That is too funny Rudolph and I see the irony slant. Not to belabor the point as it is valid. My use of quotations was to highlight the type steel not spelling as I'm like Doc Holiday "my hypocracy (sp?) only goes so far"! Lol "Ordnance" as opposed to "Remington" or in the case of their doubles "De-carborized" or "Damascus". Adea I've done it again! Now like Gump that's all I've got to say about that!! Keep up the great work guys!! Will
All I know is the pre 11c I had was bought in its original condition ( all serial numbers correct, unlike my spelling) with all of its finish wore off. No blue except under wood and most of original varnish was gone, had plenty of dings in wood but not a scratch or dent in the metal. Steel was ridiculous hard and heavy, I believe she was 9lbs. But quite a masterpiece. I should have kept it just to shoot a round of trap every year! A straight stock early remington pre-11 or 11 is pretty fine shotgun.
Finally! This was cause for celebration - serial n0. 2 was completed on the 4th of July. (Biz will like the box I used for a prop). ......AND it incorporates the old-style 'strap' type handle and attachment details. It was enough of a challenge I was determined to figure out how to construct it - and even made some improvements to make it more durable. These are usually the first component to wear-out on the original cases. Instead of wrapping the wire strap with Tolex in the 'loop' ends, I enclosed the wire core in a continuous 1/4" PVC tubing, then the tapered mid-section of red resin paper, then covered the tapered section with Tolex to match the case covering. It should provide more strength and durability for longer service while giving the same appearance as the all-leather wrapped eyelets. The new #3 case is on its way to the owner, due to arrive Monday. I actually hated to see it go but was glad to realize our ultimate goal and am excited for the owner. He's been EXTREMELY patient and supportive in this process. At least, we know now, it CAN be done. I am Very Grateful for this opportunity and experience.
Well, I wouldn’t like to have to choose between a case of Kendall Jackson or a Browning case. Which one will give me more pleasure.
'Jta5er' - I gave it my best effort. 'Auzzie' - Thanks - it is a labor of love. I wanted to see if I could 'do-it'. I had some set-backs but my Dad (in spirit) helped me work through them. Thanks for your interest and support. 'Biz' - The 'Valkyrie' case will last longer than any BrowninG case - or (certainement) longer than a case of Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Merlot, (autour de moi, bien sur). The wine offers a temporary pleasure and makes certain experiences more enjoyable. At our stage in life, you should have both cases. I will let the owner speak of his 'Valkyrie' case once he has it in his hands. It is just like inspecting guns - you won't know what condition it is in until you see it in person. Cheers!!
'Biz' - I am of the opinion that the blocking (on the original case) was 'rough-cut' to promote bonding of the shellac with the felt and the wood. End-grain conditions need a primer coat, partially absorbed into the grain, then a 2nd application - just as with glue. Yet some of the felt in the existing donor case was detached, even with the rough-cut surfaces. I used shellac on the blocking and felt, and to adhere the blocking in their position inside the Valkyrie case. There were instances where I had to re-apply or even 'thicken' the shellac to achieve the desired bonding strength. Another comment concerning the wine - I probably exhausted a whole case, trying to perfect the design and construction technique for the handle, alone. It took about 3 weeks of trial and error but once I established the correct profile for the multi-layered 'core' of the grip portion, I was able to build an acceptable example in the 2nd attempt.
Would one of you gents (at your convenience) measure a pre-war Auto-V 'single' barrel case and let me know what the inside dimensions are - mainly the width (front-to back wall). The 2-bbl case is 8-1/2". I am thinking the single barrel Auto-V case would be 7" inside. This would be the same inside dimension as a single barrel Superposed case. 'Madman' ?
I don’t have experience using shellac as an adhesive. However, we use modern adhesive such as PVA and liquid polyurethane every day at my shop and those require a smooth clean even surface in order to achieve a solid permanent bond. I expect that shellac will perform well if use according similarly. I am sure you have conducted some pealing test on various wood surface using shellac as an adhesive, what was the result. Regarding the wine, if exhausting a case is a chore, I will be glad to come and help you.
I will pick you up at the airport - would look forward to raising a glass with you. I conducted several tests for adhesion. Wood-to-wood was excellent. Felt-to-wood is sufficient and does not permeate the felt in a thicker proportion of Lac to alcohol but will bleed through if clamped to the wood before drying. I like the ability to adjust the consistency of the shellac for different applications and strengths. I also like that it is forgiving. If there is a problem that requires partial removal of interior blocking, then relaxing the shellac does not damage the material and clean-up is easily accomplished - just thin the mixture, let it dry, then scrape it with a straight blade and brush the residue out of the felt.
No. I used a spruce and ran that stock through my planer for dimensional consistency. I was going for more surface area in contact with the felt instead of ridges with glue in the valley.
Wow! The case came in today, stunning. Super happy to have a new solid beautiful case that is also sturdy and usable. Anatidae has out done himself and the original case makers. Every aspect of this case is more refined than the original; from the box, liner,cover, blocks, straps to the handle( his design and feels twice as strong). Just feels tight like a performance car vs my pickup.
Thanks, I certainly appreciate the nice review, comments, and the opportunity to build this case. It was very rewarding to build an acceptable handle finally and to be able to trim this one out. It looks much better with that nice 16ga in it. I share in your excitement! Cheers!
The moment I've been waiting for........D5 arrived yesterday .......and it's a perfect fit. The barrel straps are the perfect length - a little tight but will stretch with use so they don't pull the barrel dividers out of line. I can mask and glue all the blocking in place and finish this one up. You can see why the forearms won't fit in any BrowninG case from any period (except the special order 'SXT' #6 like this one). They are wider and longer than standard Trap forearms from this period but give the gun a more weight-forward balance for smoother swing dynamics - plus they fit my extra-large hands. I can reach an octave and a fifth on the piano keyboard. To the range - this gun dares me to miss. Set #I in XF/F - Set #II is SK/SK. There is no in-between.
I would be exited with that D5 and case like that too ! The. XF / F on that gun be good setup for Helice. Remember being told as kid “it’s even a pleasure to miss with a nice Superposed in your hands” Enjoy the spoils of your efforts the case and gun are sensational.
Helice? We’ve been meaning to try that one of these days. Just once, because it’s something like $1 per target.
It’s $3 a target down here. I haven’t thought about shooting Helice. I’ll go shoot a few trap rounds from the wobble trap at about 23 yds, first. This gun will surely get some crazy looks. I’ll take a few guns and maybe shoot a different gun every crank. Thanks for the responses and reminding me of helice. It’s fun but can be quite humbling.
