DHE Restoration

[Kirk Potter]

A while back I sent my well used reproduction DHE to PGCA member Brian Dudley (bmdgunstocks.com). He restored it to look more like an original Meriden Parker, actual case coloring, barrels reblued, nickel plated trigger, etc. Needless to say I’m more than happy with the results.

[Kirk Potter]

Another.

[Kirk Potter]

Before.

[Randy G Roberts]

At first glance 3 things catch my eye:
1) Wood
2) Wood
3) Wood

Very nice, Brian does great work for sure.

[Brian Dudley]

Thanks for posting this Kirk. And thanks for putting up a few more 'before' photos. I only had a couple that you had emailed me at the beginning of the project and they were not as "good" as these ones.

The repros can really clean up well to make very nice looking guns

This one has a gold inlayed "2" on the trigger guard. I guess it was number 2 of a two gun set. I wonder where number 1 is. ??

[Rich Anderson]

A lot of these have very nice wood and this is a great example. I once saw one where the engraving had been chased to deepen it the case color redone using the bone charcoal method and the stock refinished and the gun was fabulous looking.

[Bob Jurewicz]

And the proper checkering borders too. Great gun - great job!!
Bob Jurewicz

[Brian Dudley]

The original checkering on this gun was a real mess. It cleaned up nicely though.

[Gary Laudermilch]

It seems Brian forgot to put one of the triggers back in during reassembly. Seriously, one wicked nice repro.

[Michael Meeks]

Beautiful work, Brian! Thanks for posting, Kirk!

[Rich Anderson]

Kirk what gauge is it? My guess is a 20.

[Harry Sanders]

Brian did one that looks close to that for me only he remembered the other trigger. He fit a pair of 16ga Krieghoff Bbls as well. Fantastic work and I decided to wait a bit and wear my original Case off then have him re-do it. The OE Claro stock broke through the wrist on clays. Nice write up on his web site.

[Robert Brooks]

What a gun! Bobby

[Bill Murphy]

Great work, Brian. See you at Ernie's.

[Brian Dudley]

I was really happy with how the wood turned out on this gun. I dont know what was on the stock from the factory, but it had a real reddish color to it. I used no stain on the stock when i refinished it. Just pro custom oil. The natural color of the wood was great without any help.

[John Dallas]

Brian -What was the original finish on Reproductions? Urethane? If so, how did you remove it?

[Brian Dudley]

Yes. Some sort of urethane. Acetone will soften it some. But sanding does most of the work. 120 grit works well.

[Gerry Addison]

Here is one Mr. Bachelder did the work on. I think it is a lovely gun now.

https://i.imgur.com/WKxnUJ3.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/x6AsRXw.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/X0Rpquo.jpg

[Dean Romig]

Acetone did nothing to remove the 'urethane' finish on one of my Repros. The thing that really did the trick was a paint remover Kathy uses in refinishing furniture that has had several coats of different colored paints, problem is I don't remember the name of the paint remover.





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[John Dallas]

I think Brownells sell some sort of thermonuclear paint remover for urethane finishes. I understand it helps, but it's still a bear to strip off the urethane

[John Dallas]

I had Remington 700 rifle stripped and refinished in oil. The stocker said it was very hard because even though it was stripped, the wood pores were still sealed, making absorption of the oil very difficult

[Brian Dudley]

I have seen that urethane stripper from brownells, but was leary to spend the money to try it. I dont do enough of it to take the chance on finding an “easier way”.

[Scot Cardillo]

I stripped and refinished one Repro. I used a product called "Zip Strip" based upon good results on other projects previously. Using a home-made plastic scraper (delrin) the finish gave up the ghost without much trouble but, it did take more than one application of stripper and I was able to tune up the sharp edge of my scraper with ease whenever it was required. When all was scraped-off I followed with bronze wool dipped in the Zip Strip.

I was surprised how many voids were in the wood that'd been filled with whatever finish originally used, hiding them. I wouldn't do it again unless there was an issue with the gun or, as Kirk ventured, to restore a gun.

*I have one gun that required a small repair to the original finish. I wasn't having any luck at all blending the area until Brian kindly suggested Urethane..I used wiping urethane and the problem area disappeared right away..nothing else seemed to work (thanks Brian)

Great gun Kirk and great work Brian!!

[Dean Romig]

I was surprised how many voids were in the wood that'd been filled with whatever finish originally used, hiding them. I wouldn't do it again unless there was an issue with the gun or, as Kirk ventured, to restore a gun.


I found the same to be true when I had finished stripping mine.




