Traditions (Chiappa) Enfield 1853

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  • Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,278
    HoCo
    Next time I build one I'm planning to try an alcohol based stain.

    Please keep us updated on your progress!

    :)

    Do you have a source for an Alcohol based stain? All the stuff I had was oil based. Do the hardware stores carry that stuff or do I have to spend extra time searching?

    Oh and wood conditioner. Isn't an alcohol based stain needed for a wood conditioner?
     

    John from MD

    American Patriot
    MDS Supporter
    May 12, 2005
    22,728
    Socialist State of Maryland
    Alcohol based stains are great for refinishing but are challenging for larger projects as the alcohol evaporates fast. Water based stain withstands sun bleaching better than alcohol but it does raise the grain creating more work.

    There used to be a wood working shop on Veterans Highway where you could purchase real furniture finishes not the shellacs they sell in Home Depot. I don't know if they are still there.
     

    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,278
    HoCo
    Got to 2000 grit wet sanded trigger guard and did some buffing. Still need more buffing.
    Post #15 shows what the cast mold looks like when you get it. Working the brass is a good portion of the build.
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    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,278
    HoCo
    Uggh while trial fitting all the pieces again I discovered a problem. The channel for the ramrod runs too high and hits the lock bolts. I remember running into an issue with the ramrod when I got the kit and had to loosen up the ramrod spring under the barrel. I think I must have removed the lock before removing the barrel when I adjusted the spring and never put the lock back to check the ramrod. The only option I can see is to slot the lock bolt. I will have to time the bolt so the slot is on the bottom.
    If this is my only option vs sending the kit back AGAIN I can at least ask Traditions for spare bolts.
    I have already emailed them with a picture.
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    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,278
    HoCo
    So on the ramrod/lock bolt interference I decided to just notch the bolt

    Stained the stock last night and found a good use for the home gym in the man loft.

    Blues the barrel and ramrod. I tried to use Birchwood Casey blue and it was splotchy and streaked. Heard friend mention using it so I tried anyway starting on the bottom. Not liking the results I used brownels oxpho blue cream. It goes on great with steel wool and gets it a deep black if that is what you like. I still have to burnish it with steel wool a final time and oils it.

    I also found my bottle of pure tung oil. I will let the stain dry 24hrs before starting. Tung oil takes like a week to apply. Some people take even longer which I may have time knowing next weekend’s schedule .


    EDIT: OOPS, just noticed the Enfield ramrod was not traditionally blued. Time to break out the vinegar

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    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,278
    HoCo
    You must have a saint for a wife to let you stain something inside the house! :bowdown:

    She is a saint but the Man Loft where I do my work is MY territory. The rest of the house has to stay clean. Took the barrel into the kitchen to take the pic and show her what I had been working while hiding in the MAN LOFT and what I was using :)
    Typical reaction is "uhuuuuughhh"
     

    John from MD

    American Patriot
    MDS Supporter
    May 12, 2005
    22,728
    Socialist State of Maryland
    Here is a trick to using Oxpho blue. You take 0000 steel wool and degrease it thoroughly. Then, take a piece about two inch square and pour some blueing on it. Rub it together some and then apply to the metal. Rub briskly until bluing used up. Pre make several pads so you can work fast. Once the piece is complete, wash with COLD water and nylon scrub brush. Do a second coat if needed. When complete, rub with high sulfur oil and degreased 0000 steel wool. That will give you about the best finish you will get from cold blue and it last a long time. The acids in the bluing work with the steel somehow and makes for a better finish.

    If you don't want to go through the trouble, buy the paint on blue. I hear it is almost as good as the real thing. :lol:
     

    j8064

    Garrett Co Hooligan #1
    Feb 23, 2008
    11,635
    Deep Creek
    Your build is looking very nice, Melnic. :thumbsup: Hoping to see it in person at a Hooligan shoot this spring.

    :fingerscrossed:
     

    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,278
    HoCo
    Here is a trick to using Oxpho blue. You take 0000 steel wool and degrease it thoroughly. Then, take a piece about two inch square and pour some blueing on it. Rub it together some and then apply to the metal. Rub briskly until bluing used up. Pre make several pads so you can work fast. Once the piece is complete, wash with COLD water and nylon scrub brush. Do a second coat if needed. When complete, rub with high sulfur oil and degreased 0000 steel wool. That will give you about the best finish you will get from cold blue and it last a long time. The acids in the bluing work with the steel somehow and makes for a better finish.

