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Showing posts with label cuda. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cuda. Show all posts
Day after I day, sanded and sanded until I got the barrel to bare metal. It was not for the feint of heart I would say!
In conclusion, I feel like this is mission accomplished. The finish is close enough to be of the period, and I lost none of the rifle's character by leaving dents, dings and some oil marks in the stock. All the metal is now nicely blued with most of the pitting removed. I didn't go into detail on this, but I also disassembled the bolt, cleaned it, sanded the major pitting off and re-positioned the firing pin per specifications.
In some ways, the Mosin Nagant restoration was a bit of a fool's errand. It ended up costing me $400 dollars to fix a $200 dollar gun, but I had a great time doing it, and I recommend that anyone who is up to challenge make this project a reality in their world. If you wanted to take the gun back to it's original, off the factory look, it would have taken more money and much more energy. Frankly, I am not sure it would be worth it both monetarily, and because you would lose all the gun's character.
Well, back to photographing wildlife life. Thanks for the interruption!
After getting the barrel sanded down and polished, I started working on the pitting on the receiver. This didn't take as long. I started with 80 grit to get the metal down quicker. Then switched to 120 grit to polish to an almost mirror finish. One thing I learned here is that as the sandpaper begins to wear out, it makes a nice polish/buffing tool.
Bluing the Gun Barrel and Receiver
For mostly economic reasons, and because, it is a relatively inexpensive firearm, I concluded that sending the barrel off to be hot blued was not really a good choice. I decided instead, to use the Birchwood and Casey cold bluing method. I used their Super Blue product because it requires less applications to get the look I wanted. I wanted the barrel to be a deep, almost black color.
You are going to watch a LOT of videos which tell you that you have to heat the gun metal before applying the bluing. This is not true and is a waste of time. Follow the directions on the bluing bottle or refer to Birchwood Casey's official documentation on their web site. If you want to perform a hot blue then send it off for bluing. Here is a summary of the process which worked for me.
- Clean the barrel well using the Birchwood Casey Cleaner-Degreaser.
- Remove all left over rust or bluing using the Birchwood Casey Rust and Blue Remover
- Again, clean the barrel well using the Birchwood Casey Cleaner-Degreaser
- Clean it again using the Birchwood Casey Cleaner-Degreaser (yes I meant to put it again)
- Make sure the barrel is wiped clean and dry
- Use a Birchwood Casey Swauber Applicator and dip it into the Super Blue
- Begin applying it to the barrel. I blued the first half of the barrel first.
- Let it dry for 30 to 60 seconds and NO MORE
- Dip a different Swauber Applicator into clean water and go over the newly blued area with the water to stop the chemical reaction
- Repeat steps 6 through 9 for the rest of the barrel or metal part
- Apply the Birchwood Casey Barricade product to the barrel to begin the curing process.
- Let the metal cure for 24 hours.
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| The Newly Blued Barrel |
As you can see from the above photograph, the bluing turned out very well. I was very impressed with the Super Blue product and would recommend it to anyone. There are several videos which claim it isn't as good as others, but the internet is full of nay sayers.
I continued the process of bluing each of the other parts that needed bluing, and the results were equally impressive from the Super Blue.
I continued the process of bluing each of the other parts that needed bluing, and the results were equally impressive from the Super Blue.
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| A view of the finished rifle showing the sanded receiver(once full of pits) and bluing |
Finishing the Gun Stock
It is always a tough call on whether to refinish a stock or not on an antique rifle. In the case of the Mosin, I think it is OK, since there were so many made. Also, if you are looking to make it into a "shooter" or for hunting purposes, I see no reason not to. In my case, as I had stated in an earlier post, I wanted to perform more of a restoration, and not any real modifications. That was tricky as I had to decide how far to take each process so the gun would not loose character.
The first step in refinishing this stock was to sand off the old finish. I did not use a stripper as this could strip away too much of the "character" of the gun. After a couple nights of sanding the gun was ready for finishing.
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| A section of the gun stock after sanding off the finish and some of the oily areas |
In the above shot, note that I didn't sand down to bare wood. I left some of the character in the gun, including oily spots where the gun was handled and so forth.
