AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Contemporary Longrifle Collecting => Topic started by: Stoner creek on January 24, 2020, 03:40:25 AM
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This of you who know me know that I like a little change of pace every once in awhile. The idea came to me: What if a customer back in the day wanted a decorated gun but didn’t have the funds?
This rifle has Bucks Co. inspiration if only in its profile and some of it’s hardware. I wanted to build a Bucks Co gun but there were many things that prohibit with this set of parts. Firstly the stock was soft REALLY SOFT, way too soft for me to attempt to carve, secondly the stock was already inlet for a 13/16” barrel. Off I went into fantasy land.
My idea was to draw in pen and ink everywhere the stock would have been relief or incised carved. I’m lucky enough to have a really talented daughter who loves this longrifle thing so I gave her RCA Volume I and directed her to the chapter on Bucks Co. then wisely gave her full creative control.
The end result came out better than I expected. Best of all, in my eyes the artwork looks plausible.
Take a look. Let it soak in. I ain’t crazy!!
I wanted to come up with a name for it and hit the wall. My buddy Keith Vance took one quick glance and called it That Tattoo Gun.
(https://i.ibb.co/86QC7Cc/972-E739-F-5-DA4-4-C89-9046-E7-C1-E68-BECA9.jpg) (https://ibb.co/cDsBrBL)
(https://i.ibb.co/XzMPL20/307-C71-B9-210-D-4-C69-AD3-D-E1891616-B370.jpg) (https://ibb.co/qRV8jyq)
(https://i.ibb.co/ZM4147p/D7-ED4-D0-E-37-D4-497-E-BF66-E69-E4852-E429.jpg) (https://ibb.co/hmQ1QwJ)
(https://i.ibb.co/JcGdsyG/10-EEFF6-A-2726-43-B2-AE35-92-D5-DFD34-C16.jpg) (https://ibb.co/CwYtHMY)
(https://i.ibb.co/sVRmPRH/DCC6-F7-D9-F684-4-FED-AB9-B-41-C92-A4-CAE2-A.jpg) (https://ibb.co/hm97M9f)
(https://i.ibb.co/Lp41fTT/3-C9-FC4-C6-401-D-450-F-94-C3-AB75-B9-FB709-C.jpg) (https://ibb.co/JkXHPYY)
(https://i.ibb.co/qpdX3SH/ABF20171-BFF7-4-D49-8388-EBD644-F41-B8-A.jpg) (https://ibb.co/SBPW4jk)
(https://i.ibb.co/9pjx5t9/37-DE567-C-4342-4-EC6-9597-F404-F5-B0-FE6-D.jpg) (https://ibb.co/CwFjG25)
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The inking looks great. The technique reminds me of some Carolina trade guns with vine painted or inked on.
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Seeing this gun at Jim’s show really made me happy. In person it really messes with your head. It’s hard to tell, when you don’t know what it is your looking at, what it is you’re seeing. Super super work by your daughter Wayne and a great job on the build. Between this one and the Bean right across from your table I left in a good mood. Painted guns are so much fun.
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Interesting Wayne, maybe a little Jezebel in there? I was thinking about this style of decoration last week. Maybe we talked about it at the AL-KY Rifle show and I'm just now remembering after that 18 year old bottled gunsmith lubricant and cleaner!
Keep 'em coming,
Carl
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Edgy!!!
I like it.
8)
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:o :o :o... Wow,... thanx for posting, Wayne,... when I first saw this in person at the show,... it looked like incised carving that had filled in and darkened over the years,... I'm really impressed with that technique,... She really looks better in person,.. the photos do not bring out the true depth and look of the craftsmanship,... thanx again,... see you soon,... regards,... Cades Cove Fiddler,....
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There is no middle ground on a rifle like this. You either love it or hate it. The 'ol "Muskrat" would be proud to carry this fine rifle anywhere.
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That’s a precious family treasure right there. There’s not many Dad and daughter combos. The hardest part of laying out a design to carve for me is freehanding it on the rifle and making it all flow. She has natural talent at it. Beautiful piece of artwork Stoner!
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One foot out of the box, I Love it. looks like very fine incise. Well designed and done.
Tim
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Very cool !!! I like it alot!!!!
Mitch
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Wow Wayne... Very impressed ..! CCF told me about this gun yesterday an glad you posted pictures of it...!
You an your daughter did an amazing job together. First your gun build is excellent. Which goes hand in hand with her art work. Plus the finish is the perfect combo to set the art work off.
Hope you bring it to the Knoxville show...!!
Oldtravler
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Wayne, it looks even better than the “sneak preview”...I sure hope you’re bringing it to Boonesboro tomorrow! See ya there, buddy!
Greg
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I really like what you did with this. It's beautiful. Surprising we've not seen an original inked like this. Great idea.
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I really like what you did with this. It's beautiful. Surprising we've not seen an original inked like this. Great idea.
If I remember right Wayne mentioned an original he had seen when he showed me this rifle at the show.
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My idea was to draw in pen and ink everywhere the stock would have been relief or incised carved.
When I read this I was saying to myself, this guy (and his daughter) are nutz! But seeing the pictures, WOW, I like it a lot. :)
But I do hope she used the right pen. ;)
(https://media.istockphoto.com/photos/ink-and-feather-pen-picture-id174846775?k=6&m=174846775&s=612x612&w=0&h=kK3aZfBBIMn2g_O01DZjd7WmG0ZWXmUCJ7bo0iXWABo=)
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Really like the look of this rifle. You do have a very talented daughter indeed!
