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Remington 541-S fire poker

22K views 127 replies 31 participants last post by  tommyt654 
#1 ·
Well, I received the fire poker I think on Friday..

I must say, I think it is in better condition then what looked like in the pics, except for the stock, some of the wood did get charred, but we'll see how it turns out.

The bolt seems to work OK, the firing pin return spring seems stuck and the trigger seems stuck. Shouldn't be too big of a deal to clean and free all this stuff up.

The rust on all the metal, does not look too deep, so I am going to try and soak everything in molasses to remove the rust and see how bad the pitting may or may not be. If too deep, this thing will be matte finished (have my fingers crossed that I don't have to do that.

By looking at the bolt, extracters, firing pin, and bore..... I would almost have to say that this thing could possibly have never been fired.. I am NO expert though. The bolt has next to no bluing wear in the locking lug area

I just have not seen rifling like this in any other barrels.

I'll try to get some pics taken and posted yet today or this evening.
 
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#66 · (Edited)
Ah haaaaaaaaaaa!

Just DAB the Shellac into the areas with the crevasses. Can use a toothpick or the "pointy" artist brush ala.



For a repair like that DABBING is far better then PAINTING.

If you are not going to keep the brush in Denatured Alcohol when not in use, don't want to use rubbing Alcohol!!!!!!! then toothpicks are the way to go.

Don't be surprised if it takes a lot of the finish and Shellac is a finish. The insides of those areas are going to be charred and really opened pores and they are gonna suck up the stuff.

I restored a charred top on a small antique hall table and I had to fill the charred areas before I could put on new veneer. Thought that "filling" process to create a new base would never end.:D:D:D

Let those areas set up overnight etc. then apply another coat. Keep doing until those areas are "proud".

Then let set up for 72 hrs and DRY sand em flush using 400 grit wet/dry black automotive paper. Wipe dust off frequently.

Then if you want you can add another coat or whatever to the entire stock.

If memory serves, and I get quite a few PM's so I might be wrong, there was some type of comment that you were looking at the project as a "learning" experience.

By the time you get done with this thing you are going to have a few years worth of experience on stock work learned in like 6 months.:bthumb::bthumb::bthumb:

George
 
#69 ·
Repeat of yesterday...



I got a butt stock in for my Dads Savage 12 ga, got it sanded and a first coat of hand rubbed oil into it too.

Waiting for my 40-XB stock to show up, hopefully be here Monday so I can assess the refinishing needs of it too.. I really should have taken up wood working and stock refinishing as a kid.
 
#70 ·
Some more slow progress on the stock, not sure how many spot fillings, coats and sandings since the last pic of the stock, but definitely can see a difference. I also found a lighter spring for the trigger, still needs to be trimmed to length and I cleaned, oiled and installed the mag guide and latch.





 
#72 ·
Still progressing along, the scars are getting shallower and lesser.

I was really hoping to be further along, but this is definitely a project of patience. I a have a wooden closet in a very dry part of the house that I had put the stock in to dry along with a tub of salt to help pull moisture out.
 
#74 ·
Having a hell of a time trying to get this stock to dry, way to darn humid. I'm still trying to be patient, but my annoyance has came up a notch.

I may have to try and figure out a very dry room and a DEE humidifier maybe.

AC / central air is on in the house, staying steady 72* (as long as the thermometer on the thermostat is working correctly) and the humidity gauge is showing 50% at night and 60% during the day, I'm guessing that's way too high still.

Want this darn thing done so I can get together with RichJ and ram rod a bunch of rounds through it.
 
#78 ·
Thanks George.. !!

This post of yours really clicked and makes sense now, the very thin layers do dry rather quickly and the very thick layers, where it obviously had deep burn crevasses that are being filled are the areas that are staying somewhat soft and pliable to the touch.

And yes, this stuff is adding a tremendous amount of depth that is very noticeable when a fresh coat is applied and has the wet look.

I will generally dab the specific spots that need the dabbing first, then will coat the whole side again to try and get an even sanding.

Kind of funny in the sense that I do have other 541-S stocks and or could have had a repro cut and been done with this thing much much sooner, but an enormous amount of fun and challenge with this was poking around on the interweb and finding the plastic accents and going for the rescue. I have a very hard time with the thought of throwing anything 541 away or burning it.

Once it's all done and blasting targets or critters, it will all be worth it and have one heck of a story behind it.
 
#79 · (Edited)
Just hang in there

My oldest grandson, then 15, was given a Mossberg .410 shotgun from his other granddad. Just about as beat up as yours albeit not fire challenged.

Was his granddads first gun and had a lot of intrinsic and sentimental value.

He spent months, clock wise, just like you, during the learning curve to get it exactly like he envisioned it to be when it was new and ended up with:



I did nothing for the firearm except help him get the rusted on choke off and supply the chemicals and then simply talk about the various stuff that needed to be done and why. He did all of it himself.

His other granddad pitched in on the stock color as he remembered it.

Now 9 years later, he is as proud of that shotgun as he was when he completed the refinish.

He has used what he learned around his first home his wife and he bought last June. Redid a solid Oak large dining room table that they picked up at a yard sale for $25 and looks really nice .

George
 
#80 ·
Did a bunch of reading yesterday and UV lamps are used to cure Shellac on fingernails, fortunately for myself I don't have to worry about getting my nails did...

