Restock photo test

[John Hancock]

Hope I can learn how to post photos and as long as I am testing will use a photo of an old VH that I am restocking. Regards, John Hancock

[Dean Romig]

We're looking forward to photos of the finished product.

Thanks. You did well posting pics on your first try.

[Paul Ehlers]

You did well with your first try on the pictures.

That should be a real nice V-Grade when your finished.

[John Hancock]

Mabee more info than you want, I have had this gun for about 15 years, never fired it, hunted ducks with a Mod 21. Had heart injury in 2000, was told would live only about 2 years from that time, not to energetic but still here. This old gun is 32" F&F and had 5 dented places in the bbls., I took the dents out and patterned it and it shoots well. Stock was broken and usual hard to shoot dims. so after having surgey early last month and being told to not lift anything over 10 pounds for 30 days got to work making up the stock while recovering. Told wife the gun is 8 pounds so could work on it, although did have to call a friend to lift the vise up on the mill table. I'll get it roughed out in time to shoot a few ducks when they get here (Texas) and finish it up in the next few months. What is done so far is the easy part. Thanks for the coments and will post a pic or two along. Regards, John Hancock

[Bruce Day]

John, sounds like you have found good therapy, mental and physical.

Hope you join the PGCA.

[Bill Murphy]

I also have a big 32" VH in the wood hopper. However, I have no talent for stockmaking and have turned it over to a pro.

[John Havard]

John, did you inlet the head of the stock by hand? How did you do that? Great decision to keep the hands and mind busy during recovery.

[Eric Eis]

John great job and the wood looks really nice. Let's see somemore photos as the project goes along. Great job on the beavertail forend, you nailed it

[Brian Dudley]

English Walnut?

Inletting by Hand is a lot of work. I was doing that before I got my duplicator. And I am sure I am not done with doing it either.

What used to take me weeks by hand is done in a few hours on the duplicator.

[John Hancock]

John, Yes I have done all the work on the stock myself, my business which I sold to my son a few years ago had as a necessity metal working machines. I have a history, 40 years ago, of machine shop work in a shop that made a lot of dies. When my son and I came to terms it included in the buy out a new mill and lathe for me to take. I do all the internal cuts, in the stock and forend, that I can in the mill, it is manual but does have a dro, taking measurements from the action and bbls. Then the final fitting is done with chisels and scrapers ect. On the forend one can measure the taper of the bbls. and dia. and then use a .750 ball end mill to start the bbl. channels then scrape to fit. In the fairly near future I plan to restock a really beat up 20 gauge that I have used for quail for 30 years. If you guys would like, I could do kind of a show and tell from the start. To the collectors, these guns are only shooters, forgive my taking liberties in the restocking. Regards, JH

[John Hancock]

Dudley, Yes stock is from an English Walnut blank, only one I had that was as heavy as I think I want on the gun. Have some good Turkish blanks that are heavy but I do a Superposed from time to time and like the Turkish for them. I have for years wanted to buy a duplicator, allmost ordered one from Don Allen back before he started Dakota but decided I couldn't afford it. They still interest me but I have so much junk in the shop and it is only 40 x 60 that I don't think I will ever get up the energy to make a place for one and learn to use it. I made sort of a tracer attachment for my mill and used it to make a quarter rib for one of my rifels but beyond that it doesn't have much usefulness. As you guys can tell I like to tinker. Regards JH

[Ed Blake]

John - a tutorial on stocking a Parker would be a great contribution to the board. I have always admired people who can do that sort of thing and wished I had the talent to do so myself.

[todd allen]

John, I just discovered this post. I'm glad to see you out-living the doctor's predictions.
Thanks for sharing your handi-work with us, and please stay busy with stuff that makes you happy!
Happiness makes the heart go longer.

[tom tutwiler]

Curious how this project has moved along and wondering if there is a update to be received?

[Brian Dudley]

Now don't rush him Tom. :rotf:

[John Hancock]

Tom, Yes getting there. Put the last coat of finish on it about middle of the week, will rub it out in the next day or two and then let it alone for another couple of weeks before checkering. Will try and get a pic up after I rub it out. Been fooling with the VH 20 ga too, although I have shot lots of quail with it over the past 25 years it was allmost junk when I bought it and didn't get any better by itself. Got the forend finished and a coat of sealer on it, heading up the stock now.
Brian, Thats the spirit, may get you to remind my wife same.
Regards, JH

[Richard Flanders]

I think we should lock Mr. Hancock and Edgar Spencer in a shop filled with machinery and a pile of broken and needy Parkers to see what they would come up with in the end! Keep it up John. A photographic tutorial of your stock making process would be a great and lasting addition to our forum. That's going to be a nice gun when you're done.