After sanding it was time for the finish to be applied. I used "Red Mahogany" stain for this project, put the first coat on and let it rest for a day. The following day I came back and put the second coat on. At this time, I noticed the gun was too sticky. This is from putting on too much stain. If this happens to you, simply rub down the sticky areas with 0000 steel wool and blend together.
After putting the stain on and letting it dry for another 24 hours, I started putting on a coat of Birchwood Casey's Tru- Oil. This will seal and protect the wood. Note that you don't want to put on a heavy coat of the Tru-Oil. Dip your finger in and lightly apply to the entire gun. Wipe off any excess or it will drip down the gun and dry with an ugly drip stain.
After letting the finish dry for 12 hours, I put the second coat of Tru-Oil on. The following day, I put the final coat on. Below is an image showing the True-oiled stock.
In conclusion, I feel like this is mission accomplished. The finish is close enough to be of the period, and I lost none of the rifle's character by leaving dents, dings and some oil marks in the stock. All the metal is now nicely blued with most of the pitting removed. I didn't go into detail on this, but I also disassembled the bolt, cleaned it, sanded the major pitting off and re-positioned the firing pin per specifications.
In some ways, the Mosin Nagant restoration was a bit of a fool's errand. It ended up costing me $400 dollars to fix a $200 dollar gun, but I had a great time doing it, and I recommend that anyone who is up to challenge make this project a reality in their world. If you wanted to take the gun back to it's original, off the factory look, it would have taken more money and much more energy. Frankly, I am not sure it would be worth it both monetarily, and because you would lose all the gun's character.
Well, back to photographing wildlife life. Thanks for the interruption!
FORSYTH COUNTY, NC - Last year seemed to go by so quickly. I spent many months dealing with what the doctors believe is a failing gallbladder. Even so, I did get out now and again to make some photographs. Although I do not think 2017 was one of my best years, it did provide some images I am proud of. As is my tradition, here are my top ten images of 2017. I hope you enjoy viewing them as much as I enjoyed making them. If I had to characterize this year, I would call it the year of the portrait.
Let's switch it up from last year's and count them backward from 10 to 1.
#10 - Female House Finch
I like this image because it takes a common species we all have in our own backyards and adds a little color and interest with the log perch flanked by moss. The curvature of the log also parallels the finch's posture. This image also shows what is possible with the older Canon 7D (classic).
#9 - Barred Owl (tight portrait)
I have always wanted to see just how close I could get to a bird of prey and provide a portrait that is in your face. This was the resulting image. I like how the viewer can see every feather of his facial disk, and the large eyes of the barred owl. It is slightly "over the shoulder" with a 3/4 view. This shot was taken with the Canon 1D Mark III and the Sigma 150-600mm lens.
#8 - Barn Owl in Flight
The barn owl is somewhat unique in that it flies almost silently and very close to the ground. Here, I am on one knee and waiting for the owl to dip down to the ground. I use the zone focusing technique here, and hold the shutter button down as the bird approaches. I let him fly into my zone of focus instead of focusing on him directly. This shot was taken with the Canon 1D Mark III and the Sigma 150-600mm lens.
#7 - Blue Jay Surrounded by Light Snow
I really like this shot overall, but I placed it at number seven, because I do not like the fact I used my Christmas tree top as a perch. Yeah, I know, kinda corny. This snow storm caught me a bit off guard, and so I used what I had close for the perch. Other than that, I really like the heavy snow in the scene and how comfortable the blue jay appears perched on the tree top. Had I not used a Christmas tree, this might have made #2. This shot was taken with my Canon 1D Mark III and Sigma 150-600mm lens.
#6 - American Robin Nest
I have done very little nest photography, but it is something that has been on my list for a while. I noticed this American robins nest on my property, and decided to take some shots of the little guys. I like this shot because all the nestlings have their mouths open, ready for mama robin to return. I also like the detail in their bodies. This image was shot with my Canon 1D Mark II, EF 50mm 1.8 lens and an extension tube. Lighting was provided by a fill flash and natural light.
#5 - Eurasian Eagle Owl
This is a shot that had been on my mental shot list for some time. I wanted a symmetrical shot of an owl as he looked into my lens. The depth of field is so shallow here that only the eye and part of the facial disk is in focus. This image was taken with my Canon 1D Mark III and Sigma 150-600mm lens.
