I inherited a 39-2 and love it. It also came with the factory box but the corner braces are rusted and it looks like grandpa just kept putting tape on the corners. What is the best way to restore this? Also why is the label upside down?
I don't know how that would be restored, but the upside down label was standard at the time; the boxes were stored upside down to prevent the the box's lower half from dropping out when the box was lifted.
Hey Gator, I have had them that rough. Trick on removing the tape.
Put the lid in a zip-lock bag and put in the freezer. Wait a few days.
Tape falls off. Now, just glue up the seams in a frame. Aint never going to look new.
Oh those will come soon! I was just trying to get the box looking as good as the gun to take pictures of both!
I was able to get some tape off and I am thinking I will use some heavy card stock to create an internal corner and glue that from the inside. That way it will have the strength of the original box but with nothing showing the repair from the outside. I just need to find the best card stock for the job. Hopefully by this weekend.
you may not need to reinforce the inside. I've had really good luck simply gluing box corners with Elmers.
I'd start by gently going over the outside with a stiff brush, then wiping it with a damp cloth and letting it dry. You can make temporary three-sided inside corner braces to hold things in place while the glue sets up. I make the braces out of priority mail boxes; just cut the corners out with a razor knife and make each leg about 2-3" long. you can put a little piece of wax paper between the inside corner and the brace, so they don't stick together.
You don't need much glue and it's best to work on one corner at a time. Dab it along each edge with a toothpick, use a small hand clamp or two to lock the corner brace in place, press the glued edges together and put a large rubber band around the perimeter to keep it tight.
This is my box repair kit. It's not fancy, but it works.
This High Standard box was a mess when I got it. The top and bottom were flat as a pancake (all corners separated) and one end flap was completely detached. It's not perfect, but it's usable and original to the gun.
