certainly wouldn't be much room left over from a 460. Putting heads back on was a mission. leaning over the guard with 50kg of cast iron almost at arms reach with out buggering a gasket. hate to say I wasn't too bad at it

----------


## Finnwolf

Thanks gundoc - sort of thing I’d do myself if I had such a car.

Got a later 30’s Ford coupe that had already been rodded in the past - so I’m rodding it even more, it won’t be a sleeper.
I’d be working on it now but (a) too many other projects and (b) none of the businesses I need stuff from are open.

Keep us posted

----------


## Finnwolf

> Should be a doddle with the guard's off like that. Even my galaxie didn't have as much room in the engine you'd think it would.
> there certainly wouldn't be much room left over from a 460. Putting heads back on was a mission. leaning over the guard with 50kg of cast iron almost at arms reach with out buggering a gasket. hate to say I wasn't too bad at it


Same deal installing a cast iron 390 intake manifold while the motor is in the car.

----------


## gundoc

> Thanks gundoc - sort of thing I’d do myself if I had such a car.
> 
> Got a later 30’s Ford coupe that had already been rodded in the past - so I’m rodding it even more, it won’t be a sleeper.
> I’d be working on it now but (a) too many other projects and (b) none of the businesses I need stuff from are open.
> 
> Keep us posted


I hate to say it now but back in '60s we used to buy old pre-war V8 coupes on a Saturday, strip out the glass, bar them up, then race them at the Prebbleton Car Scrambles the following day.  They would usually last for a few weeks but never more than one season.  Stock car racing at its finest!

----------


## csmiffy

An old family friend was a mechanic and used to work at the local forestry camp in the late 60's early 70s.
He told me one day that every year when the recruits graduated/left for next role, there would be a bunch of old ford coupes and similar left in varying states of repair at the camp along with all the bits they used to keep them going. generally used as quick trip to the pub and shooting hacks.
Cant remember the engine specifics but suggest straight 6's and 8's?
Anyhoo they would take them all a couple of k's up the road and using the forestry excavator put them in an old dredge pond just off the road and squash them down with the bucket.
Would've been a few cars in that one.
 @Finnwolf yup I was happy when I put an alloy one on mine. First time I took it off it was a bitch. Heavy as and stuck down with silicon.
Lucky it was on there as I had to take the heads one of the heads off straight after the break in run. A head gasket failed straight away. that was a fuck off I can tell you.

----------


## Steve123

First crack at bedding finished.There's a number of things I'll do differently next time but it's all back together and goes click. Cant wait till lockdowns over to see if it's made any difference.

Sent from my SM-G390Y using Tapatalk

----------


## akaroa1

Started another gun restoration project today

Any guesses and tentman and  scout can't play this game

----------


## akaroa1

Pretty ugly inside
Took a long time to get this apart

----------


## gonetropo

> I finally got all the rust, tar and mud encrusted fasteners undone (only had to cut two) and have got all the sheet metal off back to the fire wall.  I water blasted the parts and only have to do tiny rust repairs on the guards, but they total only about 4 square inches so no big deal.  Next job is to disconnect the old motor and gearbox and lift them out, then I start looking at new engine and gearbox mounts, fire wall mods, etc.
> Attachment 135192


i know of a chev 427 going spare very soon. was bought by a mate to build his truck but now going off to 527 twin turbo (he is a nutter )

----------


## homebrew.357

High Wall or Crack shot, .25,.22 me thinks. nice old gun, barrel any good.

----------


## Tentman

> Started another gun restoration project today
> 
> Any guesses and tentman and  scout can't play this game 
> Attachment 135311


Ha - you scored it eh?

----------


## akaroa1

> High Wall or Crack shot, .25,.22 me thinks. nice old gun, barrel any good.


 @homebrew.357 only correct answer is .25 rimfire

Barrel is absolutely buggered inside and out
Bore pitting is more like craters
Rust build up on outside is very heavy

----------


## akaroa1

> Ha - you scored it eh?


Yes very enjoyable afternoon in the workshop despite it being fine
Needed a break anyway

----------


## homebrew.357

Think I have solved my barrel reaming problem, got a 12mm hand reamer, ground it down to 11.32mm/.446" Dia and the stub end to fit in a holder with oil grove. Have ground back relief on the six flutes . Normally takes me three days to ream and hone a barrel from .443" to .450", now one day and its done, comes out at .449.4" , just a bit of a polish and ready for rifling. 
, New reamer on long oil tube rod.
, My tool post grinder attachment. 
, Drill in for drive, works a treat.

----------


## gundoc

That looks like a Chevy fan pulley to me!

----------


## homebrew.357

Nar, Toyota Celica 16 motor, my son built a Lynx kit car, he didn't need that bit so in my comeinhandy box. I don't only use washing machine parts you know.

----------


## Scout

Homebrew can you contour a couple of barrels now lol ?

----------


## Scout

That looks like a nice TD you have there Akaroa1, you will be making some thing cool of of that I reckon !

----------


## Beavis

Im about 3/4 the way through sorting through all the brass in my garage and reloading room. I've determined that I have enough 308 brass to last me the rest of my life if I buy a 308. And now, with AR's gone, several lifetimes worth of 223. Im scratching my head at how much 270 brass I have and how I got it. Luckily I have 2x 30/06 so at least I can form. It to something useful.

----------


## homebrew.357

Hi Scout, no can't profile a barrel, making one octagonal keeps me busy for a week or so. The grinder is for fine finishing only.

----------


## gundoc

A bit more progress today.  New king pin set in one side and the disc brake kit filled.  I will do the other side tomorrow if the weather stays fine.

----------


## The bomb

Made a scissor blind setup for the 12ft parkercraft today...hope there is a season this year I’m the most prepared I’ve ever been!!

----------


## Micky Duck

bomb....photos needed.....

----------


## gundoc

> Nar, Toyota Celica 16 motor, my son built a Lynx kit car, he didn't need that bit so in my comeinhandy box. I don't only use washing machine parts you know.


Ah!  That makes perfect sense as Toyota would not be here today but for the assistance and expertise provided by GM over the years.

----------


## akaroa1

I put all the parts back together and ended up with this

Winchester 1885 takedown .25 rim fire 
Rough but complete
Good project 
Just ( and a big just ) need to team and install a .22 barrel liner and install a vintage scope if I can find one.

Both the liner and vintage scope will be a challenge in nz

----------


## Klhari

Made myself a body die and a seater for a 6 Norma Dasher.

----------


## gundoc

A little 'Ahh shit!' moment.  The kingpin is well rusted into the eye.  I have had the eye glowing red while under extreme pressure with the cramp only got a few thou out of it.  I will let it soak overnight in penetrating oil and have a go again tomorrow.  If we get a frost tonight I will hit the eye with the gas again and that might do it if I can keep the pin cold, speed being of the essence!

----------


## northdude

sit the suspension arm on something solid and try a decent square hit with a heavy sledge hammer the jack will absorb the shock it you use jack to support the arm

----------


## Finnwolf

ATF and acetone mix is meant to be the bees knees for  unseizing things

That and a b.f.h.!

PS: have you tried loading up the clamp pressure and then giving the top of the clamp a hard whack with a hammer while supporting the other end of the clamp?

----------


## kotuku

Id sit down -with a nice glass of single malt --snuggle up close ..and in your most sultry voice murmur
you do as I say 
Or 
Chuck Norris is on the next waka headed this way and you will know what pain is all about

I trust im understood!!

----------


## gundoc

An unfortunate design means the upper control arm curves out over the line of the king pin and you can only get an angled blow at it, about 10 degrees off line.  I got another 1/8" out of it a few minutes ago so will leave it soaking overnight.  A good point about the jack absorbing the blow.  I will put a solid support under the spindle tomorrow.

