This arrived today and the seller has done such a good job of documenting its ills, that I am just posting a link to the ad I bought it from. 375 Whelen Sedgley

I hope maybe some of you Alaskanites may be able to shed some light on its history. I am also open to suggestions concerning the route to take for a gentle retro/restro effort. I have a Lyman 48 (125 slide) that will go back where it belongs. I also have Noske, G&H and Jaeger sidemounts that might cover the previous one. I don't know what it was but Weaver comes to mind. I also have a nice B&M 3X in the unique mount that could go on top if I just repair the left side of the stock. I want to use the rifle so am leaning more to one of the side mounts. Michael often referred to the stock hospital, if someone knows who he was referring to would you please PM me who or I am open to suggestions as to who I might use to repair the side mount area. The caliber is stamped nicely on the top of the barrel forward of the Sedgley markings otherwise all is as you see it in Mart's pictures.

edited to add, the seller got it off Gun Broker so no Alaska history other than him.
Thaine

I'm sure Mark Larson can do the wood graft should you decide not to replace the side mount. His work is shown in the doubles section fairly often.

I think I have some loaded ammo for .375 Whelen; if you want to talk about it,my contact info is in my profile.

http://www.marklarsongunart.com/#!extension-blending-portfolio

The seller did a good job highlighting its issues. The rifle is well used, had some modifications but not ruined. It looks like a nice project.
... Joe

Great project and price. I'll just throw this out because, it's drilled, here and there. I would take the obvious route of removing scope and be happy with screw plugs in the top, side mount of choice, patch & match the missing wood, scope, Lyman 48 and know that I had a completely usable, practical rifle with a practically new bore. This can be done with a very minimum of finishing on wood and metal and gets it up and going quickly. Very nice!!

Not sure that I would rescope it. Those three holes look to be below wood line, so plugged with screws and properly dressed down, and with a nice patch, they should hide well. Plug and dress the top holes as well and enjoy with the Lyman 48. That would be my route, although I certainly wouldn't blame you for putting a different side mount on it given you have a few to choose from.

Thaine, Nice looking Sedgley, and well worth a restoration. I did a patch on an 03 a while back that had a Weaver side mount.It took a while to get the patch right but in the end it was worth the effort.
This is how it arrived, a total mess from the broken forend tip to the white line recoil pad.


The first thing I did was square the cut-out and clean the surrounding area. I would have had the receiver screw holes welded before the patch but at the time I couln't find a welder to take on the job. (May-be a good topic for another thread).



Next, I had to find a patch that closely matched the grain and color of the stock.



Work the patch until it fits the cut-out and contour of the stock. Notice the patch extends fore and aft of the cut-out, this will hide where the end grain of the patch butts to the end grain of the cut-out.





Before glueing do a dry run and make sure you have everything you need, this way you won't have to scramble for and extra clamp like I did!!!!.



Inlet the metal to the stock, then file and sand until everything looks right. Be sure not to get the patch to thin while sanding (like I did) or the end grain to end grain will show through. I had to remove the patch and start over. Dan.

Nice clean job, Dan.

Mountain Bear, I can still use a good peep but old eyes would appreciate optics. Otherwise your line of reasoning is very good and one I am considering.

Dan, Thanks for the show and tell! That is about as self explanatory as it gets. Great job, any Pics of the finished product? I will have to search the stock pile to see if anything is a candidate for filler.

Thanks all.
Thaine

Thaine, Sorry, I dont have any more pics and that 03 is long gone. I just wanted to show the How to (or How I did)the patch with all mistakes I made included.
I think you should have a patch applied to your new find, and Mountain Bear is correct about the side mount holes being hidden below the wood line. Get the 48 back on, then find a new bolt body and safety that have not been altered. take the scope mount off and fill the holes with screws and enjoy your Sedgley.I wouldn't get into welding them gone. The only other issue with the rifle that would bother me every time I looked at it are the vise jaw marks on the front sight ramp, but thats an easy fix.
Good luck, Dan.

Newton 1131... Apologies for the slight hijack, but those red fluted plastic chisel handles and octagon steel in your pics look extremely familiar. Perhaps from Trinidad in the early '70's? I made mine in '73. Really struck a chord when I saw them.
Very nice looking patch there. Thanks for showing.

H47,
Welcome to the forum, and you are correct, those red fluted chisels are from T-dad. I made them in "89"as part of Ed Shulin's stockmaking class. (in "73" I was still trying to figure out how not to fall of a tricycle,although I no a guy from Montana that made a nice set there in the "70's"). As I remember Ed had a box of that fluted handle material,red and blue, it was in 3 foot lengths and you could just chop of a piece, shape and install right there on a lathe in the stock making shop.
I have about 60 strait chisels and gouges collected over the years but the only scrapers I have are the one's made in Ed's class. I have never seen them commercially made for sale.
Here's a pic of the original set.

I thought so.. to go that long and still be using the same handle stock, Shulin must have had a couple of truckloads stashed. I've got a few screwdrivers using the same stuff too. And it looks like the same forging dies and mandrels for the gouges. Just imagine the number of students beating on those things and trying to wear them out, and them still working after all those years.

So think of Ed Shulin's chisels as kind of a "secret handshake" ... you know about them only if you've been there. I remember in my class we had a guy who got so obsessed with making his chisels that he never did get his stock done. Looking back those were a couple of the best years of my life.

I do envy you guys who kept up and stayed with it. I've always loved it and done a little but never to the levels I see here. Family and starvation took me on another route. But hey, it is what it is.

A "secret handshake" is a good way to put it, Ed Shulin was a great guy and really enjoyed teaching.
Some of the students in my class did a good job of the chisel making detail, one guy had his set polished almost mirror bright and then used fancy walnut with 20 bore brass as ferrules for the handles!!!!!
I also envy the guy's that stuck with. For me, the 8% interest Sallie Mae "student loans"(?)I had to pay back sent me on a different path, plus I couldn't find any good paying employment in the trade at the time. I think it has always been a hard business to succeed at, financially.

Well I don't feel all alone then. A good friend from there with whom I've kept up over time once told me that I would be amazed at the number of somewhat well-known smiths who are supported by significant others or have other jobs or resources where they get their income. So yes I guess it's a hard way to go. All the more respect for those who did do it. And no disrespect for the others doing good things who just happen to be part time.

I think you just have to do it for the love of it anyway, and whatever follows just follows.