#4 - King Vulture on Skull
You almost couldn't ask for a better setup shot than this. At PhotoWild, a trained king vulture on queue would jump up on this skull and wait for his picture to be made. My only regret are all the trees in the background. The trees really distracted from the subject. The other issue is the ground was actually sloping in different directions which made it hard to make level. I got down in a prone position to make this shot with my Canon 1D Mark III and the Sigma 150-600mm.
#3 - Eastern Bluebird with Insect
Many years ago, when I first started on this journey of wildlife photography, I read a book by Leonard Rhue called "How I Photography Wildlife and Nature." This was the book that first supercharged me into wildlife photography. One of the images in that book was of an eastern bluebird with an insect in his mouth. From that time on, this is one I have longed to get, and finally in 2017, it happened. I will continue to hone this shot, if possible, and make it better. This images was made with my Canon 1D Mark III and the Sigma 150-600mm lens.
#2 - Eastern Screech Owl Yawning
This is a shot that I wasn't in love with immediately. Don't get me wrong, I like the shot, but as it grew in popularity, I took a second look at it. The appeal is really a universal appeal among humans and animals. You see almost every species of animal yawns. This image was featured in Europe, and won 2nd in Wildlife Magazine's contest here in NC. This shot was made with my Canon 1D Mark III and my Sigma 150-600mm lens.
DRUM ROLE PLEASE...
#1 - Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Every year, in late May and June, I add to my lifetime project simply entitled: "The Hummingbird Project." Hummingbirds are the most amazing animals that God put on this earth. Nothing else compares! Each year, I try to "take it up a notch" by trying new techniques and presenting the hummingbird with a more artistic flair. This is a three flash setup shot with 2 flashes on the subject and one on the background. I used the Canon 7D with my Sigma 150-600mm lens.
Well, that's all for 2017 and I thank God for giving me another year on planet earth. Thank you for taking the time once again to read the newsletter and I hope you like my best of from last year. This is a great exercise for all of us to do as it helps us to find our strengths and identify our weaknesses in our own photography. I hope you have a wonderful year in 2018.
God Bless,
Matt Cuda
______________________________________________________________________
My Website: http://www.mattcuda.com
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattcuda
Stock Images: https://www.artvisions.com/cuda/
For anyone not subscribed tho this newsletter because it is forwarded to you by others, you may sign up at the this link: http://mattcuda.com/index.php?/pages/newsletter-signup/
To purchase any of my prints please use the following link:
https://www.artvisions.com/cuda/
You may also contact me directly to purchase prints: matt.cuda@mattcuda.com
If you are on this email list then you have either signed up for my newsletter or you have expressed interesting in doing business with me in the future. This newsletter represents much of my latest work and is a great way to be the first to purchase my images and story ideas. Although I would hate to see you go, you are welcome to unsubscribe using the link below.
Let's switch it up from last year's and count them backward from 10 to 1.
#10 - Female House Finch
I like this image because it takes a common species we all have in our own backyards and adds a little color and interest with the log perch flanked by moss. The curvature of the log also parallels the finch's posture. This image also shows what is possible with the older Canon 7D (classic).
#9 - Barred Owl (tight portrait)
I have always wanted to see just how close I could get to a bird of prey and provide a portrait that is in your face. This was the resulting image. I like how the viewer can see every feather of his facial disk, and the large eyes of the barred owl. It is slightly "over the shoulder" with a 3/4 view. This shot was taken with the Canon 1D Mark III and the Sigma 150-600mm lens.
#8 - Barn Owl in Flight
The barn owl is somewhat unique in that it flies almost silently and very close to the ground. Here, I am on one knee and waiting for the owl to dip down to the ground. I use the zone focusing technique here, and hold the shutter button down as the bird approaches. I let him fly into my zone of focus instead of focusing on him directly. This shot was taken with the Canon 1D Mark III and the Sigma 150-600mm lens.
