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Joined: Feb 2006
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,741 Likes: 56 |
T. The original finish was varnish, also on light coat on the receiver. And yes yours would be the same, FW S prefix. When Marlin took over all of the shotguns produced were FW S(Feather Weights) there were no more Regular models made. Regular models had only one screw holding the sideplates on, whereas the FW, FWS, and FWM, had 3 screws, 2 on one side and 1 on the other sideplate. The bottom protruding lug was also smaller on those models
David
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 432
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 432 |
Varnish? I don't think so. All original Elsies I've seen are oil finished-- as in a Tru-Oil-like product. I'm told that a slight bit of varnish was included in the product, but you can get the same effect with straight Tru-Oil.
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,741 Likes: 56
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,741 Likes: 56 |
David
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 432
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 432 |
I suggest you take the finish question to lcsmith.org to get the correct answer.
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,741 Likes: 56
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,741 Likes: 56 |
In Brophy's book "L.C. Smith Shotguns on page 8, it gives the following from a May 15, 1935 paper going into detail on the making of the 3 highest grade "elsies", Monogram, Premier and DeLuxe. Saying that they are all custom built, the stock wood is all imported, and "the stocks are finished with as many coats of oil as are necessary to completly fill the pores and obtain the perfect finish." The finish on the other models wasn't as labor intensive as the top grade, but still nice, and varnish was used on the stocks and as well on the receiver. If you look up Tru Oil, you will see that it is a varnish.
David
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 432
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 432 |
Not to belabor the point, but from the Tru-Oil website--- "Tru-Oil is a polymerized LINSEED OIL with other natural OILS added".
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,741 Likes: 56
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,741 Likes: 56 |
They also have Tru Oil wipe on varnish, the point I think is that they did use some type of varnish, oil on their finishes.
David
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 3,437 Likes: 34
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 3,437 Likes: 34 |
FWIW, I have a late 20's Ideal 16 that came to me with an alligatored finish on the wood, apparently original. Wiped it down with denatured alcohol, and that dissolved the surface finish. So my guess, on at least this particular gun, is that the finish was shellac. Some carelessly refer to shellac as varnish.
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