Anyhow I went to Mynards and picked up a couple UV bulbs for a lamp that I had (they were for pond clarification / algae killer) now have them installed, on and hopefully aiding in curing this stock. Maybe they will help with the tung oil / poly curing and drying as well.
 
#82 · (Edited)
UV light and Shellac



Psssssssst: The fingernail stuff is not even close, chemically, to what the stuff used on wood is. First off it is a gel, not a liquid. Second is it is loaded with Acetates. Third lots more chemicals and I mean lots!!!!! Such as:

"Shellac nail polish goes on like a polish, wears like a gel, and can be gently removed in minutes. Its mirror-like finish provides 14 days of durable color and resists chips, nicks, and smudges.

Ingredients: Butyl Acetate, Bis-HEMA Poly(1,4-Butanediol)-22/IPDI Copolymer, Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, PPG-5, Methacrylate, Tetrahydrofurfuryl Methacrylate, Di-HEMA Trimethylhexyl Dicarbamate, Silica, Hydroxypropyl Methacrylate, Phenyldimethoxyacetophenone. May Contain: Hydroxycyclohexyl Phenyl Ketone, Ethyl Trimethylbenzoyl Phenylphosphinate, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Trimethylbenzoyl Diphenylphosphine Oxide, Polybutylene Terephthalate, Acrylates Copolymer, Ethyl Acetate, Calclium Sodium Borosilicate, Polyacrylate-4, Polyacrylate-5, Ethylene/VA Copolymer, Nitrocellulose, Tin Oxide, Isopropyl Alcohol, Colophonium (Rosin)(Colophane), Alumina, n-Butyl Alcohol, Drometrizole, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Polyethylene Terephthalate, Isobutylphenoxy Epoxy Resin, Barium Sulfate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite. May Contain These Colorants: CI 15850 (Red 6), CI 15850 (Red 7), CI 15880 (Red 34), CI 15985 (Yellow 6 Lake), CI 19140 (Yellow 5 Lake), CI 60730 (Ext. Violet 2), CI 73360 (Red 30), CI 77000 (Aluminum Powder), CI 77163 (Bismuth Oxychloride), CI 77266 (Black 2), CI 77491 (Iron Oxides), CI 77492 (Iron Oxides), CI 77499 (Iron Oxides), CI 77510 (Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide), CI 77510(Ferric Ferrocyanide), CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide)."


To call the Shellac nail polish a hybrid is being very very very kind.

The only ingredients in non-fingernail Shellac are the natural "bug poop" and 1 or 2 alcohols containing zero water ala.



And unaltered Shellac is one of the top 3 finishes relative to being UV resistant.

Putting it under a UV light could screw it up.

Might want to rethink that.

I would ignore any anecdotal posts to the contrary unless the originator will fix your stock in the event it goes south.

IMO and IME you are far better off putting a small fan on low speed and circulating air around the hanging stock.

George
 
#81 ·
WOO HOO..!!!

The light is working... Though it has been drying for several days and has spent some time out in the sun (and was still lightly tacky feeling in spots), now I'll give it a light sanding and hit it with another skim of Shellac and time it to see how long it takes to harden using just the light.
 
#83 ·
Coming along nicely, I'm happy..

One thing I am noticing is though, where the burn crevasses are deeper and the Shellac has lots of depth, it looks a little murky. Not sure if that's just nature of the beast from the burnt wood or not, but once finished and oil hand rubbed, it may be too dark to noticed anyway... Time will tell.
 
#85 · (Edited)
Psssssttt

George, Can you do nails now too???? Mike-thanks for the update and photos. I just posted an ammo test result from my 541S and Norma Match and SK Rifle Match were best in the $8 range ammo. The "Sticky" has a great instruction for adjusting the trigger screws. I kinda like the crevices and colors-a bit of history preserved. Look forward to seeing targets.
 
#90 ·
Well ...

I let this stock sit in the basement along with all the other guns, parts, hoards... It's dry enough to get back to it and the house is dry enough for me to finish up a couple of stocks..

I think I'm at a point of just starting to rubbing oil on this stock, I got most of the burnt side filled and my patience with applying any more shellac and waiting is = to "0"

This gun has to be put together and shot ..!!
 
#93 ·
Trying to finish up my mower, (60" commercial TORO) needed some TLC before going to my sisters and trying to get my wifes van transmission checked out and the PCM in my custom Astro van sorted...

blah blah blah..

I am going to drill the screw hoes in the butt section and epoxy in some dowel .. some of the screw holes stripped and they need to be moved a little bit to get the butt plate where I want it ..
Hopefully tonight, maybe, but after the plate and spacer are attached and fitted or shaped, I will get to oiling.
 
#94 ·
Trying to finish up my mower, (60" commercial TORO) needed some TLC before going to my sisters and trying to get my wifes van transmission checked out and the PCM in my custom Astro van sorted...

blah blah blah..

I am going to drill the screw hoes in the butt section and epoxy in some dowel .. some of the screw holes stripped and they need to be moved a little bit to get the butt plate where I want it ..
Hopefully tonight, maybe, but after the plate and spacer are attached and fitted or shaped, I will get to oiling.
Mike
Double post, trying to get your count up ? ;-)

Rich
 
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