The Original CZ Forum
CZ LONG ARMS => VZ-58 semi auto rifle => Topic started by: sgms18 on March 23, 2015, 05:46:47 PM
-
I split the wood upper handguard trying to twist it on the gas piston cover. The plastic one came off fairly easy & the wood was tight and pop. bleepIT! I aint had unwrapped 30 sec & i trashed it.
-
Beaver Barf or wood?
-
Wood. I tried to post a pic but couldn't figure out how. It looked good too. Man this sucks.
-
Cracks in wood is common with this rifle. That's why the Czechs moved to BB.
-
Yeah, i know but the wood looks 100x better. The one i broke looked brand new, it was all me im sure. O well just have to pony up for another one & cross my fingers.
-
I split the wood upper handguard trying to twist it on the gas piston cover. The plastic one came off fairly easy & the wood was tight and pop. bleepIT! I aint had unwrapped 30 sec & i trashed it.
Welcome to the club. :'(
Here is what I am trying:
A. carefully sand the wood lips to take off any wood burrs etc., but not remove too much material. Check the metal channels too.
B. apply a thin coat of JBweld Metal to the back surface and let if fully cure for 48 hours -- this might add strength and also help protect the wood from heat.
C. grease it up with a lubricant
D. try your best not to squeeze the two sides together when installing - almost impossible
-
At least im not alone huh
-
Sorry to hear! You could also buy a new wood set that is thicker.... Still... I NEED a minty original wood stock....and so much more.... Stupid rifle!!!
-
Well i found another one thats already on the gas piston cover. Thing is i know im guna want to refinish the rifle so that leaves me trying to remove/reinstall it. Here's we go again.
-
Well i found another one thats already on the gas piston cover. Thing is i know im guna want to refinish the rifle so that leaves me trying to remove/reinstall it. Here's we go again.
Good luck!
-
Thanks! I get the feeling im going to need it.
-
BTW, if your refinishing your VZ furniture, look at this article. You won't regret it. http://www.woodworking.org/WC/GArchive99/1_20waltcunfin.html
I just did a VZ wood set using this procedure to the 400 grit x 2 level. It took me almost 3 weeks, sanding once every day, but the final results are pretty good. I found some 50 year old furniture on eBay from the Czech Republic and I did not want to loose all the distressed marks and discolorations, but wanted to try to align the color between the pieces. I missed my old VEPR AKM with the Red Iron Wood furniture so much I wanted more of a redish color, so I veered away from the traditional VZ Beechwood color. Blending Cabernet with a darker Pine and then mixed with the Mineral Spirits as instructed did the trick. It takes a long time and its a lot of hand sanding, but its worth it. You'll also need to raid some local Men's rooms for the brown hand drying paper that comes off the roll. I hit my local grocery store a few times when I went food shopping. That stuff is key to the process.
I took some pics last week and I'll post if I get the chance.
-
Looking forward to the pics
-
Looking forward to the pics
When I post the pics focus on the finish, not the color. You won't like the color -- its a personal thing. :P
-
That whole "sanding in" process sounds interesting. Also seems like a hell of a lota work.
-
That whole "sanding in" process sounds interesting. Also seems like a hell of a lota work.
Takes time.
As mentioned I didn't do the 600, but I did the 400 twice. You can get 600 from an automotive painting supply store if you want that level of finish. Other than that I pretty much followed the directions on that web page. After the final sanding and final wiping with a cotton cloth (instead of the paper roll on the last sanding) I let it dry for over 48 hours. Then added a couple coats of floor wax. Used a stain with some polyurethane in it - remember its first mixed and thinned out like water with the Mineral Spirits. Suggest getting the odorless Mineral Spirits.
I did a few days of degreasing (rubbing alcohol) and dry sanding first with 220 because this furniture was really old and had lots of oils and varnish on them. I wanted them clean enough to except the stain but I did not want to strip them to bare wood.
During the first 3-4 wet standings with 220 it looks like shiza, but then gets better and better when your into the 320 sanding rounds. I rigged a drying cabinet from a cardboard box and hung the grip and stock inside from wires during the tacky stages and for each overnight drying. The hand guards can just set off to the sides on the bottom of the box. I don't have any pics of any of that stuff. Sorry.
(http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d16/CitizenPete/688A5764-C0F2-4BD4-A198-BF932DFE9843_zpsasykbscv.jpg)
(http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d16/CitizenPete/0CA28916-2199-4E4D-A793-D5B5A1FE42E1_zpsghjpxkr2.jpg)
(http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d16/CitizenPete/0B63C286-E926-4DAF-9F7F-1EBC73DB1D85_zps0lganiga.jpg)
JB Weld Metal Epoxy coat on back of upper handguard - (de-greased, cleaned it up, and roughed up surface first)
I heard it crack on installation but at least did not break in totally in half. ::)
(http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d16/CitizenPete/553C1540-00C7-4F90-99D4-1C279403E18F_zpskthfatnf.jpg)
Final wipe with cloth.
