Restoring No. 4

[louthepou]

BLO will darken with time, if all the wood matches a light-coloured Enfield is a beautiful rifle

Lou

[goo]

i think i'd see how well it shoots before i spent too much time on it.
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http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3308/...g?v=1232306802
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http://farm1.static.flickr.com/29/63...9dacc7.jpg?v=0
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http://farm1.static.flickr.com/21/33...62b320.jpg?v=0
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http://farm1.static.flickr.com/18/24...327a11.jpg?v=0

[bigduke6]

To reproduce the black "dipped look" clean up metal and use a Black oxide kit from http://www.caswelleurope.co.uk/coldox.htm i have recently used this and have had some excellent results. But if you can do Parkerising and hot blueing i would go for this dont bother with the paint.

[RJW NZ]

Re the metal;
If you can do blueing parking etc, don't put paint over it afterwards, that was simply a cheaper/easier maintenance step when the original finish had worn out etc. It means you could get away with paint and be correct.

No one here has mentioned suncorite from brownells? Spray can. Its been reccomended often here as being close to original finish with a lot less work. Maybe someone can make a comment or two?

[45B20]

Daveboy
If you wish to have your No.4 as close to original as possible, use raw linseed oil (RLO) not boiled (BLO).

RLO in small containers can be found in art supply stores, and also I am told, at cooking utensils stores.

45B20