If I was a betting man, I'd be thinking to myself that if these methods were surefire methods of mechanically re-warping or straightening expensive fore-ends, then we'd have been taught it. Especially as we were taught to save them in other even more time consuming ways, such as complicated patching etc etc. That's not to say it ain't going to un-warp a fore-end of course. Maybe the criteria that was set was a bit more severe when the trials people investigated this sort of thing. Cold and hot temperature tests, dry and wet heat trials and all that stuff......
Just me thinking out aloud. But all power to your elbow for trying and getting it right I say.
If I had a LB No4 Mk2, I'd have kept it regardless of the fore-end - due to its rarity Richard. (Just being flippant on this fairly warm Monday afternoon)
Last edited by Peter Laidler; 05-16-2016 at 11:37 AM.
Can you be more specific about the method please? What cloth, how much oil, etc etc etc. this is the first Ive heard of this and it sounds like a great way to sort out a stock I have which is slightly warped. Do you have any estiamte of the amount PAST the true that it shoudl be pushed. ie if 2 degree warp shoudl it be bent back to 1% past etc etc?
newcastle: As I said, I'm no expert, having done this precisely 1.0 times! What got me started was a youtube video which you can find by searching: youtube Brownells- Jack Rowe, Master Gunsmith Series, Stock Bending. Part 1. I apologize, but as a grade A Luddite I don't know how to embed a link to the clip. I didn't deviate much from this fellows approach other than adding oil more frequently during the process than he seemed to. It's all trial and error and seat of the pants- I had to repeat the process twice to obtain a reasonably straight barrel channel on my forend. I have used steam to bend wood quite a bit but I think this oil and torch approach has the advantage of getting a lot more heat into the wood fairly quickly and, as mentioned, with no visible effect on the wood surface.
As my approach to a job that I've only done once is hit and miss, it's not surprising that the official way to deal with a warped whatever is chuck it and fit a new one.
It's ok for us private bods to play with stuff we have in limited quantity, but it would never do to have armourers pratting about like this!
With the top wood I did, I sat it in a tin of raw linseed, and heated it from below with a torch until the wood was bubbling with oil, then took it out and clamped it about as much the Other way, to what it was warped This way.
(Top wood originally was curled up at both ends, and after bending & clamping it Down at both ends and leaving a day, it has remained straight)
The oil really does soften the wood and make it pliable.
Re. the LB No 4 mk2, Yes, it was a long time ago and one of those things we all lay awake and think about at times!
Jim, thanks for the link, I'll have to watch that!
Jack Rowe passed away in I think Sept last year the amount of knowledge he had was astounding like shaping a spring from nothing but a piece of mild steel then tempering it, Jack liked big files to rip the metal away. The English gun makers are some of the finest in the world but the skill of the older ones will be replaced I guess by CNC's. The human hand can impart into a piece of fine craftsmanship more than a darn robot, Jacks videos are well worth the watch to gain but a brief insight into a Master Gunsmith from the old school and I thoroughly enjoyed watching him and Larry Potterfield work on weapons. Watching them bring a shotgun back on face was interesting and how to flow metal using a hammer, the stock straightening was good as well.
Like all things the human hand and eye for detail are being eradicated by the cold mindless machines which are not free thinkers (Thank goodness) and can never hope to impart the care and craftsmanship a well trained and experienced Master Gunsmith can to a fine piece shotgun or rifle. RIP Jack Rowe....
Very well put. You have it sussed perfectly!!!
My grandfather said to an uncle, probably 50 years ago, "Vic, in 20 years time, anyone who can use these, (holding out his hands) will be at a premium!"
Peter, it was a LB and a Mk 2 (hung trigger) action, so maybe it was a No 4 Mk1/2?? I bought it at a regular No 4 Mk1 price.
I never did get into the fine print on the Mk 2's. Any ideas?
Last edited by Richard Hare; 05-17-2016 at 10:27 AM.
Long Branch or Savage No.4Mk.1 converted at ROF(Fazakerley) to Mk.2 specification = No.4Mk.1/2
Long Branch or Savage No.4Mk.1* converted at ROF(Fazakerley) to Mk.2 specification = No.4Mk.1/3
Pretty desirable rifles in my humble opinion. Not exactly rare but certainly not common either. Gotta love them No.4's!
hot linseed oil. The method was to wrap the area to be bent with cotton soaked in RLO and hit it with the flame from a blow-torch.
Yikes! Isn't this approach rather dangerous. How do you prevent the whole thing from a massive oil fire? One misstep and you've got a ball of flames in your hands. Notice the lack of fire extinguishers in the video. I think a hot air gun used for removing paint would be a better bet than a torch.
Last edited by Seaspriter; 05-17-2016 at 07:55 PM.
PM
Originally Posted by Ridolpho