#7 - Blue Jay Surrounded by Light Snow
I really like this shot overall, but I placed it at number seven, because I do not like the fact I used my Christmas tree top as a perch. Yeah, I know, kinda corny. This snow storm caught me a bit off guard, and so I used what I had close for the perch. Other than that, I really like the heavy snow in the scene and how comfortable the blue jay appears perched on the tree top. Had I not used a Christmas tree, this might have made #2. This shot was taken with my Canon 1D Mark III and Sigma 150-600mm lens.
#6 - American Robin Nest
I have done very little nest photography, but it is something that has been on my list for a while. I noticed this American robins nest on my property, and decided to take some shots of the little guys. I like this shot because all the nestlings have their mouths open, ready for mama robin to return. I also like the detail in their bodies. This image was shot with my Canon 1D Mark II, EF 50mm 1.8 lens and an extension tube. Lighting was provided by a fill flash and natural light.
#5 - Eurasian Eagle Owl
This is a shot that had been on my mental shot list for some time. I wanted a symmetrical shot of an owl as he looked into my lens. The depth of field is so shallow here that only the eye and part of the facial disk is in focus. This image was taken with my Canon 1D Mark III and Sigma 150-600mm lens.
#4 - King Vulture on Skull
You almost couldn't ask for a better setup shot than this. At PhotoWild, a trained king vulture on queue would jump up on this skull and wait for his picture to be made. My only regret are all the trees in the background. The trees really distracted from the subject. The other issue is the ground was actually sloping in different directions which made it hard to make level. I got down in a prone position to make this shot with my Canon 1D Mark III and the Sigma 150-600mm.
#3 - Eastern Bluebird with Insect
Many years ago, when I first started on this journey of wildlife photography, I read a book by Leonard Rhue called "How I Photography Wildlife and Nature." This was the book that first supercharged me into wildlife photography. One of the images in that book was of an eastern bluebird with an insect in his mouth. From that time on, this is one I have longed to get, and finally in 2017, it happened. I will continue to hone this shot, if possible, and make it better. This images was made with my Canon 1D Mark III and the Sigma 150-600mm lens.
#2 - Eastern Screech Owl Yawning
This is a shot that I wasn't in love with immediately. Don't get me wrong, I like the shot, but as it grew in popularity, I took a second look at it. The appeal is really a universal appeal among humans and animals. You see almost every species of animal yawns. This image was featured in Europe, and won 2nd in Wildlife Magazine's contest here in NC. This shot was made with my Canon 1D Mark III and my Sigma 150-600mm lens.
DRUM ROLE PLEASE...
#1 - Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Every year, in late May and June, I add to my lifetime project simply entitled: "The Hummingbird Project." Hummingbirds are the most amazing animals that God put on this earth. Nothing else compares! Each year, I try to "take it up a notch" by trying new techniques and presenting the hummingbird with a more artistic flair. This is a three flash setup shot with 2 flashes on the subject and one on the background. I used the Canon 7D with my Sigma 150-600mm lens.
Well, that's all for 2017 and I thank God for giving me another year on planet earth. Thank you for taking the time once again to read the newsletter and I hope you like my best of from last year. This is a great exercise for all of us to do as it helps us to find our strengths and identify our weaknesses in our own photography. I hope you have a wonderful year in 2018.
God Bless,
Matt Cuda
Announcements:
- Check out the latest podcast episodes
- Consider becoming a patron to my work. Funds received from your help, will go toward keeping the infrastructure in place to keep providing free content. As you know, web site hosting, microphones and recording gear are very costly. To find out more about being a patron and how this can benefit you, head out to my Patreon site : https://www.patreon.com/mattcuda
- Individual training, and honest and useful portfolio critiques available. Email me at matt.cuda@mattcuda.com
My Website: http://www.mattcuda.com
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattcuda
Stock Images: https://www.artvisions.com/cuda/
For anyone not subscribed tho this newsletter because it is forwarded to you by others, you may sign up at the this link: http://mattcuda.com/index.php?/pages/newsletter-signup/
To purchase any of my prints please use the following link:
https://www.artvisions.com/cuda/
You may also contact me directly to purchase prints: matt.cuda@mattcuda.com
If you are on this email list then you have either signed up for my newsletter or you have expressed interesting in doing business with me in the future. This newsletter represents much of my latest work and is a great way to be the first to purchase my images and story ideas. Although I would hate to see you go, you are welcome to unsubscribe using the link below.