The more I think about this the more I envision a nice shop with Edgar unloading a dump truck full of scrap steel, old bits of guard rail and culverts, and nuts and bolts and broken files into a large hopper outside one end and on the other end of the collection of complex machinery in the shop, John bolting nice new stocks onto fresh A grade Parkers coming out of the machinery on a conveyor belt. Can't you just see it??

Forgive me guys... it's been a long cold winter!

[edgarspencer]

I'll have whatever Richard's drinking. Come to think of it, make it two.

[Richard Flanders]

You better have a nip of something Edgar or you're going to be up all night for the next few days figuring out how you're going to design all the machinery for yours and Johns shop! You know you will! I can hear you thinking from here!

[John Hancock]

Got the wood "sorta" finished. Still not rubbing out like I want and only thing to do is let it cure out some more. Still a little to glossy for how I want it. In 30 days will rub on it some more. Will checker it about that time. Hawkins Pad from Galazan, as I made the grip a little thicker than origional, the Parker grip caps that I could find were too small so just made a "fake" cap out of ebony and pinned and screwed on with the origional screw. With 1 1/4oz. loads I like to have something to hold on to in the right hand and while I am still strong recoil has taken it's toll, still don't have to shoot a release trigger though. You can see from the comb this stock was made to shoot not to look at. Sank the forend latch 1/16" (had to make new screws even then), will shoot a round of trap now and then and in Texas when it is 100 degrees and you get on a short squad the latch will burn your hand. That's an old Browning case I got in some trade, don't remember, but the old gun will fit in it so likely how it will get carted around. Oh, wanted the gun to gain some weight, was 7# 15oz origionally, now is 8# 10oz. For me I like the weight, I won't carry it far but may shoot it a lot when I get there and with "trap" loads it doesn't kick. Enjoyed everyone's coments. When you spot the flaws be kind, I am old and can't see like I wish I could.
Regards, John Hancock

[Robert Delk]

Really like that gun and appreciate the skill and time that it took to do all that work.

[Brian Dudley]

Very nice outcome. Keep at it.

[George Lander]

FIRST CLASS JOHN! PLEASE KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK & SHOW US THE FINISHED PRODUCT!

Best Regards, George

[calvin humburg]

I'm not a fan of beaver tail forarms but yours I like. Superb work!

[John Hancock]

I don't care much for beaver tail forends either, however seems like one would be appropriate on this gun as I'll shoot some trap with it and a splinter will make you hold hot bbls. I do that from time to time and it is a distraction. Regards, John Hancock

[John Hancock]

If I can remember how to post pic they will follow of the 32" VH been working on. Guess I will call the stock finished, since last pic, got the checkering done, put the red tint in the finish and rubbed it out. These pic were taken outside in the shade. Wife looked at and said that now I ought to paint the barrels. Might get around to a rust blue job later in the summer when the humidity is up. Gun shoots well, POI is about 60/40 with 1 1/8 oz. STS shells. Fun to shoot Sporting Clays with, chokes are about .040" each side so you have to be careful with it. Put the center of the pattern on them and it is impressive. I can't shoot well anymore, but it points so well that I can stay within 8 or 10 targets of the Master Class shooters on 100 birds. Get tired by the time am at the last couple of stations. Regards to all, John Hancock

[John Truitt]

That is a very professional and impressive job. Well done. Very nice. Thank you for sharing. Enjoy her.

[calvin humburg]

You get an A plus! How about a top view. Looks a little slim or is it mostly standard size. Again:bowdown: ch the bevertail forend that is.

[Justin Julian]

John,
Very impressive wood work....please check your PMs.

[John Hancock]

I'll try and remember to take a pic of the top of the gun @ the forend next time I have the camera out, yes it is considerably slimmer than Parker made them. I made this gun to "shoot" so didn't make much of an effort to match the Parker forend. I think the best factory forend of any gun I ever owned was the small bevertail on a F.Rizzini R1. When I do a bevertail it is usually copied after that but this one is rounded a little more on the front because of no Anson & Deely latch on the end. Stocking a really clean SC trap that I bought couple of wks ago on the net, and except for dimensions will be trying to pretty much match Parker in shape, will see how it comes out. Regards JH

[Brian Dudley]

Checkering always makes a world of difference. Is that a standard bead border on the checkering pattern?

[John Hancock]

Brian, No that is somewhat of a mullered border. I am not very good at it anymore, make it with a very small homemade skew chisel. Best, JH

[Angel Cruz]

The wife is right, now you have to "paint " the bbls...:)

[Larry Mason]

Outstanding. I am recovering from neck surgery as my wife and friends have left for the D U Banquet. Thanks to you Mr. Hancock, you have made my evening!
Best regards,
Larry Mason