    If you don't want to go through the trouble, buy the paint on blue. I hear it is almost as good as the real thing. :lol:

    That's exactly how I had done my Lyman years ago. De greased the steel wool in denatured alcohol. I can't recall where I was told to use a tooth brush to apply the blue liquid but did not work at all as well as the steel wool. Not sure if the oil I have is High sulfer, but I still have plenty of this stuff I got from a guy at the Chantilly show peddling his blue system. degreaser, blue and oil. The blue did not work as well as Oxpho but the degreaser and oil worked great and for some reason, I liked the smell of the oil. For the steel wool, I had theorized (right or wrong) that the steel wool dug micro grooves in the steel and brought up tiny bits of steel dust that mixed with the blue and help it react into the steel better and sort of smoothened out the application. what ever the reason, it seems to work well.
     

    Threeband

    The M1 Does My Talking
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 30, 2006
    25,232
    Carroll County
    Do you have a source for an Alcohol based stain? All the stuff I had was oil based. Do the hardware stores carry that stuff or do I have to spend extra time searching?

    Oh and wood conditioner. Isn't an alcohol based stain needed for a wood conditioner?

    I've used Fiebing's Leather Dye on several gunstocks. It is an alcohol based stain which comes in many shades. I've mixed medium brown, dark brown, and mahogany, for example. It can be thinned with denatured alcohol.

    I got mine from Tandy Leather.
     

    John from MD

    American Patriot
    MDS Supporter
    May 12, 2005
    22,728
    Socialist State of Maryland
    I've used Fiebing's Leather Dye on several gunstocks. It is an alcohol based stain which comes in many shades. I've mixed medium brown, dark brown, and mahogany, for example. It can be thinned with denatured alcohol.

    I got mine from Tandy Leather.

    Those are probably a lot cheaper than the Pilkington stains that Brownells sells. Jeeez, it's like $24 for 2 ounces these days. Even though it is meant to be thinned, that is still pretty high priced. :eek:
     

    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,278
    HoCo
    Ok
    Tung oil done and did some brass polishing this week. I still need to fix some imperfections in the brass sometime later. I have not put the trigger guard pin nor the rod spring pin. I had to put some cork under the barrel to get it snug to the barrel bands

    For the ram rod that I had mistakenly blued I decided to take sand paper to and try a faux patina. , I have considered doing that to the barrel to some extent but will have to research the practiced methods. I figure I will see plenty of authentic ones next week

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    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,278
    HoCo
    Needs a bayonet and sling. :)

    Yes, I have both. Just got the repro sling at the Maca show. Just don't have a good pic. I have not attached the bayonet yet.

    Shot if for the first time today. My minie's are not the right size. They were all over the place. No issues on it going bang though.
     

    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,278
    HoCo
    Been fidding with different minie balls and sizes. Groups have been all over the place except on some isolated occasions.
    I think I have a bedding/fit issue because I noticed that when I tighten the tang screw the muzzle rises up.
    I have played around with shimming but the stock seems to loose contact in the middle.

    I see my first bedding project in my future.
     

    John from MD

    American Patriot
    MDS Supporter
    May 12, 2005
    22,728
    Socialist State of Maryland
    Bedding is not as important in a BP gun as it is in a high power rifle and you don't get the same results. Try putting a piece of folded paper under the muzzle end to put a little pressure on the barrel as you install the bands. Then try it and see what it does. I still believe the problem is with the Minie/bore combo. Sometimes they take a lot of work to get good groups.
     

    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,278
    HoCo
    John, I did just that for now. If I"m going to bed it, I have an amount of wood to remove.

    Incidently, I got .576-.582 Pin gauges.
    The .577 gauge fits in fine. The .578 will go in about 1/2" then stops.
    For my 2 Springfield 1863 muskets, one the .581 is the first to fit and the other fits the .582

    Before I did some shimming, I had shot the Lee Minies with SPG lube and the groups were going wild. It was interesting cause when the barrel was cold, the horizontal POI was spot on where I was aiming. I really did not pay much attention to barrel temp but the horizontal I know was best at the beginning of each session.

    I think during the next range session, I'll let the barrel cool more between shots by taking my Springfields with me.

    I also got in the RCBS Hodgdon Minie molds in .580 and .578. I'll be sizing that up for both 580 and 576
     

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