----------


## kotuku

> An unfortunate design means the upper control arm curves out over the line of the king pin and you can only get an angled blow at it, about 10 degrees off line.  I got another 1/8" out of it a few minutes ago so will leave it soaking overnight.  A good point about the jack absorbing the blow.  I will put a solid support under the spindle tomorrow.


now listen old chasp -ive a psycho babble solution to your problem .
take another gulp of scotlands finest 
lean in close to the offending joint 
and in remembrance of one of countrys finest men GeorgeJones
croon
"I FALL TO PIECES
AND I SUGGEST YOU FUCKING DO TOO

option two 
If you know any old westcoast coal miners - 
a suitably applied dollop of Nobels  #5
lavishly wrapped about that reticent joint
and ignited once youre undercover in the dunny or outside
mat prove you wont take no for an answer

just sayin like :Thumbsup:

----------


## gundoc

> now listen old chasp -ive a psycho babble solution to your problem .
> take another gulp of scotlands finest 
> lean in close to the offending joint 
> and in remembrance of one of countrys finest men GeorgeJones
> croon
> "I FALL TO PIECES
> AND I SUGGEST YOU FUCKING DO TOO
> 
> option two 
> ...


Option1 is the preferred choice and I have the required components in a wee selection oh Heeland malts.

Option 2 is tempting but a tad too close to my workshop, not to mention the judge next door!

----------


## csmiffy

On the yucky rusty tight fitting stuff it's like previously mentioned.
A bit like a slipping socket. If there is the slightest give any impact is lessened significantly.

----------


## homebrew.357

You`v all got it wrong, you pour the single malt extract over the flaming pin, then the roasting trick, breath in the heavenly fumes.  :Psmiley: ,, now what was I meant to be doing. :2 Z Z:

----------


## SixtyTen

> Made myself a body die and a seater for a 6 Norma Dasher.
> Attachment 135510
> 
> Attachment 135509


Wow, that looks very nice. I would love to see some more of the process. Im guessing you reamed it yourself? Did you use a bought die reamer or conjure one up yourself?
Are all the locking nuts and stems etc made by you? What material did you use?

Im looking into making my own reamers and dies for wildcat cartridges and projectiles so would be very interested in seeing some more.

----------


## gundoc

A good Friday!  Thanks for the tips!  The support block under the spindle certainly helped but I had to make up a special drift as well to properly direct the hammer blows. Suspension, king pins and disc brakes done (the 8" wheels are only temporary till the new 6" front ones arrive).  Next will be to remove the seats and open up the floor, then disconnect the drive train.  You can see from the second photo that she is a fairly tidy old girl for a 73 year old.

----------


## Finnwolf

Excellent work gundoc!!

Watch when you mount the diff that you make an allowance for the fact that the center bolt of the rear springs won’t have the dif in the right location if you mount it in the traditional manner otherwise your dif will be too far to the rear. ( or front, it’s been a decade or two si ce I last looked a. Chev torque-tube drive line!)
To get an idea have a look at the factory pivot point on the dif.

And don’t cut the mounts off the original dif and weld them onto the new dif, they’re designed to operate with a torque-tube.

----------


## csmiffy

> I put all the parts back together and ended up with this
> 
> Winchester 1885 takedown .25 rim fire 
> Rough but complete
> Good project 
> Just ( and a big just ) need to team and install a .22 barrel liner and install a vintage scope if I can find one.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


   @akaroa1 I thought 22 barrel liners were easily available here
  @Finnwolf-none of it is torque tube?
72 nova-diff conventional 10 bolt? Torque tubes were in the 'vettes I thought

----------


## akaroa1

@csmiffy easily available where ?

I would buy one in a flash if I could find one

Just about to go practice on an old barrel to see how to turn one down to 1/2"

----------


## Finnwolf

> @akaroa1 I thought 22 barrel liners were easily available here
>   @Finnwolf-none of it is torque tube?
> 72 nova-diff conventional 10 bolt? Torque tubes were in the 'vettes I thought


The older pre ‘55 Chevs had them, not sure how far back they went, probably to mid 30’s.

----------


## homebrew.357

Now just moving right along there I have converted my long suffering lathe to a rifling machine. Hand cutting six groves .010" thou deep to give at bore size of .470" and a rifling twist of 1-48", the standed for muzzle loaders. Here you can see my improved set up, well sort of. There`s no such thing as" Can't do it".   
, Rifling head ready to go, rifling register pin at #1.
, Cutter head pulled through .
, The sine bar that drives the rifling head at the back of the lathe, low down for slow twist.

----------


## csmiffy

Good luck.
Turning there was a gunsmith in the north island that had some a couple of years back.
I wanted a 17 can for a possible wsm but he reckoned they weren't any good for that.
I'll have to dig through the memory banks

----------


## csmiffy

@akaroa1 had a dig through the emails and you are right. 
It was Dean Maisey but it was a 17 liner and the last one he had. He reckoned they weren't exported out of the US anymore.

----------


## gundoc

> Excellent work gundoc!!
> 
> Watch when you mount the diff that you make an allowance for the fact that the center bolt of the rear springs wont have the dif in the right location if you mount it in the traditional manner otherwise your dif will be too far to the rear. ( or front, its been a decade or two si ce I last looked a. Chev torque-tube drive line!)
> To get an idea have a look at the factory pivot point on the dif.
> 
> And dont cut the mounts off the original dif and weld them onto the new dif, theyre designed to operate with a torque-tube.


The current original rear end is a torque tube but I am replacing it with a Chevy 10 bolt and an open driveshaft, a TH350 3-speed auto and the rebuilt '72 Chevy 250 inline 6.  The entire original running gear from engine to wheels is coming out.

----------


## small_caliber

> @csmiffy easily available where ?
> 
> I would buy one in a flash if I could find one
> 
> Just about to go practice on an old barrel to see how to turn one down to 1/2"



If you found a couple of 12/15 barrels you could possibly sweat the liners out of them.

----------


## small_caliber

> Started another gun restoration project today
> 
> Any guesses and tentman and  scout can't play this game 
> Attachment 135311


Where did you get the low wall takedown from??
Is it a coil spring model??

----------


## akaroa1

> Where did you get the low wall takedown from??
> Is it a coil spring model??


Contacts
It's been a long search to find one

All the 1885 takedowns are coil spring.

----------


## small_caliber

> Contacts
> It's been a long search to find one
> 
> All the 1885 takedowns are coil spring.


Didn't realise all the takedowns were coil sprung.

It took me quite a search to find a Lowall action myself.

----------


## akaroa1

> Didn't realise all the takedowns were coil sprung.
> 
> It took me quite a search to find a Lowall action myself.


 @small_caliber
Here is an 1885 I did 2 winters ago from a bare low wall action only



And a high wall that I'm doing this winter from a total wreck.
Still have to make new firing pin and re bore the original #3 Barrel

----------


## akaroa1

And this afternoon I burgled a 6x Malcolm scope off my Stevens 44 1/2 
Found some mounting blocks and drilled and taped them on to the 1885 takedown .25 RF 
Just wanted to see what it would be like with a decent vintage scope on board.
It's sweet

Now i just need to find a donor barrel to turn a liner out of and I can rip into that bore

----------


## Lucky

Shit there’s some clever buggers on here , some good kiwi inginuity going on , I’m reading The book on Burt Munro ( worlds fastest Indian ) at the moment , what he made in his shed was incredible especially considering the gear he had

----------


## ghosts

By chance any one know of a Stephens favourite .22 butt stock?
Got one at home that its previous owner tried to club a possum with bad results.

----------


## akaroa1

> By chance any one know of a Stephens favourite .22 butt stock?
> Got one at home that its previous owner tried to club a possum with bad results.


 @ghosts give me a reminder after LEVEL 4 and I might be able to dig one up from outside my bubble

----------


## ghosts

That's awesum @akaroa . Will do.

----------


## Bol Tackshin

Easter weekend seemed like a good time to redo the bottom metal on the EM-332...  Here's a pic.   I don't have many toys to play with,  so the EM is getting a fair amount of attention!

