AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Gun Building => Topic started by: B Shipman on July 12, 2008, 12:55:00 AM
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My conception of an early VA rifle. Rice 44 in. C wt. 50 cal.
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My, my...very nice. ;D Did you forge the trigger guard? If not, where did you get it, I rather like it and the trigger set up. Did you make the trigger also?
Ez
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It's a Bill Shipman gun. Doesn't that about say it all. None better. Few as good.
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Oh, man. Look at that wrist carving. $#@*, I am going to have to sharpen my tools and take up the Manhattans. @!*%, Bill, but that is clean. Will this be coming to Dixon's? I hope so, this gun I want to see in person.
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Stunning. Absolutely stunning.
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Beautiful job, top to bottom, thanks.
Robby
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Very Nice! I really like seeing an early Ketland style lock.
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That is one beautiful gun. Will it be at the CLA show? Your photos are first rate, but I bet the gun is even better in person. I hope to meet you at Lexington.
Best Regards,
Larry Pletcher
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I just burned all the pics of my concep of an early VA rifle!
Andy
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outstanding, jerrywh's reply says it best
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Here I struggle and struggle trying to make a decent looking gun, then I see a beautiful, and I mean A REAL BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL GUN, it about makes me cry. Oh well, some got it and some ain't! :'( Well done my friend, it's look very good! I love it all, dark brass, carvings, stain colors, designs well executed. Beautiful! 8)
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Beautiful rifle Bill! Such crisp carving, and the lines truly flow from one end to the other. Great work with the triggerguard, and I like how you kept the sideplate so low. Will it be at Dixon's? Thanks for sharing,
-Eric
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Bill,
You just keep'em coming, all right up my alley. Looks great! Will it be at the CLA? I hope so.
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Very nice. Beautiful carving,nice and clean
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An absolutely beautiful rifle. Clean and crisp. Your's is one of the sites I have bookmarked to go to for inspiration.
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Beautiful gun in all respects. Neat patchbox design, but haven't seen anything quite like it. Is there a story behind it? THANKS!
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Beautiful work Bill and what a beautiful piece of maple. Can you tell us what you use for a finish?
Bob
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very nice,engraving and carving are excellant and everything flows just right.you do some nice work!!!!
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Outstanding work, Bill. Your work would stand on architecture alone, even if the gun wasn't so beautiful. Fine piece of wood, too. I do hope you tell us about those castings, there great.
And thanks for the pictures too, your photography is exceptional.
YMHS, Kevin
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Aside from the fact that your carving and finish are spectacular as always, that is a really cool box.
Sean
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@!*% Bill, When do you find time to fix teeth? Another great job that we all admire. ..Geo.
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Absolutely beautiful Bill!
Well balanced in all areas I am currently familiar with. It's warmth is inspiring.
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Everybody stop, you're just encouraging him.
;D
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Everybody stop, you're just encouraging him.
;D
Yeah ain't it awful Chris!! ;) ;D
Jerry said it! Bill your rifles and their art are a standard that will last!! Thanks!!!
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Bill, you stand with the greats like Bivins, Haugh, Madirino etc. You have achieved master status in every way. Your rifle is a treat to study. Lucky
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All of the above... Incredable! Thanks for the continued inspiration...
Ed
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That may be my favorite one yet and I'm a huge fan of all your work! Stunning!
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To my eyes, that is STUNNING! Verrrry nice....
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Holy Cow!
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Absolutely beautiful Bill. Hope to see it at the CLA show.
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I really don't understand why everyone gets so excited when Mr. Shipman posts pictures of a work of art, He does it all the time. I could just cry.
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Bill that's beautiful, but expected after seeing some of your other work. Love your crisp carving, especially the tang carving.
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Thanks for all the kind coments. The T.G.is from the "brass barreled rifle". I got it from Bob Emig. He's usually at Dixons and the CLA Show.
Permalyn varnish finish.
The patchbox is from a rifle by Jacob Metzger that I've used often except I switched the 4 peteled flower at the head for the Indian.
Hopefully I'll be able to keep it for Dixon's and the CLA show. Hope to see everyone there.
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Do you perhaps mean Brad Emig?
Ez
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Correct.
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Bill - that is an amazing piece. It looks like what it should, without being an exact copy of any one piece; is executed perfectly, and has enough of your soul as an artist to give it that extra "something" that makes it so unique and stand as folk art. I have really especially liked your Ferree style gun and this gun.
Artists have this knack for taking elements, seen through their eyes, and incorporating them and interpreting them into a product by their hands, that can convey the soul of the original pieces better than an exact copy.
Wow!
By the way - if you've ever done a rifle based on that Metzger gun (the early one in Kindig?), I'd love to see it - I've always admired that gun.
