[Bruce Day]

So now I have refinished the stock, cleaned and oiled or greased the action and reassembled. The stock brightened up when the dirt and oil finish was removed. What you see is the result of six thin coats of Timberluxe finish. I glued the few cracks with Super Glue.

I dyed the browned DHBP with Rit dye, and thought it was warm enough when I started to put the buttplate back on the stock, but as you can see, it cracked through the lower screw hole. These old buttplates get brittle as the plasticizers leach out over 100 or more years. Warming them makes them more pliable, but it wasn't enough. I have a new one ordered that is a replica of the original.

What is left to do is to re-brown the barrels to bring out the Damascus pattern. I'll take this gun to Pheasant Fest Feb 14-16 in Milwaukee and after that, the barrels will go off to Dale Edmonds.