----------


## akaroa1

I started a new butt stock for my Stevens 44 1/2
Picked out a particularly gnarly piece of walnut



Spent a few hours inletting the tangs and the fiddly but that goes inside the receiver shoulder
Lots of smoke and fit and smoke and fit



Then I fitted  the reproduction steel shotgun butt plate 
And got into a lot of stock removal. 
The hardest piece of walnut I have worked on for ages.





Still a hell of a lot to remove to get this into shape.
And it's going to be a bitch to sand

----------


## Bol Tackshin

@akaroa1 - she's a beauty!

----------


## akaroa1

> @akaroa1 - she's a beauty!


It looks and feels like a club at the moment but another half day on it and it will be getting into shape 

It's been a long slow project getting that vintage rifle back into shooting condition 

But another wreck saved

----------


## akaroa1

I fined down the butt stock today
And made a solid start on the fire end
Still needs finessing

----------


## Scout

Great stuff, Thank you for sharing !

Makes me feel slack as I have 3-4 Lee Speed type stocks fit myself .

----------


## The bomb

Drilled out a storage space under the buttplate of my 10/22 today,makes it a lot lighter as well,Balance’s better for offhand shots being a little front heavy now.

----------


## akaroa1

> Great stuff, Thank you for sharing !
> 
> Makes me feel slack as I have 3-4 Lee Speed type stocks fit myself .


 @Scout You have an excuse 

I got the butt closer to shape and started sanding it 
Still all the tricky bit to do yet.
But it's starting to look nice

----------


## Bol Tackshin

Wow - beautiful grain in that piece of wood!

----------


## Bol Tackshin

My generic copy of a Harris swivel bipod (I think it was marketed as a Remington) needed something a bit more grippy to lock the swivel than the stock,  poorly knurled nut...  something like the Podloc...   So here it is!

Cost: about $0.15.  :Grin:

----------


## akaroa1

Nearly finished the butt stock 
Next it's on to the fore end hanger and then I can get that to the same stage and leave it until I make a .25-35 barrel to go with it and its own fore end. 
Finish all the wood together so it comes up the same.
Slow rust blue both barrels
Colour case finish the action,  lever and butt plate

----------


## chalkeye

Been meaning to do this for ages - sick of cramped and lightweight loading trays. Pouring all day yesterday so fired up the CNC router on some scrap rimu:

----------


## Padox

I have dun the same just not as tidy as urs haha

----------


## akaroa1

I spent a few hours yesterday slowly cleaning 110 years of dirt and grunge and oil stains off this winchester 1885 stock.

Before


Multiple applications of white spirits and acetone using 0000 steel wool.
Slowly the dirt and oil dissolved and came out.
It took a few hours but it was obvious from the dirty  rags that it was working 
A good long drying time for all the solvent to evaporate  then 4 coats of schaftoil 
And then a light polish once reasonably dry.
It's now lots lighter coloured and has heaps more of its grain and character showing



When I was finishing the fore end I was horrified to find the ebony fore end insert was gone !
Mad panic and search of the workshop and I found the little lighter and epoxied it back in before oiling

----------


## akaroa1

Now today I'm slowly and carefully taking the rust off the action and parts.

----------


## Grasshoppa

Hardly in the same league as most the stuff going on here but i finally got around to fitting Volquartsen hammer in 10/22, makes me wonder why i didnt do it sooner!

----------


## Bol Tackshin

@Grasshoppa - I put a cable tie on my bipod swivel lock and wondered the same thing as you - it doesn't matter how small or seemingly insignificant the job seems,  mate - it all counts!  :Thumbsup:  
Edit: I do wish I had a lathe and milling machine in my garage though...  And a bucket of epoxy...  And a roll of carbon fibre... And a whole lot more toys...

----------


## The bomb

About to get out a rasp and reshape my 10/22 stock..wish me luck,have no idea what I’m doing but a replacement is only $50 if I stuff it up.

----------


## Bol Tackshin

Good luck! Having just been through this,  I'd advise you to go slow and steady...  Small changes, rather than hacking away. And take plenty of pics as you go so you can keep us updated.

----------


## akaroa1

> About to get out a rasp and reshape my 10/22 stock..wish me luck,have no idea what I’m doing but a replacement is only $50 if I stuff it up.


 @The bomb Please take  before and after images and post your progress

----------


## akaroa1

Taking 110 years of rust off the action and barrel.

Before 


And after half a days work carefully working it off with rust remover and 0000 steel wool

----------


## Finnwolf

What did you kill the rust with?

----------


## bang

A smaller scale lockdown project for me - turning an old savage 99 stock into a lamp stand.  Also got hold of a very nice (and very expensive) slab of walnut to make the base, and modified an old cartridge case for the switch, even has the original SA Corp 250-3000 headstamp (and a new primer).  The other photo is the original prototype I made last winter from another stock.  the shade is modified with fern leaves from the garden.  Will do the same with the new one too so we have a set.

----------


## akaroa1

> What did you kill the rust with?


 @Finnwolf Burchwood Casey Blue and Rust remover.

Just swab it on and wait 5 minutes then lightly rub with 0000 Steel wool
Then I wash down with white spirits 
And alternate rust remover and steel wool treatment with clean down with white spirits.
And again as many times as it takes.
Just slowly exposing more rust underneath each time.

The key thing it to take it slow and easy so you don't loose the corners and lines

Do not go near a firearm with a buff !!

----------


## Bol Tackshin

> A smaller scale lockdown project for me - turning an old savage 99 stock into a lamp stand.  Also got hold of a very nice (and very expensive) slab of walnut to make the base, and modified an old cartridge case for the switch, even has the original SA Corp 250-3000 headstamp (and a new primer).  The other photo is the original prototype I made last winter from another stock.  the shade is modified with fern leaves from the garden.  Will do the same with the new one too so we have a set.


That's a very "light" stock!  :Thumbsup:

----------


## small_caliber

> A smaller scale lockdown project for me - turning an old savage 99 stock into a lamp stand.  Also got hold of a very nice (and very expensive) slab of walnut to make the base, and modified an old cartridge case for the switch, even has the original SA Corp 250-3000 headstamp (and a new primer).  The other photo is the original prototype I made last winter from another stock.  the shade is modified with fern leaves from the garden.  Will do the same with the new one too so we have a set.


That looks awesome, will you have to register it if they bring in the second tranche? :Grin:

----------


## The bomb

> @The bomb Please take  before and after images and post your progress


Will do,not expecting miracles though,I only have very basic set of wood files and very little patience..

----------


## The bomb

Stage 1,whats gonna be the best way to darken the wood?

----------


## akaroa1

> Attachment 137218
> Stage 1,what’s gonna be the best way to darken the wood?


 @The bomb schaftoil comes in 2 or 3 different shades
You can do the first few coats with one of the dark ones and when is what you like then keep coating with the golden one to finish it all off

I will post an image soon

----------


## akaroa1

Scherells schaftol 

Reddish brown.  Never used it
Dark. Good for a first few coats
Premium gold. All the finishing coats and I'm going stock maintenance 

But you need to rub the whole stock down to bare wood and at least P300

----------


## akaroa1

It's usually on trademe from a guy in Blenheim

----------


## The bomb

Thanks will look into it,bloody lockdown gonna slow down the process though..

----------


## The bomb

I have some tru oil here and some stock wax but they won’t darken the wood at all will they?might try a bit under the recoil pad and see.

----------


## akaroa1

> I have some tru oil here and some stock wax but they won’t darken the wood at all will they?might try a bit under the recoil pad and see.


You really need the dark one to get the color you are after.
If you p.m. me I could get you his email if you don't want to wait out the trademe times 
Not sure if it would help though.