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First thing thru my head was the Stones album,Tattoo you.......then almost envisioning their trademark tongue behind the tang,kinda even looks like it could head in that direction.Very nice
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I especially like the lack of symmetry around the tang.
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Needs some red paint. :P
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I love it, Wayne. You both did a great job. Very impressive.
Bob
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I am normally one that doesn't care for "outside the box" on longrifles. The Pratt built and Gahagan decorated doglock at the 2019 CLA excepted of course. With that said, this is one cool longrifle. The rifle has great lines to start with. The decoration is just wonderful. Just enough whimsy to make a person smile, but enough strong skill to carry the art aspect. I am thinking you need to team up some more.
What is one the ink to protect it?
Love it brother! God Bless, Marc
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I am normally one that doesn't care for "outside the box" on longrifles. The Pratt built and Gahagan decorated doglock at the 2019 CLA excepted of course. With that said, this is one cool longrifle. The rifle has great lines to start with. The decoration is just wonderful. Just enough whimsy to make a person smile, but enough strong skill to carry the art aspect. I am thinking you need to team up some more.
What is one the ink to protect it?
Love it brother! God Bless, Marc
Firstly, Thank you for your kind words!
I put the stain on and only one coat of tung oil. Then I let it dry for two weeks and then let Clary my daughter do her thing. After all that I applied light coats of Homer Formbys tung oil finish. I was scared to death that the solvents in the finish would distort her pen and ink work. Seeing none I applied 5-6 over coats to seal it all. Hopefully her ink work won't fade out through time and exposure to light.
I couldn't be happier with all phases of this little adventure. What's next? Who knows. Stay tuned!
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I cannot think up a better plan than that to protect the art. Good move.
Now, get her some paint, a fine brush and a powder horn. Carla Crosby sure does some beauties.
God bless, Marc
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Wayne..., that is really cool! Do you know what type of pen your daughter used for the drawing? I’m in agreement with Marc relative to “outside the box”, but to me, this came out nicely. Rich has a good point as well, it is similar to the painted on vines and leaves found on some trade guns. Thanks for posting! Best,
Ed
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Delightful, tasteful artwork! :)
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Guys, I hope Wayne brings this gun to all the shows this season...as good as the pictures are, they really don’t do it justice! This is one that you really need to hold...and enjoy! Great rifle, great art, really enjoyed getting to handle this one today, Wayne...I hope the drool isn’t too hard to get off... :o
Greg
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I am not going to toss my carving chisels yet, but I think I may get some calligraphy pens and a bottle of India Ink.
Your daughter's work is really the cat's meow!
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Stoner Creek,
Today I was thumbing through "Of Sorts For Provincials" by Jim Mullins and I thought of your Tattoo Gun. On pages 61 - 64 there are photos of an early trade gun by John Bumford on which "traces of a stained floral design remain on the butt."
Enjoy,
Kevin
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Stoner Creek,
Today I was thumbing through "Of Sorts For Provincials" by Jim Mullins and I thought of your Tattoo Gun. On pages 61 - 64 there are photos of an early trade gun by John Bumford on which "traces of a stained floral design remain on the butt."
Enjoy,
Kevin
I need to look that up. I have a feeling that there more than a few examples out there where the actual owner of the gun decided to add some artistic ingredients to personalize the piece.
Thanks!
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Very impressive. Your conjecture is not all that bad either.
Thanks for the post
Capgun
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That is one of the most attractive "fantasy" designs I've seen. It doesn't feel at all out of place to me and is certainly a beautiful was to ornament a rifle.
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It is presumptive to believe that some rifles decorated as this one is, were not made and used. Colonial Williamsburg has a English Type G trade gun with brush/quill applied ink art on the stock. This arm demonstrates that such decoration was used on some basis and there is a likelihood of this artistic expression being carried over to KY Rifles as well, though that is more difficult to prove.
Having said this, I would be ecstatic to carry such a gun into the field. Some guns just have that appearance that says "Looks gorgeous, Who cares how it shoots?'
Dick
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Thanks for the education the other day. I really enjoyed it.
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Wayne & Clary, you are both talented artists. I have to admit, I didn't see the rifle first time, just her artwork. I love it! It is very plausible that a gunsmith with an artistic wife or daughter would have teamed up on a joint venture such as this. Did she use a quill type pen and ink? Because I can't imagine a ballpoint pen doing that nice work!
Tom C
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I like that rifle and the artwork. I'd be very happy to have it live at my house. Gun making is in large part, artistic. Carving is a wonderful addition to a stock; so why not designs created in other ways and not just cut into the wood.
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Seeing this at Boonesborough, my first impression was that it seemed like a natural fit. Though the medium is a bit different, the familiar design holds it together and pulls it off, for me at least. ;)
I like it,
Jeff
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very tastefully done, it's like it all the way
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WOW.Stoner..... Your daughter needs to go into the business. That dresses up a plane old everyday rifle and gives it an artistic look. Thanks for the pictures and kind regards
Frank Barker.
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Very well built rifle and cool idea. It is the quality of the drawing that made this work so well.
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I love the art work. I built a Bumford type trade gun some time back, and chickened out on the ink work as I was afraid of the solvent issues. If you don’t mind what brand of ink did she use? Particularly since it is compatible with Fombys ting oil as its one of my favorite finishes. BJH
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I’ll ask my daughter and get back with you. I do know that we gave it a week to thoroughly dry before going with the finish and then only after trying it out on a test stock.
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I like it, too. I agree with all comments above.