I think the main action is going to come up really nicely. The gun is nicely engraved and quite a bit of effort has gone into it. Here is a photo of the first side with just the top cleaned so far.. »
Final blacking prep complete
Here are the bits of furniture that have been blacked. V pleased with the results. I’ve used a “trade” secret that I’ve picked up to give them a really nice satin finish. »
Blacking Part 2
So when hot blacking using blacking salts. You have to make sure that the fluid boils at 144 degrees C. This is the proper rolling boil. If it boils earlier then you’ll need to wait for some of the water to evaporate and the... »
Prepping the woodwork
Final wet sand with oil and cut back to fill any remaining gaps and problem areas on the stocks for both the Osborne and the Jeffrey. Both looking really... »
First try at hot blacking..
I was a little apprehensive trying this. Hauling an extremely alkaline salt chemical around and then heating it to 144 degrees Celsius is quite nerve racking. I wanted to... »
WV Jeffrey Boxlock
WV Jeffrey was a London gun firm that operated from mid 1860’s to the mid 1950’s. It was then bought by an American and still operates to this day... »
Creating a slurry
The stock and forearm on the CO are in need of quite a bit of raising and filling. It’s clearly been used a bit but underneath all of this... »
Charles Osborne – Rusty inside
Well, I managed to get that stuck screw out, what a nightmare but not as much as the Hussey. It’s clear that this gun has been sitting somewhere. There... »
Charles Osborne Boxlock Project
A friend has commissioned me to restore a Charles Osborne Boxlock. It’s a nice example dated to around 1912. It has new barrels (not sleeved) that were fitted by... »