----------


## canross

On the topic of derusting delicate/historically valuable stuff, have found Evaporust to be excellent for derusting delicate or complicated items: https://www.supercheapauto.co.nz/p/e...re/354057.html
It really comes into its own on stuff that's delicate or you don't want to risk with acids or abrasion from sandpaper, wire brushes etc. Usually I degrease parts with a solvent, clean away dirt and coarse rust with a plastic brush and scraper, then toss everything in a bucket of the stuff for a day giving it a stir a few times. Usually that's enough, though I've left an old percussion barrel with seized plug in it for months and the plug came free at the end. Parts come out grey with a soap film to stop flash rusting when drying. The soap is water soluble so can be washed off when it comes time for surface prep. The solution weakens with time and use, but it's not a big deal in the grande scheme of things. 

Also helps that it doesn't give you headaches, can't eat your skin/eyes/tools, light on fire, or destroy your parts if you leave them in there  :Psmiley:

----------


## Dan88

For rust removal I have been experimenting with electrolysis. 
It worked really well on cleaning up a machete I have been restoring.
The first pic is when it started and the second pic shows how much junk it drew off the metal

Sent from my SM-A505GN using Tapatalk

----------


## 300CALMAN

> For rust removal I have been experimenting with electrolysis. 
> It worked really well on cleaning up a machete I have been restoring.
> The first pic is when it started and the second pic shows how much junk it drew off the metal
> 
> Sent from my SM-A505GN using Tapatalk


Cheers

What's the electrolyte and voltage etc??

Cheers

----------


## akaroa1

You just have to love inleting octagonal barrels into fore ends

----------


## Finnwolf

> On the topic of derusting delicate/historically valuable stuff, have found Evaporust to be excellent for derusting delicate or complicated items: https://www.supercheapauto.co.nz/p/e...re/354057.html
> It really comes into its own on stuff that's delicate or you don't want to risk with acids or abrasion from sandpaper, wire brushes etc. Usually I degrease parts with a solvent, clean away dirt and coarse rust with a plastic brush and scraper, then toss everything in a bucket of the stuff for a day giving it a stir a few times. Usually that's enough, though I've left an old percussion barrel with seized plug in it for months and the plug came free at the end. Parts come out grey with a soap film to stop flash rusting when drying. The soap is water soluble so can be washed off when it comes time for surface prep. The solution weakens with time and use, but it's not a big deal in the grande scheme of things. 
> 
> Also helps that it doesn't give you headaches, can't eat your skin/eyes/tools, light on fire, or destroy your parts if you leave them in there



I use it to derust old car bits, a bit spendy but does a good job and isn’t as toxic as other stuff.

For those with access to it you can use a 1:2 mixture of molasses to water to safely derust stuff, takes a wee while but it does work and again not toxic.

----------


## Tentman

> You just have to love inleting octagonal barrels into fore ends
> 
> Attachment 137291
> Attachment 137292
> Attachment 137293


I reckon I might like it more than most people if my eyes don't deceive me . . .

----------


## akaroa1

> I reckon I might like it more than most people if my eyes don't deceive me . . .


It's just an old thing a client dropped off years ago !
I think he's dead !
Or he's forgotten he even owns it

But it had without doubt the ugliest fore end I have ever seen and it had huge vice Mark's in the wood

My two per hates.
People putting gun parts in engineers vice without jaw protectors
People buffing firearm parts ... especially actions and octagonal barrels

----------


## Dan88

> Cheers
> 
> What's the electrolyte and voltage etc??
> 
> Cheers


It's just baking soda, a dash of vinegar and then I just ran it off one of my 18v makita batteries used hardly any of the battery charge ran for a few hours.
I did sandblast it first to get rid of the worst rust

Sent from my SM-A505GN using Tapatalk

----------


## csmiffy

> It's just baking soda, a dash of vinegar and then I just ran it off one of my 18v makita batteries used hardly any of the battery charge ran for a few hours.
> I did sandblast it first to get rid of the worst rust
> 
> Sent from my SM-A505GN using Tapatalk


Could you use an automotive trickle charger or do they not like that sort of thing?

----------


## thejavelin

> Could you use an automotive trickle charger or do they not like that sort of thing?


I have a tank setup, square with rebar in each corner.
Just use old laptop power supplies, ranging from 16v - 19v and 4-6amps.
Seems to do the job.
If there is something really delicate, I use a vat of vinegar.

I do a lot of old tool restoration so have investigated it quite a bit. Some of the more intellectual rattle on about hydrogen embrittlement caused by electrolysis, so when it comes to axe heads or anything that will take a heavy smacking I defer to the vinegar

----------


## csmiffy

> I have a tank setup, square with rebar in each corner.
> Just use old laptop power supplies, ranging from 16v - 19v and 4-6amps.
> Seems to do the job.
> If there is something really delicate, I use a vat of vinegar.
> 
> I do a lot of old tool restoration so have investigated it quite a bit. Some of the more intellectual rattle on about hydrogen embrittlement caused by electrolysis, so when it comes to axe heads or anything that will take a heavy smacking I defer to the vinegar


That's a great idea about the laptop charger. I may have a couple of them floating around from the old dead ones.

----------


## canross

Cell phone chargers work well - low voltage low amperage kinds. Probably will rub someone the wrong way saying that, but does work. 

Also nice because it won't get too aggressive and start eroding the good metal too quickly.

Having a residual current device/RCD is a good idea as well... less likelihood of electrocution  :Psmiley:

----------


## The bomb

Went with natural finish with tru oil instead,couldn’t be arsed with darker stain in the end too much hassle to get any with the lockdown.2coats tru oil so far.

----------


## Scout

> It's just an old thing a client dropped off years ago !
> I think he's dead !
> Or he's forgotten he even owns it
> 
> But it had without doubt the ugliest fore end I have ever seen and it had huge vice Mark's in the wood
> 
> My two per hates.
> People putting gun parts in engineers vice without jaw protectors
> People buffing firearm parts ... especially actions and octagonal barrels


We presume he is in fact alive & lives in "Invervegas" ?

----------


## akaroa1

> We presume he is in fact alive & lives in "Invervegas" ?


I doubt anyone would admit to owning a rifle with a fore end that ugly 

He might come out of the closet when this is complete

----------


## Tentman

Only rifles come out if the closet here (don't tell the po-po)

----------


## northdude

Was talking to mrs about 22s asking if she found her one ok it's a savage mk2 she said it was alright but the bolt seemed a bit not nice to cycle so I had a look it felt about as good as a new norinco all gritty  and not nice so I stripped the trigger and stuff of it some of the machining I had to draw file and then I set to with some wet and dry polishing everywhere it had been machined taking all the burs off its totally transformed into a nice slick action now

----------


## akaroa1

He can come out of the closet now

----------


## The bomb

[ATTACH]137447[/ATTACH 
All done and still shoot pretty good.
Reshaped the forearm and around the pistol grip to fit my hand better 'got rid of the barrel band and it shots better,bedded the first 2in of the barre and floated the rest,and drilled out a lot of wood from under the recoil pad to,lighten it all up..those 22s are heavy...this is shooting CCI subs,want to try out some velocitors as they shot wel in my other .22s and kill ie the hammer of Thor on small game I have found.but bit loud for around the house,will try them on the neighbors farm next week.

----------


## akaroa1

Finished the Stevens 44 1/2 fore end  after 20 coats of schaftol

My mobile phone images don't do it justice

----------


## akaroa1

Started making a heavy duty spring loaded tapping guide.
I have to do some 7/8th tapping into a double rifle mono block so I wanted something with some grunt.

Made from old center fire firing pin and spring 
New ss body

----------


## akaroa1

Finished the heavy duty spring loaded tapping guide 
And also made a grunty tap spanner to swing the big tap that will thread part of the mono block

----------


## gundoc

I just knocked this up for a mate as his rabbit control rifle.  It is a .22 BSA 12/15 target rifle, barrel shortened to 20" and a Parker Hale suppressor fitted, left receiver wall cut down for loading (he is a lefty), Weaver base and Bushnell 4-10x scope with trajectory compensating turret, check piece removed from stock, fore-end shortened and reshaped.  Zeroed it yesterday at 50 metres.  It is capable of consistent head shots on rabbits at 100 metres.