Guy
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OK you guys, knock it off. If you keep this up, he won't make it to Dixon't, he won't be able to get his head in the car.
You don't realize it's just another "hohum" gun from Bill. I must admit, he sure does come up with some great ideas on
guns. Bill, since I can't make it to Dixon's, maybe you'll still have it at the CLA show?......Don
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WOW !!!! See you in the few days ..... at the fair !!!!
Allen
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Man that's a fine rifle, you ought to post pictures of that on ALR
Hope you do still have that one at Dixon's, I'd love to see it
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WOW !!!!
That about sums it up lol. Great craftsmanship...
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Just a remarkable piece, Bill. I agree with all the above. I too really like that trigger guard. .. Well Done hope to see it at Dixons!
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Bill,I wanted to say really great pictures as well. Am I looking at this correctly you took these with a point and shoot? If so wow ! I think I may junk my expensive SLR.... LOL
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What a magnificent use of darker coloring to highlight the carving and stock lines. Super job.
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Gee, Thanks for making me feel even more inept!
Fantastic gun though!
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Wow, that's a real beauty. Really like the Indian motif on the patchbox.
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What else can one say? I am stunned by the workmanship and architecture of every Shipman gun I have seen pictured--I just wish I could see one in person some day. PA surely can say it is still the home of the long rifle, with the likes of Shipman, Martin, Kettenberg, Dodd and many other fine modren makers. I often wish I still lived in PA, where I grew up, but life has taken me elsewhere....
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I just ordered one of those neato trigger guards from Brad Emig. ;D He casts them himself. $45 + shipping. (717) 757-5841.
Ez
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I never tire of examining Bill's rifles! Gentlemen...we are in the presence of excellence in the art of gunbuilding! Thanks for posting another inspiration!
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Bill,
Your rifle is quite a piece of work. Very nice.
Rifle builder and part time dentist? I've shown your work to my dentist. He appreciates the detail.
See you at Dixon's, God willing.
Larry Luck
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Real nice Bill... To my eye, the tang carving is the highlight. Looks great.
-Jim
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Another fantastic rifle, Bill
Chris Laubach
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Ian's obviously taken my lead and is hitting the Manhattans.
Guy, the Metzger rifle is one of those really great guns that no one has ever done that I know of. So little time.
Beauregard, I use an old 5 megapixel digital. State of the art at the time, but better stuff at half the price today. The trick is diffuse light. I do it on the driveway on days when I can't see my shadow. Overcast. Steady. Use a tripod which you can wheel around on two legs. Or just a stick. What your eye sees in terms of shadows and glare is what you get along the line of sight of the camera. This would make a good tutorial. Idiots guide to taking pictures. I'm the idiot.
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Bill,
Did that nice early buttpiece come from Brad Emig too?
Thanks,
J.D.
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Bill,
Your work amazes me! I like the way you put the "Shipman" school of thoughts into it. Pleasing to the eye! Thanks for posting.
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great looking rifle bill.
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THAT is a beauty, Now I really wish I had had the time to stop by.
Tim C.
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It's all been said ...Fantastic. I do have one question and that is about the final on the patchbox. Your design or is there some historial link?
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Hello Gentlemen- Longhunters of Old- this rifle that Mr. Shipman built is absolutely fine, everything about it. I doubt that many of us will ever build such a rifle.I would love to own it. On the other hand they have been turning out rifles like this since 1963 at Colonial Williamsburg. Mr. Gusler down there raised the bar years ago and is not finished yet, I also read that this rifle put Mr. Shipman on the same plane as John Bivins, Monte Madirino, and Jack Haugh very kind comliment. If you look at the work in Three Centuries of Tradition of Super Star Carving- Engraving- High Refief Chiseling that these people did- such as the french Guns Monte built, the average longrifle builder has alot to prove. In Bivins own words Monte is the best Gunsmith in the last 300 years. My statemnet here is not to insult the work of Mr. Shipman at all but I would like to see something like Bivins and Monte did above standard longrifle building with the hand forged mounts, gold work, chiseling. After 38 years of building rifles my hat of off to the best!
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"The trick is diffuse light. I do it on the driveway on days when I can't see my shadow. Overcast. This would make a good tutorial. Idiots guide to taking pictures. I'm the idiot."
That is exactly how Shippers is taking pics for his new book as well. I for one would be really interested in that "idiots photography class" ::)
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I have used a white canvas wedge tent set up in the shade to create the same diffuse effect, though it didn't work quite as well as waiting for an overcast day. Throwing a dark tarp over the top of the tent might diffuse more light.
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I can see where the wedge would work. I took a great picture one time of a couple in a marque. Came out great! The diffused light was what made it "jump".