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[edgarspencer]

Yes. Some sort of urethane. Acetone will soften it some. But sanding does most of the work. 120 grit works well.

Brian, I am surprised that you would recommend using sandpaper, especially one as coarse as 120, as opposed to using a scraper. I could, however, see using an abrasive paper, followed by a scraper. I know a lot of old school furniture guys like using a piece of glass. I find using single edge razor blades effective. The trick is keeping the blade perpendicular to the wood. Razor blades, with some sort of tool, raise heck with arthritis.

[Scot Cardillo]

Brian, I am surprised that you would recommend using sandpaper, especially one as coarse as 120, as opposed to using a scraper. I could, however, see using an abrasive paper, followed by a scraper. I know a lot of old school furniture guys like using a piece of glass. I find using single edge razor blades effective. The trick is keeping the blade perpendicular to the wood. Razor blades, with some sort of tool, raise heck with arthritis.

Edgar, I can definitely see how the blade would be effective and I've known others (professional cabinet makers) to use the same. Somehow, I'm just not brave enough to put anything metallic to the task because I don't want to sand at all when refinishing if I can help it. (I wouldn't be concerned using a r-blade for something flat) It occurs to me an old credit card with a bit of a burnished edge akin to a cabinet scraper would do the trick.

[Dean Romig]

Furniture refinishers break a pane of glass and wind up with any angle scraper they need.






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[Scot Cardillo]

Furniture refinishers break a pane of glass ane wind up with any angle scraper they need.

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That's pretty clever..never heard that one before. Thanks for sharing.

[edgarspencer]

Furniture refinishers break a pane of glass ane wind up with any angle scraper they need.

Homer Formby lived here

[Brian Dudley]

Brian, I am surprised that you would recommend using sandpaper, especially one as coarse as 120, as opposed to using a scraper. I could, however, see using an abrasive paper, followed by a scraper. I know a lot of old school furniture guys like using a piece of glass. I find using single edge razor blades effective. The trick is keeping the blade perpendicular to the wood. Razor blades, with some sort of tool, raise heck with arthritis.



Well... i dont know what to tell you...

[Bill Mullins]

John... Remington used a finish on their ADL and BDL 700's
called RKW. It provided a very hard glossy finish. I was told
it was basically the same finish on bowling balls. Impervious
to harsh weather, hard use, and, yes, difficult to refinish!

[Gary Laudermilch]

I used the glass technique on an 870. It worked like a charm and effortlessly. I was careful not to scrape too deeply though and then finished up with sandpaper. Final finish was tru-oil. I would highly recommend it.

[Robin Lewis]

Edgar........:rotf::rotf::rotf::rotf::rotf:

[Scot Cardillo]

Well... i dont know what to tell you...

Pictures tell the tale, Brian. You do nice work.

..now I have to buy another pane of glass for my new shed because somehow, one of the pcs I bought last week's been broken..

[Bill Murphy]

The Zip Strip mentioned earlier rings a bell with me. I stripped a 682 Beretta stock in several stages, one of them being Zip Strip. I remembering using more than one strength of the same brand of stripper to get the results I needed. One thing about the long abused Beretta, all the imperfections and dents were in the finish, not the wood. Refinishing the wood after stripping was a piece of cake. The big Beretta trap stock is now adapted to the action of a Model 42 Winchester to make a man sized .410.

[Richard Flanders]

Zip Strip has been around since at least the early 60's and is likely the most prolific stripper ever made. I've only used it a few times but it generally gets the job done.

[Sam Ogle]

Someday Brian; someday.........

[allen newell]

Brian, did Turnbull do the colors on that DHE? Well done

[John Nagel]

Brian redid my VH 0 frame a while back. He does amazing work. I am looking forward to having him do a new forend for the set as well.

[Tom Flanigan]

Everything about that restoration is dead on right. It's nice to know that someone out there can do that quality of Parker restoration. What really impresses me is that Brian made the checkering a color which is in concert with an older gun. I don't like to see a restored Parker with a new checkering look. It's just not appropriate to my eye. I have been doing this for years and its good to see it on this gun. Wonderful attention to detail and work. None better in my opinion. My hat is doffed to Brian.

[Kirk Potter]

The pictures almost don’t even do it justice, it’s even better looking in person.

[Brian Dudley]

I would be interested to see some nice outdoor photos if you get the chance to take any Kirk.

[Tom Flanigan]

Reading through the posts in detail, I learned that the gun is a repro. No matter, Brian made it look like a real Parker. When the first repro’s starting coming out a few folks were touting them as better than the originals. True they use more modern steel but the gun was lacking in the checkering and stock finish areas, in my opinion.