----------


## csmiffy

@gundoc yup that is the sort of thing I'd like. Or one in 22 mag

----------


## Scout

Nice work @gundoc looks great !


Funny I have this 




But use this most of the time on Bunnys lol !

----------


## kotuku

> I just knocked this up for a mate as his rabbit control rifle.  It is a .22 BSA 12/15 target rifle, barrel shortened to 20" and a Parker Hale suppressor fitted, left receiver wall cut down for loading (he is a lefty), Weaver base and Bushnell 4-10x scope with trajectory compensating turret, check piece removed from stock, fore-end shortened and reshaped.  Zeroed it yesterday at 50 metres.  It is capable of consistent head shots on rabbits at 100 metres.
> Attachment 138227


pure class -youve still got the touch!!

----------


## kotuku

> Finished the Stevens 44 1/2 fore end  after 20 coats of schaftol
> 
> My mobile phone images don't do it justice 
> 
> Attachment 137696
> 
> Attachment 137698


that fairly oozes class and workmanship.

----------


## Steelisreal

> I just knocked this up for a mate as his rabbit control rifle.  It is a .22 BSA 12/15 target rifle, barrel shortened to 20" and a Parker Hale suppressor fitted, left receiver wall cut down for loading (he is a lefty), Weaver base and Bushnell 4-10x scope with trajectory compensating turret, check piece removed from stock, fore-end shortened and reshaped.  Zeroed it yesterday at 50 metres.  It is capable of consistent head shots on rabbits at 100 metres.
> Attachment 138227


We need a really, really like button for stuff like this!

Shooters Supplies were having a bit of a clearout sale recently with a few different Martini 22s in amongst it all. So far I've resisted the urge to research them too much as the shooting budget is fully utilised right now. But purely in the interests of general knowledge, if one had a hankering for doing this sort of conversion what are the pros and cons of the different BSA 22 variants? If any should pop up at an acceptable price of course @gundoc @small_caliber @Scout

----------


## gundoc

> We need a really, really like button for stuff like this!
> 
> Shooters Supplies were having a bit of a clearout sale recently with a few different Martini 22s in amongst it all. So far I've resisted the urge to research them too much as the shooting budget is fully utilised right now. But purely in the interests of general knowledge, if one had a hankering for doing this sort of conversion what are the pros and cons of the different BSA 22 variants? If any should pop up at an acceptable price of course @gundoc @small_caliber @Scout


The 12/15's are pretty near perfect for this conversion.  The Mk II's etc are excellent rifles but much heavier.  The old Vickers Martinis have a good action but the one-piece stocks are a very fragile design.  12/15's can still be found in the gun cupboards of country district rifle clubs and can usually be purchased for $150-250.

----------


## small_caliber

> I just knocked this up for a mate as his rabbit control rifle.  It is a .22 BSA 12/15 target rifle, barrel shortened to 20" and a Parker Hale suppressor fitted, left receiver wall cut down for loading (he is a lefty), Weaver base and Bushnell 4-10x scope with trajectory compensating turret, check piece removed from stock, fore-end shortened and reshaped.  Zeroed it yesterday at 50 metres.  It is capable of consistent head shots on rabbits at 100 metres.
> Attachment 138227


Martinis make nice petite rifles and can be turned into real nice custom rifles, I posted these pics in another thread a while ago to show what can be done



A 17 Mach IV which is in New Zealand



A fully suppressed 22






Bob Snapp hunted with a small frame Martini in 7-30 Waters and also was an excellent metalsmith
Metal work by Bob Snapp and stock by Maurice Ottmar

----------


## akaroa1

Well i have been working again in LEVEL 3
And keeping a few gunsmithing jobs for the winter.

But I did manage to make this little barrel band sling loop to mount on one of my vintage restorations

----------


## akaroa1

Back on to the double rifle mono block

Chucked up using a locating spud
The chamber's aren't parallel to each other so they have to be done one at a time.
Faced off
Reamed 
Threaded for about 25mm
Then re locate and  do it all again on the other side.

Happy with the result.
Now i can start planning the barrel length and profiles

Locate


Face off parallel to the bore


Ream


Tap in a big 7/8" thread. Got a good sweat up


One nice mono block ready for barrels

----------


## akaroa1

Another double rifle day
Turned some barrels in the wood lathe to try and sort profiles and start on the ribs while the barrels are being made.
Also a good template for the barrel makers copy lathe









I guess I should paint them black

----------


## MSL

Theyre not parallel taper are they?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

----------


## akaroa1

> They’re not parallel taper are they?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


No not parralel.
Lots of taper at the mono block easing out to a fairly straight taper from the fore  end to the muzzle.

It's more obvious looking back from the muzzles

----------


## northdude

probably wooden work very well  :Grin:

----------


## Got-ya

In steel that looks heavy, I hope the hole is big. Is it worth trying to work out the voume of your wooden mock ups from which the weight could be worked out?. Not to hard to work out how much water each barrel displaces.

----------


## akaroa1

> In steel that looks heavy, I hope the hole is big. Is it worth trying to work out the voume of your wooden mock ups from which the weight could be worked out?. Not to hard to work out how much water each barrel displaces.


The whole idea of a double rifle is a big hole in the barrel

----------


## takbok

Made a stock hanger for my De Haas project this afternoon.



I'm halfway through a CF stock for my Sako.



Also, my first prototype of a Steyr SSG69 mag housing that I reverse engineered for a guy on our UK stalking forum has turned out way better than I expected.

----------


## Bol Tackshin

> Made a stock hanger for my De Haas project this afternoon.
> 
> Attachment 139483
> 
> I'm halfway through a CF stock for my Sako.
> 
> Attachment 139484
> 
> Also, my first prototype of a Steyr SSG69 mag housing that I reverse engineered for a guy on our UK stalking forum has turned out way better than I expected.
> ...


SSG-69 is one of my all-time favourite rifles.  Great work!

----------


## Scout

Thank you to you clever buggers posting up your work, really appreciate you going to the trouble to photograph & post, plus do those cool projects !!  

Awesome !

----------


## takbok

Well, I'll keep posting here since we're still in lockdown here in Scotland and I've got another 2 weeks of furlough from work...

My first successful carbon fibre stock. Made plenty mistakes and learn a lot each time I mould stuff. It's coming in at 736g and feels really stiff so am pretty chuffed with it. I'll bed it over the weekend and paint it next week with 2 pack polyurethane paint.

----------


## akaroa1

I have been chipping away at my double rifle project.
That will still be going for the next pandemic 

But I have been matching a pile of castings and doing drive wheels and shafts for a high precision 2" wide belt linisher

It will be for finishing small gun parts 





I still need to fabricate a spring tensioner for the top arm
Fit the table and belt backing plate
Scrounge a 1/2 hp motor and get it swinging at about 3000 rpm 

The battery drill can run it at 1200 rpm to test the tracking and wheel alignment

----------


## takbok

And it's complete - painted matte OD Green and tipping the scales at 750g.

----------


## akaroa1

Got some silver solder and non corrosive flux in hand
So did my first laying top rib test piece 

Can only improve with practice.
Certainly nice and strong and can't get it off

----------


## akaroa1

And a curved top rib test 
Went better than the flat one 
Lots to learn

----------


## akaroa1

And then I milled the heavy flat rib to a nice curve and think i have found what will work when I do the double rifle barrels

----------


## homebrew.357

Think you need to stretch those barrels a bit, or the Italian mafia boys will be putting in a order.  :Cool:

----------


## 7x64

> Made a stock hanger for my De Haas project this afternoon.
> 
> Attachment 139483
> 
> I'm halfway through a CF stock for my Sako.
> 
> Attachment 139484
> 
> Also, my first prototype of a Steyr SSG69 mag housing that I reverse engineered for a guy on our UK stalking forum has turned out way better than I expected.
> ...


What is the SSG bottom made of?

----------


## akaroa1

> Think you need to stretch those barrels a bit, or the Italian mafia boys will be putting in a order.