(http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d16/CitizenPete/60A0CA35-351F-449D-AE9B-91A2B7488067_zpsohgbgjjr.jpg)
(http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d16/CitizenPete/14C40438-BCC5-45DA-8B60-3821584048BC_zps77uvz1jf.jpg)
(http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d16/CitizenPete/7A18BA59-3515-4B35-8E40-718511014E7A_zpsc8e03lcy.jpg)
Forget about the color for a minute if you don't like it, but pics really don't do the finish justice. The distressed marks and discoloration of the original 50 year old wood is still there and that's what I was aiming for. Worth the time, effort and cramped fingers? I think it was for one of my VZ2000 rifles. Will I still be able to play the piano? Never could before.
Some day I will actually get around to putting it on the gun. But that would mean actually finishing a project and I don't want to ruin my reputation. DOH! :o
-
Wow! That looks great man. Good work. I like the color too. Think i figured out why i broke mine. Looks like the vz2008 upper handguard is bulged in the center & the standard ones are not. Im sure this added undue tension when trying to install the wood.
-
Wow! That looks great man. Good work. I like the color too. Think i figured out why i broke mine. Looks like the vz2008 upper handguard is bulged in the center & the standard ones are not. Im sure this added undue tension when trying to install the wood.
On the inside ?
-
Yes.
http://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html?b=4&f=99&t=154865
look about 2/3 way down the page.
-
So i took my other vz2008 apart & the heat shield is bulged out in the center too. Wasn't till i started lookin closely at pics online that i realized they weren't supposed to be that way. Century strikes again! They must have bent em out there cause all the Czech ones look straight.
-
[img] http://www.dropshots.com/sgms18/date/2015-03-25/22:16:47/[img]
-
So i took my other vz2008 apart & the heat shield is bulged out in the center too. Wasn't till i started lookin closely at pics online that i realized they weren't supposed to be that way. Century strikes again! They must have bent em out there cause all the Czech ones look straight.
Maybe they bent them out to hold the hand guard in place, because the retention tabs are cut off?
-
(http://media1000.dropshots.com/photos/1261154/20150325/b_221647.jpg)
WTH were they thinking. I should "Czech" mine - if I can get the darn QD pins out.
OOW has them for $20
http://www.ohioordnanceworks.com/hand-guard-heat-shield
APEX for $24
https://apexgunparts.com/product_info.php/products_id/522
Czechpoint $57
-
Thats what im thinkin. Wish i would've known that before hand but sometimes ya gota learn the hard way. So beware the century upper handguard or you may wind up like this.. http://www.dropshots.com/sgms18/date/2015-03-23/17:37:21
-
I love the wood. I think it looks so classy. Not to mention it makes for a great shooter. The color stain you picked out is perfect. I want to buy another 2008 and trick it out in the original classic birch. I am jealous.
-
CP how did you get the pic to show up in the post? All i could figure out how to do was post the link.
-
CP how did you get the pic to show up in the post? All i could figure out how to do was post the link.
Fixed it for ya. ;)
Ya, don't ask me -- I think it might be "Dropshots" blocking it? Don't know.
I run freeware IP blocker Peerblock 1.2 on my laptop (PLEASE, everyone should if you value your privacy and data! You won't fracking believe who is on your computer! peerblock.com) So anyway, I thought Peerblock was blocking the IP because it was spying on me. So I enabled HTTP for a moment and it still didn't show up. Then I noticed you had an extra space in front of the file name, but that wasn't it either. ::) So it's MCS!
So here is the trick I do when MCS (Mysterious Computer Sheet) happens. Go to the source picture (Dropshot pic in this case) and right click on it and select "Open Image in New Tab". Then activate that tab and cut/paste that URL from the browser app -- I believe it takes out any hidden characters, etc. and gives you the server source. BTW, I am using either Chrome or Mozilla FireFox browser(s) (Don't ever use Windows Explorer).
-
Thanks for the tip. I'll have to try that out. It really shouldn't be such a pita to post pics.
-
Nice job on the wood furniture!
-
HOLD ON! That wood can be easily removed in tact and undamaged. Refinished wood can be re-installed in the metal grip without damage. Really!
Looking under the hand-guard there are two metal tabs that keep the wood from twisting free. Bend or cut only one tab straight/off. The wood portion then simply twists out of the metal. It is held in place by the "rails" in the front and back but they allow the thing to turn within their grip. Install is the reverse but if you cut the tab then you need glue or something to re-affix the parts. If you were clever and simply straightened the one tab then some bending will do the trick.
Ever better news is that there is more than one version of the front lower guard. One of mine has a "clip" that is forced into metal part of the guard and that clip locks the wood from turning in the grooves.
I know, I know, I kicked myself too. Clue was that the wood is sold as a separate items so someone knows how to separate the wood from the metal and that kept me looking and thinking till the apiffammy.
-
Nothing new under the sun. I spoke too soon. CitizenPete gave us a link to a AK procedure that shows how to take the wood off of the metal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RL4aTqQOZf8 That says it all but remember that on the VZ 58 you need to straighten ONE of the tabs.
Thanks Pete.