When I bought mine, the first thing I did was to make it look more Parker. I struck the Winchester logo on the barrels and redid them. Then I went to work on the stock finish which is harder than hell to remove. It is one tough finish. I wanted a traditional oil and varnish finish. After that was completed I went to work on the checkering which is abysmal on all the DHE repros I’ve seen. Cross overs, lines deeper than others and no mullered border. I fixed that but eventually sold the gun because it wasn’t a real Parker to me.

They are undoubtedly nice guns with great wood on most. I can understand why many like them and use them. But I am a total traditionalist and so the repro wasn’t right for me personally.

[John Dallas]

I agree with Tom. Repros are nice guns, for what they are, but I don't think they are worth making them look old. Same thing with the A1 Special upgrades. While i am in awe of folks like Geoffrey G, to me it's like asking Michelangelo to repaint a '53 Chevy.

[Brian Dudley]

Hey... what is wrong with a ‘53?

[John Dallas]

Yeah, with that fire-breathing 6 holes. BTW, I edited my original post to include Brian next to Geoffrey, but somehow the edit apparently didn't take

[Scot Cardillo]

Coming onto a guys thread to basically say, "nice try" strikes incredibly distasteful to me. JMO

Is a Remington era Parker a "real" Parker?

[Tom Flanigan]

Scott, not sure what you are saying in your comment. If I have offended anyone with my repro comments, it was unintentional. I think Kirk’s gun and the work Brian did on it is stunning. The wood on that gun is better than most original DHE’s. Anyone would be proud to own that gun. Everyone has their personal preferences. I was just stating mine, although in retrospect, I shouldn’t have done that in a thread about Kirks gun.

Remington Parkers are real Parkers for sure. Some of the Meridan people worked on them. I also like upgrades with the engraving done by Runge. Although I think the cyanide case hardening is lacking. If I owned one of those guns I would have the colors re-done.

So its all just a matter of personal preferences. I am in awe of the manufacturing period in which Parker guns were done. It’s a taste of pure Americana that is not lost on me and so I prefer guns that were made in that period. It’s that simple and doesn’t diminish the worth of more modern guns.

[allen newell]

Take it from me, the cyanide colors on a 16 that Delgrego refinished wore off. Im having Bachelders re case it with bone charcoal.

[Richard Flanders]

The only thing wrong with a '53 chev is that it isn't a '55 or '56.... you're welcome!

[Brian Dudley]

I hear you there richard. I like the 55s best of the tri-five cars. The 57s are kinda gaudy in my opinion.

I own a 53, which is an old family car. So i am kind of partial to the shoeboxes.

[Dean Romig]

When I was in my early twenties I had a customer, a lady who at the time must have been in her early seventies, who's daily driver was a stripped '57 two-door sedan, maroon in color, with the "power pack" package - V-8 (265 I think) with dual exhaust, and a Rochester 4-bbl. she was a widow for about eight years. Her husband bought the car just before he died. It was his first new car and he loved that car. The old lady said she would never sell it to me... or to anybody else.






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[John Dallas]

Pretty sure a '57 would have been a 283

[Dean Romig]

The 110 hp 265" v-8 was used between 1955 & 1957 but they also had a 115 hp 283" during those same years so the Power Pack probably used the 283.





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[Brian Dudley]

In ‘53 the “blue flame” straight six (in the powerglide cars) was 115hp and it went up to 125hp in ‘54. Ratings on the standard trans six engines was a little lower (108 and 115 if i recall).
It surprises me that he first chevy V-8s were lower hp than the I-6 engines.

[charlie cleveland]

the 6 clys were not higher in hores power than a v8 the power pack v8 283 was rated at 220 horse in 1957.....charlie

[Dean Romig]

Wow Charlie, I didn't know that. Thanks for the education.

The horsepower ratings I gave for the 265 and the 283 came off the Internet. I'm not surprised the Internet is wrong... look who invented it - the inventor of 'fake news'.






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[Scot Cardillo]

Just wanted to revisit this thread to extend my thanks to the board for the great tip; using glass to remove an old finish.

I'm no expert by any stretch but I have refinished my fair share of gunstocks. The glass trick (w/Zip Strip) is far and away superior to anything I've ever tried. The effectiveness, with one treatment is fantastic and very little sanding, if any in some cases, is required. Seems there was a pc w/just the right profile for me no matter the requirement. Stock was stripped within minutes, literally.

Love the old-school ways..