 @homebrew.357 how's the roller going ?

I'm dreaming up ideas with the next lot of offcut barrels

----------


## takbok

The factory one is brittle plastic. The prototype is plastic. The final one will be CNC machined aluminium.

----------


## 7x64

> The factory one is brittle plastic. The prototype is plastic. The final one will be CNC machined aluminium.


If you ever feel inclined to knock one up to suit the long action, model M variant I would be very keen!

----------


## PaulNZ

> If you ever feel inclined to knock one up to suit the long action, model M variant I would be very keen!


Me too, I'd be keen on a replacement for a long action M.

----------


## akaroa1

Here we go again 

Just finished this barrel band for G2 contender

----------


## Tentman

Nice.  Very Nice

----------


## akaroa1

Nearly finished the third one I need
Will finish that tomorrow and then tidy up the surfaces and install one on my 6.8SPC  barrel

----------


## Finnwolf

> And then I milled the heavy flat rib to a nice curve and think i have found what will work when I do the double rifle barrels 
> 
> Attachment 140771
> 
> Attachment 140772


Great work, you’re very skilled - a way more skilled than I.
Keep us all posted eh?

----------


## The bomb

Are they for. Sling swivels?

----------


## akaroa1

> Are they for. Sling swivels?

----------


## The bomb

Nice work.

----------


## akaroa1

Polished one to P220 this morning

----------


## akaroa1

Finished them all just before the 3pm C19 level briefing 
So then I can decide which project to rip into next based on the level settings for the next few days / weeks

----------


## Mackattack

Gave the howa mini a wee paint job, was going to go Matt black but liked the grey primer coat so just gave it a few more. Just a subtle wee change from the stainless

----------


## The bomb

Wouldnt leave it just as primer,might need a clear coat over the top ,found my paint job on the sako rubbed off at the carry spots,oils from your hands affect the primer.I used a black etch primer on my stainless barrel and it hasnt worn off where as camo top coats have.

----------


## Mackattack

I am going to leave as is and see how it goes, I did a 10/22 barrel couple years ago with this and was going to put a top coat bit ended up wanting to go shooting so left it and never went back to finish it and it has withstood really well. Be interesting to see as 10/22 was bead blasted first so better prep.worst case is it scratches/peels off and I'll have to redo at some stage.so your camo top coats wore off down to your etch primer or did you just have a etch primer on?

----------


## Happy Jack

Decided to make a benchrest and used it today to check the sighting on that JW15. The butt rest is moveable to accommodate different length rifles.

Now discovered though that I need to angle cut those outside top corners of the butt rest as they dig into you.

----------


## The bomb

> I am going to leave as is and see how it goes, I did a 10/22 barrel couple years ago with this and was going to put a top coat bit ended up wanting to go shooting so left it and never went back to finish it and it has withstood really well. Be interesting to see as 10/22 was bead blasted first so better prep.worst case is it scratches/peels off and I'll have to redo at some stage.so your camo top coats wore off down to your etch primer or did you just have a etch primer on?


The camo coats wore off but I carry my gun a bit funny so hands contact the barrel a fair bit,the black etch primer has held up,will post a photo tomorrow.camo coats were a product called rustoleum .

----------


## canross

Finished this a while ago, but lockdown finally got me to post about it.
Decided I wanted some front and rear sights for a single shot rifle but didnt have enough time to do it in the workshop, so modelled it with 5 minutes here and there and then printed it instead.
Ultimately these were to test the idea and adjust rather than a finished product, but they worked out really well. Great way to prototype stuff or just make something tough and lightweight quickly.


Front sight is a keyed insert so you can change it out as you want  the triangular profile  was made to be filed down for testing but ended up not needing to file. Next version would be carbon fibre for rigidity and have a fibre optic insert for low light.


Rear sight is elevation adjustable with a through-drilled hex head screw and nut assembly. I pressed a disk onto the head of the screw to block the right a bit better. Printed the rail too just for fun  A carbon fibre rail would actually work quite well. In the future Ill probably either make the rear sight a clamp-on unit or built it into the rail so it can fold away when not in use and not interfere with a scope.

----------


## muzza

Changed scopes on my Norinco target rifle for the rimfire shoot out competition

----------


## akaroa1

> Changed scopes on my Norinco target rifle for the rimfire shoot out competition


Looks like I'm going to need to find a decent left handed .22 target rifle fast !

----------


## small_caliber

> Looks like I'm going to need to find a decent left handed .22 target rifle fast !


Good luck, they seem few and far between.

----------


## Finnwolf

Made a foresight for my Italian slug pistol, attached it with JB Weld. (I’d made a rear sight and foresight a while ago but somehow lost the foresight)
Looks good - only I found out it shoots 8 inches high at 10 metres even with the rear sight at lowest setting :Omg: 

I guess the previous foresight was a tad higher…

----------


## PaulNZ

Slightly envious of the guys for who lockdown gives them extra project time - no such luck here. Still, managed to pull this together on Sunday:

 



It's a jig for hollowpointing .22 target ammo into better subsonic hunting ammo. Not that I strictly needed one, but it occurred to me that I happened to already have almost everything I needed: collet block with ER25 6mm collet, mill/drill as a press, and a 60deg carbide dead centre. I turned up the stand/guide from 303 stainless. Assembly works like this:

1) Clamp the stand in the mill vise. The base is cut perpendicular and I already know my vise ways are flat and square, so it doesn't need further aligning.
2) Using a centre finder, centre the mill quill over top of the stand. Insert dead centre. Zero mill height readout with tip of centre touching top of stand, then retract out of the way.
3) Place .22 round in the recess in the top of the stand.
4) Lower collet block (collet adjusted loose) over top of the .22 round and the stand. The stand is turned to be a close slip fit for the bore of the collet block and it all self aligns before the bullet nose starts entering the collet. Snug collet by hand (witness marked to make it repeatable.) The tip of the bullet only slightly protrudes from the top of the collet so the bullet driving bands are fully supported.
5) Lower quill to desired depth; pressing the centre into the nose of the bullet.
6) Retract quill, slightly loosen collet, lift collet block off guide and remove modified round (drops free with a light tap of the fingers).
7) Repeat steps 3-6. Takes about 35s a round, but it would be quicker if I made up a hard depth stop instead of creeping up using the DRO.

I've made up 5 test rounds each of 2.0mm, 2.5mm and 3.0mm HP depth (2.5mm pictured) from the RWS Target Rifle 40gr my Voere likes. Looking forward to testing them for grouping after lockdown, but I'd be surprised if the accuracy suffered much. That 3.0mm HP sure looks nasty...

----------


## Tentman

New Property.  We're supposed to be building a shed and house but . . . bloody engineers

So today I attended to priorities - built a new backstop for the 22 range, we're pretty much surrounded by "reserve" so shooting a suppressed 22 is a luxury I like to indulge!



Will be able to shoot 50M from the new deck.  100M from within the property.  Out to 240M with the goodwill of the grazier of the reserve - thats heaps for a 22!

----------


## FRST

Ran out of epoxy yesterday which has stalled my Tikka CF stock project, however I had this Marlin stock project that needed dremelling to inlet that I hadn't attacked for a while. Used a bit of Kevlar material in this stock. Quite different to work compared with CF.


Need to inlet the forend tomorrow. Thinking of making it a one piece unit with an incorporated CF feedtube.

