Fixing up an Mannlicher Schoenauer (other project pics on #35)

[2152hq]

Thanks for all the comments and interest.

The job to fix the damage took probably 6 or 7 hours. Rust bluing another few but aside from the polishing, that's over the stretch of a few days waiting for things to rust.

The Chevy/Cadilac comment was probably what really made me get into this job the most.
Aside from personally thinking the M/Schoenauers are far from being a piece of cast aside junk,,the attitude is what angered me.
This particular restoration specialist, Turnbull Mfg, turned away a customer sight unseen and with an insulting comment.
I don't know who the owner of this rifle spoke with when he called there,,it doesn't matter. Could have been anyone there. The comment & attitude was totally uncalled for.
I worked for them for 3 yrs back in the early 90's. It didn't end well for me,,just so I'm open book about this and you may see where my feelings are.

If you simply don't feel you can do the job properly,,or don't want to take it on for what ever other reason (backlog, ect),,just say so. I've done that. You run up against jobs you can't handle sometimes for one reason or another.
No reason to insult a person.

This project was one of my rare jobs taken on now as I'm retired ,,kind of, from this business.
I still do the work and plenty of it. But most all of it is projects I pick out or allready have waiting. S&W's are included.
A couple on the bench now. I have to finish an AH Fox upgrade first though. That's getting there. Engraving about finished. Have to do the bbls yet and checker the wood.

 

[Onomea]

Absolutely beautiful work! I am astonished you were able to do the repairs in just six or seven hours. I have often thought how fortunate we are in the gun community to have a few craftsmen such as yourself. Very few guys who can do this sort of work, and they obviously don't get rich doing it...

I have nothing to do with that gun, but I thank you anyway!

 

[RonJ]

Bravo! Very nice.

 

[BaldEagle1313]

I've waited almost a full day, hoping that the words to adequately express my admiration for the work you did on this rifle would come to me. They haven't yet, so I'll just say that I'm in awe. I mean, seriously in awe. Since you showed us the "before" picture we know where you filled in the metal and re-etched the writing. Had you not done so, I would not have been able to tell. Maybe someone very familiar with the marque would be able to, but I wouldn't put money on it.

Well done, sir. Very well done.

 

[Nframecollector]

How is the bluing and are you going to re-blue it?

 

[Jebus35745]

If you did this full time, you had an interesting career. What a way to make a living. You are very talented, that rifle came out great. Show us more of your projects in the future, Larry

 

[2152hq]

Yes, I did this full time and it was and is an interesting way to make a living. I did it part time before that.
Not a lot of people into strictly the restoration side of the gunsmithing business. It's not what you'd call the glamor side like the custom business is.
Recutting old patterns and factory work doesn't get you in the magazines like custom work does. But I've had a few!

But I've always liked this area of work. I do my own wood and metal work. Polishing, bluing, finishing, checkering,carving, stock work, making parts, engraving, about anything I need to do.
I don't do re-barreling work as on bolt rifles anymore,,the big lathe is gone now. Just a small lathe and mill to help out. No machinist training,,self taught in that too and very lacking in knowledge. I rely on hand work an awful lot. Most of this old stuff is 'one-of' and you end up doing things that way.

This M/S I slow (cold) rust blued after polishing it up.
The last 4 pics are after the metal was rust blued. It gives a nice soft finish to the metal though if done right you can get a bright finish blue with it too. Just takes a lot more time and coatings.

 

[jringo8769]

Well sir you are truly blessed to have such talent ...and you are right in saying no matter what the make and model..you should always do the best job you can do...and it is obvious..you are quite capable of that..thank you for sharing your skills with us...Glad to see great people who truly care what they do still exist

 

[Keith Brown]

Absolutely beautiful, how happy was the customer when you handed him the rifle. The finish on the inside is the icing on the cake, truly completing the job. If I might ask, did you alter or chamfer the screw holes before replacing the metal and peening in place. I'm amazed at your almost casual application of about a half dozen skills, very few would take on such a job, "Master Class" for sure. I could stand more photos if you have them, maybe of the purpose made texture punch. Great photos to by the way.

Keith

 

[2152hq]

Other than cleaning up the ragged top thread or two of the holes, nothing needs be done with them. They need to be absolutely clean when they are pinned though. Can't have any oil, ect leaching out during the bluing.
Nothing special about specs, I usually use a small end mill to do the cut. As long as it's a bit larger in diameter than the threads that's all. I line things up by eye making those cuts, so they may not be perfectly centered. But can get a way with it with the process.
The master machinist in me showing.

