I love a new rifle but sometimes you just have to change up watcha got...

[T-Higgs]

So, there has been a bit of chatter about the new jsb .20 caliber pellet recently released. I went through a 20 phase but lack of choices steered me away. I did, however, keep an R1 and R7 barrel in .20. Though I don’t think the new JSB 20 cal is a great springer pellet, it did get me thinking about the .20 platform again. Hankering for a new rifle but not finding anything I felt like shelling out the cake for, I decided to make some changes to current stock. 

Years ago, I refinished my R9 with some deep penetrating green water based dye and clearing it with lacquer. Well, I didn’t give the dye long enough to dry thoroughly and within 6-9 months the lacquer cracked up. This provided the perfect candidate for redo of a redo, so to speak. 

I stripped the ruined lacquer and knew the green dye would never be removed without copious amounts of sanding. I was okay with that because I was going for a different look (as I was with the choice of green dye)... I stained the beech stock black/brown over the green dye and finished with two part conversion varnish in satin sheen. I highlighted with silver accents and even polished the oem trigger guard to near chrome. I changed out the 177 barrel and used my R1 barrel in .20 cal. After a good scrub and polish with JB bore paste, the gun is quite accurate with H&N FTT at 760 ish FPS.

I reshaped the stock a bit and a few other goodies but I guess I just wanted to say that sometimes you can get that “new gun feeling” by just changing what you have already. Don’t get me wrong, I still love new guns...

What it looked like after the first resto. The next two pics are from the the first refinish when the green water based dye was the only color used. It penetrates very deep and can be very hard to undo. You would have to aggressively sand the stock to get rid of the green.

 

[HeyU]

Wow! now that is nice. I'd like to see some shots of it under sunlight,different times of day. Leaning against a tree in that special dusk light.eh?

 

[fishinwrench]

I really like that. Nice job!

 

[Greenarrow]

Way to go T-man! It looks fantastic.



What do do you call it? The Green Machine, Green Goblin....



Take care bro!

bReTt

 

[Grin_Reaver]

Nice!! thanx for sharing.

Did you make the stain yourself or pick it off the shelf?

 

[T-Higgs]

Way to go T-man! It looks fantastic.



What do do you call it? The Green Machine, Green Goblin....

HaHa. Well, my inspiration for the green I chose the first time was Steve McQueen’s mustang in the movie Bullitt so that was it’s monicker. Now that it’s more barn wood weathered grayish something.... I’m at a loss for a good nickname.lol





Take care bro!

bReTt

 

[T-Higgs]

Nice!! thanx for sharing.

Did you make the stain yourself or pick it off the shelf?

G-R,

The green dye used the first time is made by General Finishes company and can be found in several woodworking stores like Rockler and Woodcraft. The stain is a commercial stain from Fasse paint company. Their stain line is called Triclad. You’d have to check your area to see if any paint/finish shops deal in the Fasse Triclad system. Great stain if you can find it.

The Triclad system has hundreds of colors like a paint deck. They also have a water based and a solvent based system. I used the solvent based stain and the color number is on the can (pic).

 

[Greenarrow]

I’ll catch a little air here too....

I just reshaped a 1377 carbine stock and pump arm I had made quite a few years ago. Over time I wanted to change the look so I did that recently. Here it is. 1377 made into a carbine rifle using maple and a polyurethane finish along with a black walnut cap on the pump arm.

 

[T-Higgs]

That looks awesome Brett! What a nice looking rig. That looks like a fun gun to plink with for sure. I like that you added finger grooves in the grip. 

I just finished another redo of a stock I made a while back. It’s walnut with cocobolo highlights. When I originally made it, the forearm was too shallow and too much of the rifle stood out of the inletting. It’s bothered me ever since I made it and the stain I used was a bit too dark. I added more cocobolo to the top of the forearm and finished it in a natural color. For a little bit of amber color, I used shellac flakes that came from India (Long story). Shellac flakes are actually flakes of resin secreted by the Lac bug found in India and Thailand. You dissolve them in denatured alcohol and use it as finish. It’s not very durable so I just used it as sealer and some color and top coated with several coats of catalyzed lacquer. 

I could really use a setback trigger for this Hw77, the reach is a bit long...my bad...

 

[Greenarrow]

Thanks Tim! It is a good little plinker. 3-4 pumps @ 10-20 yards is just perfect. Those pellets aren’t going to be setting any speed records but those targets don’t know the difference. Ha ha!



ok, now what you have there.... both of those pictures look awesome! I would take either one. Maybe that’s a before and after? I do like the shiny finish... It’s almost too perfect looking. You do great work Tim!

 

[Grin_Reaver]

You could always add more cocobolo to the pistol grip

 

[T-Higgs]

ok, now what you have there.... both of those pictures look awesome! I would take either one. Maybe that’s a before and after? I do like the shiny finish... It’s almost too perfect looking. You do great work Tim!



Thanks Brett, the first pic is the finished product. The lighting and background are not good so it does distort the color a bit I need to steel your idea of taking a picture in the grass, that’s a great idea .

The second pic is the stock wiped down with paint thinner only just to have a look at the grain. It had just been sanded so the wood is as light as it could ever be. It had no finish at this point. The shellac added some color and with time the walnut darkens on its own. The color changes quite quickly especially when exposed to mild sunlight. Too much ultraviolet light and it can bleach the color out. 

This is a pic of the old color and before adding wood to the top of the forearm;

 

[T-Higgs]

You could always add more cocobolo to the pistol grip

Haha, I just want to be done... I think a rowen engineering extra setback is in my future. To really fix it, I’d have to strip the stock again and reshape the pistol grip by removing more wood. That just doesn’t sound like fun to me at this point

 

[AirNGasman]

"sometimes you just have to change up watcha got... "

I know what you mean, Brother.

Before-

After (yes, each of these looked like the photo above before I butchered 'em!) -

 

[T-Higgs]

Those all look like a blast to build and shoot. Love that top one. Looks like an easy gun to pack on a long hike for plinking and squirrel acquisition. 

 

[SteveV]

Recently added a carbon fiber sleeve to my little Longbow carbine, and realised I had a matching cf ldc -

 

[kingston73]

Is not a work of art like the ones already posted but it's my first attempt and I'm pretty happy with it. Imo looks better than stock at least.

 

[T-Higgs]

I think it looks good Kingston! Looks like you got the finish super smooth. There is something extremely gratifying about modifying a rifle and making it “yours”.

 

[scottblair]

Well, looks like this post is right up my alley.I just completed a stock refinish on my Kalibrgun cricket mini carbine. I really like the style of the stock, but 

never liked the factory mud colored stain.

So I sanded it down and added some rosewood decorative caps, stained it with a stain mix of 70/30% walnut & mahogany stain ,and added some checkering.

I like this look better to my eyes. And it does kinda feel like having a new gun, sorta.

After...and.... before

I

 

[T-Higgs]

I agree scottblair,

I have a Cricket rifle and “mud colored” stain is a proper description. I love the rosewood and checkering!!