----------


## akaroa1

One last burst in the workshop before I go back to work at level 3

A very custom scope mounting rail
Quite a lot of machining doing the top side 
Tomorrow the barrel profile and taper to do on the bottom

----------


## Micky Duck

> Slightly envious of the guys for who lockdown gives them extra project time - no such luck here. Still, managed to pull this together on Sunday:
> 
>  
> 
> 
> 
> It's a jig for hollowpointing .22 target ammo into better subsonic hunting ammo. Not that I strictly needed one, but it occurred to me that I happened to already have almost everything I needed: collet block with ER25 6mm collet, mill/drill as a press, and a 60deg carbide dead centre. I turned up the stand/guide from 303 stainless. Assembly works like this:
> 
> 1) Clamp the stand in the mill vise. The base is cut perpendicular and I already know my vise ways are flat and square, so it doesn't need further aligning.
> ...


we did this crudely for years before powerpoint was made by winchester...it will make hollow point rounds stop inside body of hare or possum with chest shot 90% of the time,we gave up shooting possums in the head and simple chest shot them in the V of the throat patch....seldom exited between shoulder blades..... awesome job you have done,look forward to seeing how the preform.

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## PaulNZ

Thanks, will put up a follow-up post after I've had a chance to test.

----------


## Tentman

My portable shooting bench (takes down to "flat") worked pretty good but I'm always looking for improvements . . .

So in the past the shooter sat on a separate stool, but I got to thinking and looking at other designs that if the seat was connected to the bench the shooters weight could contribute to stability.

An afternoons work with some basic tools( poor old jigsaw which gave its last gasp for this job, I think my old Dad who has since passed gave me it as "very used" about 10 years ago), some ply that was lying about and a wee bit of swearing, produced this:



The seat adds considerable stability to the bench, I'd rate it about 95% of a concrete one now.

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## Tentman

And any smart comments about my somewhat of late increased "mass" will be firmly rebutted!!

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## akaroa1

@Tentman will like this

Done properly this time

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## Micky Duck

holy freakin WOW.....that is an awesome job.

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## Tentman

> @Tentman will like this
> 
> Done properly this time 
> Attachment 176878


Man @akaroa1 - you've excelled yourself this time, that looks shit hot . . . I really like how everything is now beautifully proportioned, that 7/8 Alaskan scope was made for the wee martini's

Now all I have to do is scheme up an excuse to whip up half the island to collect it!  And order that box of factory ammo I found

----------


## akaroa1

> Man @akaroa1 - you've excelled yourself this time, that looks shit hot . . . I really like how everything is now beautifully proportioned, that 7/8 Alaskan scope was made for the wee martini's
> 
> Now all I have to do is scheme up an excuse to whip up half the island to collect it!  And order that box of factory ammo I found


I'm looking forward to finding a mid 20th century rifle worthy of putting my own Leupold Alaskan scope on 

I guess it might also be a martini 
But finding interesting ones like that 218 bee isn't easy

----------


## Finnwolf

As mentioned on my other thread I have been working on a fairly old Savage 22 single shot bolt action.

I steamed out those dings that could be steamed out and sanded the stock several time using progressively finer sandpaper and finishing off with bronze wool, I dampened the stock between sandings to get the best effect.

Despite suggestions to the contrary I used raw linseed oil ( it’s all I had and with lockdown couldn’t get any boiled stuff) but I thinned it with turps - meths was a fail. I’ve done two coats.

It’s turning out really well so far.

The barrel was a mess externally but I’ll attend that

----------


## Joe_90

Laid this up over the last week. Tomorrow I'll see if it'll break open. 
Two options:
A, I've made a mould for a howa mini action.
B, I've entombed a howa stock in fiberglass.

----------


## Tentman

> Laid this up over the last week. Tomorrow I'll see if it'll break open. 
> Two options:
> A, I've made a mould for a howa mini action.
> B, I've entombed a howa stock in fiberglass. 
> 
> Attachment 176949


Hey - make sure you keep us updated on this one, watching with interest!

----------


## Ross Nolan

> And any smart comments about my somewhat of late increased "mass" will be firmly rebutted!!


Rebutting - is that like restocking?

----------


## akaroa1

Running out of quality lockdown time

So new posts and backing board on the 200m range and a bit of scrub cut that was starting to encroach


There's a solid permanent bench in a small gap in the bush edge here


And then off to do the same  on my 400m range which has a heavy shooting bench built on a massive macrocarpa stump 


It's a long way over there and you need to know where to look to see this bench



Both these ranges are perfectly flat bench to target but a long up and down through the farm between them
I haven't been shooting the big toys during Level 4 
But I'm all set up now and expect a few friends to visit at L2

----------


## keneff

> Much the same here
> 
> Have traps around my hazel orchard and go up every morning and there are usually one or two possums to pluck and a couple of pockets full of nuts to pick up.
> 
> Have a few apple trees in the orchard that have lovely eating apples ready to pick and store away for the next few months
> 
> The walnuts are just starting to drop
> So that will be a bucket full every day to pick up there
> 
> The possums will start coming to the walnuts now like kids to candy


And the rats. They gave our macadamias shit ,last year.  Killed 11 of the bastards, last year, but they seem to come in from the bush and set up camp under or in Jacqui's garden shed, found a couple of half-eaten birds in the garden. Think it's the neighbour's "lovely pussy". That'll get one in the swede if it's not careful. Might be the spring project while my new knee is settling down and I'm kicking back on the deck.

----------


## William

Finally got my horseback hunting rifle a new stock from a bloke off the thread, have fitted side mounted sling mounts, took a file to the scope rings to take any catch of the left hand side so I can sling it over my back will riding.
 Will now go see if it needs to be bedded, fit didn't seem perfect but it only has to accurate to a point, probably glass bed it anyway as I won't be happy with it otherwise. 
Might work the profile down a we bit too, I'm a fan of the slim forend.

----------


## marky123



----------


## Micky Duck

details Marky...details

----------


## akaroa1

> Attachment 177042


That looks like time well spent and hours and hours of gun fun

----------


## The bomb

> Finally got my horseback hunting rifle a new stock from a bloke off the thread, have fitted side mounted sling mounts, took a file to the scope rings to take any catch of the left hand side so I can sling it over my back will riding.
>  Will now go see if it needs to be bedded, fit didn't seem perfect but it only has to accurate to a point, probably glass bed it anyway as I won't be happy with it otherwise. 
> Might work the profile down a we bit too, I'm a fan of the slim forend.


Let’s see some pictures!!!

----------


## Finnwolf

> As mentioned on my other thread I have been working on a fairly old Savage 22 single shot bolt action.
> 
> I steamed out those dings that could be steamed out and sanded the stock several time using progressively finer sandpaper and finishing off with bronze wool, I dampened the stock between sandings to get the best effect.
> 
> Despite suggestions to the contrary I used raw linseed oil ( its all I had and with lockdown couldnt get any boiled stuff) but I thinned it with turps - meths was a fail. Ive done two coats.
> 
> Its turning out really well so far.
> 
> The barrel was a mess externally but Ill attend that


Update to the above:
The barrel had lots of surface rust and scratches on the outside plus somebody had sanded the outside lengthwise  with what I can only guess was 80 grit sandpaper or emery.

So, I used various grades of wet & dry paper to tidy up the outside, I couldnt get rid of some of the original scratches despite over an hour plus of study effort but minimized them considerably, I then finished off by holding a Scotchbrite pad wrapped around the barrel and rotating the barrel while moving the pad from breech to muzzle slowly,

It sort of looks like a stainless Damascus barrel in some lights!

Looks OK from two metres away but any closer and you can still occasionally see the odd original longitudinal scratch from the 80 grit.

Then I gave the stock another go of linseed oil, its nice a dark, I now regret not taking a before pic of this rifle.

----------


## marky123

> details Marky...details


5000 x .401 pc coated 175gn truncated cone bundles of fun Micky boy!

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## Ross Nolan

Pulled this apart and reoiled the stock, cleaned up the lock and I'm 6 coats into the barrel browning. It'll be ready for spring hunting.
Photo is before starting.

----------


## Finnwolf

> Pulled this apart and reoiled the stock, cleaned up the lock and I'm 6 coats into the barrel browning. It'll be ready for spring hunting.
> Photo is before starting.


Yo, those boots could do with some browning too! :Grin: 

But really nice musket there, looking 👍

----------


## Ross Nolan

I keep those boots so I can pretend that I am still capable of work. I think the guys can see through me, but so far they are polite about it.

