doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com wanting to recover felt liner in old case

1. Where do I get the felt. 2.How do I get the 100 year old label off... Razor blade real slow? This case is at least 100 years old all the edges are very worn.I looked yesterday at it thinking I need brass corners but I am not sure it has real corners... I think I am going to somehow glue leather around all the seams by a local shoe shop guy or leather car seat shop..It also has some wood on the back wall that I am thinking I am going to epoxy and reinforce with fiberglass cloth. It is truly a piece of junk to most people so I am not going to spend a mint.
The bad thing is I am not real patient I want it done yesterday..... SO REPLY BEFORE I DESTROY IT.!!!!!

Patience grasshopper, patience... There's a fellow who posts here that does professional gun case restorations, maybe you could have him restore it or possibly get some advice from him. Sorry, I can't remember the mans name.

Below is a "Chicago style" gun case I made for fun seven or eight years back. Since I wasn't able to match the original blue liner material, I chose a liner material that was a complimentary color.



I think I purchased the material at Hobby Lobby, but I'm not sure. It was a fun project and easy to do.

Steve

Jeweler

The material you want is Melton Baize which is a wool cloth not a felt and harder wearing used for Snooker/Pool tables.
In the photograph is what a Victorian poacher cum Gamekeeper used to hide the fact that he had a gun when he went out in the evenings to do a little business. The gun fits the Violin case with no room to spare though the case is of rather low quality Victorian manufacture but the gun is an Adams a sound London maker. The handle and catches where replaced so I could use it to transport another guns. Well who would give an old Violin case a second look?

That is cool

The cases I have Blaze red I think. I found some during my lunch today. I sent the case to the shoe shop. I wish I had taken a picture of it first.He is doing the leather work and I am doing the felt.

I went to a place that recovers pool tables and found a whole stack of green baize free for the taking. It had a lot of chalk and glue in it but it washed out just fine.

Those pool table baizes are nowadays mostly non-wool material. The real one is 100% wool.
Here is two restoration projects made by me:

http://promaakari.wordpress.com/2011/11/24/aselaukulle-uusi-sisustus/


http://promaakari.wordpress.com/2010/11/06/aselaukun-uusi-elama/

I would send it to FEI. I had them re-do an old oak and leather case a year ago and they were very reasonable and fast.
It made an old wore out case look great. I also have purchased a case from them made for a particular gun.
They do very nice work. Check out their web site.

Jeweler. I forgot to say how to remove the case label. The usual glue for fixing case labels in times past was �Rabbit skin glue� because it did not darken the label paper. My tried and tested method is to use a steam lance to soften the glue, the lance is nothing more than a gallon metal container filled with water having a length of rubber hose fitted,and at the other end of the hose a short length of metal pipe partly closed at the end so I can direct the steam,the heat source is a small gas camping stove. Just keep an eye on the water level in the container!!!!! Direct the steam over the surface then pick a corner and as you peel the label keep moving the steam over the label at least two inches in front of where you are working. Above all take your time and don�t steam clean your fingers.

If the Wool Baize is not available from a local fabric shop (they may be able to order it) or from a pool table shop consider Peter Dyson http://www.peterdyson.co.uk/acatalog/CASE_BUILDING___RESTORATION.html

As for removing the label patience is a critical ingredient in all old gun work, the same can be said for old cases. Develop the patience as it is worth it in the end.