doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Kody Kearcher's Restoration Job ""HEADS UP""

Thank you for all your replies. I think there may be enough to sand down the Ideal and rechecked but I'm not sure on the Sumners.

Did I puke when I saw these guns, no but every time I start looking at them and thinking about all the aspects that were done wrong smoke comes out of my ears!

The real point is that these guns only have so much economic value (no sentimental value) and I have spent that budget. These guns may sit a long time before I send them out again.

Tamid,

What about trying Nick Makinson in Ontario? Looks like he does full restorations.

http://www.nickmakinson.com/index.html

While I have talked to Nick about various projects I haven't used him. Mostly as I understand it may take up to 2 years to get your gun back. Such are the demands on the limited number of top gunsmiths in Canada.

I have to wonder, and this is just a thought and nothing more. Could the checkering be filled with appropriately stained epoxy or some similar filler compound then sanded smooth and recut?

Steve

Wow, this is a pair of projects which really went wrong!

I've had Kody do several metal finishing jobs for me, and all came out very well. He has refused to do checkering as he told me he knew his skill level was not up to the level the project required. (Lefever Optimus). He will be browning the barrels in a few weeks (the gun is out for engraving touch up right now).

My sympathy. Just horrible.
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As to the wood finish, bubbles and roughness. That approximates what's called "orange peel", which you get when trying to French polish and slap too many coats on too quickly. In other words, he was trying to work too quickly and screwed that up.

I would highly recommend you have a discussion with him on his technics for browning and what 'your' expectations of 'brown' are so you are not as disappointed as I am.

This is a similar Lefever Keith did for me several years ago. I think this is the "purplish color" you mentioned. On these guns, I think it looks fine and I hope Kody can duplicate it again.

I wouldn't be as concerned about him getting the correct color as I would about him polishing off rib engraving and other details as he apparently did to Tamid's gun.

As far as the suggestions about mixing wood dust with epoxy as a filler to build up over that nasty checkering, that is usually reserved for a very small area, or to replace a couple checkering diamonds that break off. Epoxy and wood dust as a filler typically leaves the repaired area much darker than the original wood. Even using a lighter colored wood dust such as pine or maple leaves a dark and very noticeable repair on walnut. Grain painting or figure enhancement to cover the discoloration is only on the surface, and the cost of that plus the epoxy body-work and cutting new checkering would likely be prohibitively expensive. I recall seeing a vendor at a gun show who was doing water dip transfers of exhibition walnut wood grain onto fiberglass and synthetic gunstocks, but it was very glossy and wouldn't look at all correct on a vintage double.

http://www.hydrodip.com/photo_gallery/gallery/

Right, you couldn't completely rechecker it, but some of the more blatant errors could be addressed, even if it's never flat-top checkering again.