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Removing the scope mount on this first-year Remington 141 restoration was an unpleasant surprise….small, 6-48 holes are filled and the repair hidden relatively easily, but these larger, off-center 8-40 holes will be difficult to repair without the repair showing. What a rat’s nest!
And the aftermarket sling swivel mounted off center will also be removed and the original finish restored, and I’ll do that job first. These are threaded studs and are screwed in and sometimes also soft soldered as there is very little thread bearing surface in the thin band it is mounted to. This one is soldered. I can either unscrew it using 450 degrees of heat and pliers then fill the hole or I can simply grind and file it flush, which has some disadvantages you will see below.
I grind off the stud on the buffer grinder and crossfile with a single cut mill file until I am close to the original surface….
…then I draw file the stud flush with the surface…
…. followed by aluminum oxide wet-or-dry paper lubed with WD-40 and a sanding block in 180 through 600 grits without skipping a grit to polish. I could wrap the paper around my file instead of using a wood block…and I do that for flat surfaces…but for curved surfaces I prefer the softer wood as backing. A sanding block is important, as freehanding will result in an untrue surface…. especially in the joint filled by softer solder that is easily dished.
I then test the quality of my surface using a little cold bluing for color…I’m using Brownell’s Oxpho Blue phosphate bluing solution, buffing in multiple coats after degreasing with 0000 steel wool…
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