Plugs are made for each of the holes on the lathe,,they're all different lengths. Some different diameters. Some show thru on the inside,,some do not. Makes a difference how they are installed.
Steel for them needs to match as close as possible the base steel of the piece you're fixing up.
That's probably the biggest stumbling block to this or any plugging method wether it's welding or what ever.
You get to know after a while what will work on what guns after you do this for a while. Lots of failures in the beginning,,but that's how you learn by yourself.

The bluing process is also part of the cover-up so to speak. Several different rust blue solutions and at least two major ways of applying them (slow and quick rust).
Add to that the Hot Salt Bluing which I use once in a while on some small parts and also nitre type bluing can work sometimes. You have a lot to choose from but have to choose the right one to compliment the work and the steel.
Use the wrong one and the repair will stand out like a poka-dot print.,,and that can go for a weld repair, plugs like this or any other method.
I started doing them this way many years ago simply because I didn't do any welding at the time but needed these types of repairs done.
I was sacked with other peoples welding repairs being given to me by customers.
The welds never covered, were porous, or were harder than a diamond.
A couple times the welds were great,,but the welder used stainless filler. It takes a gun person I guess.
Once or twice they worked out correctly, but that's all.
These all from masters of the craft I was told. Maybe,,but it's not doing me any good.
So I came up with this method.

I looked for the background punch I made for this job,,can't find it in the clutter on the bench w/a quick look. I'll run into it though and take a picture of it. Nothing special. Just cut the face of the punch with the reverse pattern of what you want to stamp.

They usually end up in a soup can on the bench just for special made punches and stamps,,but it wasn't there when I looked.

 

[DWFAN]

I can do some pretty unusual things with wood but you sir make me look like a hack. I am also self taught and all that it brings. I salute you sir. Very well done.
DW

 

[2fingers]

Love looking at the work of a "Master Craftsman", Thank You for posting these pictures. Would love to see more. Beautiful Work.

 

[rbmcmjr]

Simply gorgeous work. I have a 1903 (unfortunately it's a rifle and not a carbine) with moderately damaged bluing and keep meaning to look into restoring it. One of these days....

 

[model70hunter]

Great work, work of an artist.

Please show the AH Fox before and after photos. I had 6 of them once. I had many Parkers but once I started buying AH Foxes I ended up feeling the AH was the better gun. Sold them to pay an attorney during a domestic "division". I got the children but have not found a reasonable "C" grade AH since.

 

[2152hq]

Here's a link to a few pics of the Fox still in progress I posted in August here on another thread about SxS's.
A couple of other project pictures included in the post also.

The engraving on the Fox is complete now except for the bbls and what ever I'm going to put in the blank oval I left in the trigger guard. That might be tonights project to finish up. I still have the bbls to do. They are somewhat of a pain. They take longer than anything else for me to do but they'll get done. A couple small dents to come out first. The checkering is last. The wood still looks like it did in August!
The link will take you right down to the post w/the pics
http://smith-wessonforum.com/lounge/332003-fox-parker.html#post137398447

I'll post some updated pics later on tonight.


Added.....
Batt'ry dead-o on the camera.
But I will post some pics of the Fox upgrade as soon as it come back to life.

I did find these pics while looking for some unrelated mat'l.
This is a CSMCo mfg Fox 28ga I did for them some years back. Not exactly understated engraving and what most people would want. But this customer did,,and so that's what he got.
3 or 4 different k yellow gold plus green and red alloy gold, silver and even copper used in the inlays,
A little wood carving added to the mix as well.

.

Sometimes it was a simple inlayed picture of the favorite pooch. 24k flat inlay.
Done from a few snapshots provided by the customer.
Trigger plate on Winchester 21 (shop lite glare in the background,,a photog person I am not.)

Thank you all once again for all the nice compliments.

 

[ILLWIND]

Beautiful! I love the M/S and owned a 1961 MCA Rifle in .270. What a piece of art! It had the factory side mounted scope mountings and a period Redfield scope. My opinion is that there is Not a single bolt action rifle made today that has the class of a M/S. Mine was a rifle, not a carbine and sold it when offered much more cash than what I bought it for. Your work is commendable, you have great talent.