The rifle is a .54, with a 1:66' twist for roundballs - 230 grains of soft lead goodness starting off @1700 fps.

----------


## akaroa1

> The rifle is a .54, with a 1:66' twist for roundballs - 230 grains of soft lead goodness starting off @1700 fps.


 @Ross Nolan nice rifle and even better it's left handed  

I have three proper left hand MLs and some wrong handed ones 

More info 
Own build, finishing someone else's project or a kit ?

----------


## Ross Nolan

It's a Jim Chambers English sporting rifle kit, with a L&R left handed round faced lock and Rice barrel. Chambers used their RH stock for the kit, but didn't inlet the lock.

I'm happy with it - light, accurate and plenty of poke. I built an aperture sight that dovetails into the tang and doesn't look too out of place because it was put together as a hunting rifle and I'm not 16 any more....

----------


## Finnwolf

Unusual that the lock is on the left, I can only remember muzzle loaders having their lock on the right. (And being a lefty that makes for a certain amount of trepidation when firing)

----------


## akaroa1

> It's a Jim Chambers English sporting rifle kit, with a L&R left handed round faced lock and Rice barrel. Chambers used their RH stock for the kit, but didn't inlet the lock.
> 
> I'm happy with it - light, accurate and plenty of poke. I built an aperture sight that dovetails into the tang and doesn't look too out of place because it was put together as a hunting rifle and I'm not 16 any more....Attachment 177105


Very nice
That's what I like to see

Yes not 16 anymore but when you were 16 you had other things on your mind and flintlock rifles wasn't one of them

----------


## akaroa1

> Unusual that the lock is on the left, I can only remember muzzle loaders having their lock on the right. (And being a lefty that makes for a certain amount of trepidation when firing)


Left hand locks were uncommon on single shot rifles
But they were made for double barrel rifles and shotguns
So not unheard of

The left hand back action lock on my .72 musket is likely to have come off a scrapped out double barrel shotgun

----------


## Ross Nolan

Original left hand single barrel guns are practically unknown, but I'm blind in my right eye and pretty protective of the left one - so a left hand lock gets the nod.

That said, I'd rather shoot a right hand flinter than a right handed cap gun - caps spray stuff everywhere. Of course, when you build one, you can build whatever you want, so  left hand lock it is..

----------


## akaroa1

Yes percussion  caps do regularly spit bits in the face that are hot and stick on

Flinters don't have this issue

My next muzzleloader  build is going to be a  percussion big bore  and I'm considering using musket caps because they are less likely to spit out hot pieces 
They are also easier to place on the nipple when hunting due to size and the small wings on them

----------


## Ross Nolan

What about a Mortimer..... maybe .62

Or this
https://americanlongrifles.org/forum...?topic=66472.0

----------


## Ross Nolan

Finished, ready to rezero.

----------


## akaroa1

> What about a Mortimer..... maybe .62
> 
> Or this
> https://americanlongrifles.org/forum...?topic=66472.0


A high pressure 577 with big conicals will be the next build

.62 patched round balls are starting to work if it is rifled
My .72 musket is easy to shoot and accurate enough but not for much more than 75m

----------


## Finnwolf

Round 2 of lockdown projects, this time an ancient Vostok 22 ( no mention of Toz on it).
I’ll sand and linseed oil the stock, not sure what to do with the pressed-in ‘engraving’ on the pistol grip.
And I’ll buff up the barrel and bolt, I’ve already given them a clean with turps and brake-clean, lots of crud came out.

I need a rear site and magazine to complete the rifle, the hunt is on!

----------


## PaulNZ

A follow-up to post #302 for those who are interested; I got out this morning to try a few rounds of the .22 target ammo that I'd hollow-pointed. Ammunition is RWS Target Rifle and I fired 5 shots each of 2.0mm HP depth, 2.5mm HP depth and 3.0mm HP depth as well as  a couple of groups of unmodified ammo for comparison. Rifle is my Voere 2000 and range was 50m.

Good news is that accuracy certainly didn't suffer with the 2.0mm and 2.5mm hollowpoints, as these were actually the best groups of all. The jury is out on the 3.0mm hollowpoints as they showed a bit more spread, but then so did the unmodified solid-nose rounds? I think my latest lot number of RWS Target Rifle might not be anywhere near as good as the last couple of bricks. The last lot I had shot excellently, but this one appears to have a lot of vertical stringing. It would be interesting to have run these over a chronograph. Anyway, 5 shot groups with 2.0mm HP and 2.5mm HP went 21.0mm and 18.5mm respectively. The 3.0mm HP and unmodified rounds each put 4 shots into slightly under an inch and the 5th dropped low. Not great performance even if you don't count the 5th shot.

I happened to have a box of Eley subsonic HP ammo with me which I hadn't tried through this rifle before, so I banged off a couple of quick groups and got 9.5mm and 14.5mm for a <0.5" average. Much more like normal performance. This RWS grade isn't particularly expensive ammo - I paid I think $8/50rds - but I expected better.

I also fired one of the 2.5mm HP rounds into a line of water filled containers (whatever I could find in the recycling bin) just to have a look at expansion. Pictures below. I don't expect this test to be really representative of on-game performance, but it was interesting all the same. It didn't open up quite as much as I might have thought but it's definitely more expansion than I'd expect from a standard solid. From close examination I think it may have started tumbling at it made it's way through the containers.

----------


## gundoc

Patience is a virtue! I finally fired up my fully rebuilt '46 Chevy Fleetmaster yesterday after a 2+ year effort. I was delayed by a wee health problem for a few months and then delays in getting parts from the USA (plus some gun work). The last few weeks have been spent trying to sort out the Mickey Mouse wiring shambles that someone did about 1980. I lost patience with it and cut the lot out and fully rewired the car front to back. The rebuilt '72 vintage 250 cubic inch inline 6 is now putting out 260 HP and has a real mean cackle through the twin pipes. I just have to bleed the brakes and it is road test time, just in time for summer cruising!

----------


## hotbarrels

> Patience is a virtue! I finally fired up my fully rebuilt '46 Chevy Fleetmaster yesterday after a 2+ year effort. I was delayed by a wee health problem for a few months and then delays in getting parts from the USA (plus some gun work). The last few weeks have been spent trying to sort out the Mickey Mouse wiring shambles that someone did about 1980. I lost patience with it and cut the lot out and fully rewired the car front to back. The rebuilt '72 vintage 250 cubic inch inline 6 is now putting out 260 HP and has a real mean cackle through the twin pipes. I just have to bleed the brakes and it is road test time, just in time for summer cruising!


 @gundoc Photos, Photos, Photos, Photos, Photos, Photos, Photos, Photos, Photos, Photos, Photos, .......................PHOTOS!!  :36 1 8:

----------


## ROKTOY

> @gundoc Photos, Photos, Photos, Photos, Photos, Photos, Photos, Photos, Photos, Photos, Photos, .......................PHOTOS!!


Why are we waiting. do we need to say "Please"?   please, photos.

----------


## gundoc

Work so far; new radiator and overflow tank, '74 chevy 250 cid 6 cylinder reworked to 260 horsepower, rewired, new gauges, bucket seats, centre console, CD, reversing camera, TH350 3-speed auto with B&M shifter, Chevy 10-bolt rear end (2.73:1), twin pipes, power brakes with front discs, 15" American racing mags (8" rear, 6" front), new tele shocks, lowered 2". All work done by me except for upholstery. Still to do; bleed brakes, connect handbrake cables, prep and painting (still cogitating on final colour), certification and WOF.Attachment 180362

----------


## viper

@gundoc, looking awesome mate , how's the bush baby Mk 2 coming along ?

----------


## gundoc

> @gundoc, looking awesome mate , how's the bush baby Mk 2 coming along ?


I have got all the basic bits for a .44 Mag version but I have to finish the stock latch on the Mk 1, and a few other people are waiting on jobs so I will get them sorted first. It is bloody busy being retired!

----------

