Weekend Projects

[hotfxr]

So I am finally able to move around better and had the time to drive up to the shooting club I belong to and finally sight in the rifles. Just my luck the entire range was closed from Wed. through Sun for a Cowboy Shoot.  "She who must be obeyed" was nice enough to help me not be bored by handing me a list of things that she wanted done around the house. After 35 years, I just smile and say OK!  In between chores I did manage to work in a few little projects of my own. I received the mutton tallow that I ordered from DGW, so I mixed up some lube (mutton tallow, paraffin, and beeswax that I borrowed from my bees, they were not happy) for the conicals I am going to try and lubed a few up. Didn't like the unbreakable rod that came with my CVA so I made one out of a dowel and used a drill press for a verticle lathe to work it down to the right diameter. Sanded down the CVA stock and re-oiled it. Then in anticipation of finding the right powder load for each rifle, I made up some powder measures using some brass tube and 9mm casings. Next week there is nothing on the club calendar so with luck I will grab a friend (or a chance acquaintance) to take pictures and I will be able to make some noise.

[Hawken50]

  Some cool fixins hotfxr. But ya know if ya dont show a pic of the sanded and oiled Hawken it never happend.... 

[hotfxr]

  If I have no pic, it didn't happen. I am going to try that next time I am pulled over by the ever friendly police. Sorry officer, you didn't take a picture so I wasn't really speeding. Before taking offence at my honor being besmirched and the sullying of my reputation, I have taken a picture with my phone, downloaded it to my computer, uploaded it to photobucket, downloaded it back onto my computer now that it is small enough to post, then downloaded it to here with the additional options button below. I am not done with the stock yet as it seems my tung oil decided to gel up and refuse to go on nice and smooth, so I have to get some more. This is the original stock that was birch I guess and was the standard brown. I sanded it down, smoothing out the wear marks and cut the hole for the patchbox. As much as I love alchohol stains, I live in California where if it works, it's illegal and I cannot get them and I didn't really want to go through the ordeal of finding several different colors of aniline dye and mixing my own. What I did do is stained it with Minwax Bombay Mahogany Polyurethane, across the grain, sanded it down, and repeated three or four times to get a worn in look with the red color that I like so much. My GPH is browned & dull, this CVA Hawken will be bright & shiny cause I like purty things.

[Hawken50]

  Wow i'm glad i kidded ya bout the picture,that color is absolutely beautiful.

[hotfxr]

OK Mr. Hawken50, Couldn't find the ZAR tung oil that I like and had to use Minwax which is a little thinner so I am not totally satisfied with how it turned out, but here are a couple of pictures of the mostly finished rifle which has been named by "She who must be obeyed" as "Redhawk". I kind of like it.

[Hawken50]

  Kinda like it? Man i love it! That is one purty Hawken ol boy.That color is great.

[hotfxr]

Hawken50, just for you. Here is a picture with all three of the rifles I have, well let's just say, purdied up a bit. The top one is the Jukar I did yesterday, the middle one is Redhawk, the bottom one is Iddledo that is going to be my wifes shooter. That is if I can ever get her out to shoot, maybe this summer, she is a teacher.



The little chingadero on the bottom is a ramrod extension I made for cleaning Iddledo as for some reason the rod is the same length as the barrel with a cleaning jag/ball tip on it so when you run a cleaning patch through it, it is level with the muzzle and you can't pull it out. And of course they are guarded by a couple members of Gnomeland Security. Safety first!

[Hawken50]

  Well thank ye hotfxr. That Redhawk is on good lookin Hawken pard.

[Hanshi]

I think that color is great.