incised carving tool(s)

[Mike R]

What is your favorite tool(s) for doing incised carving--and what did the old time gunstockers use?

[Long John]

Mike,

I use three tools for my incised work.  The first is a small parting tool ( V-shaped chisel) with a palm handle.  Sharpened properly, I can move it where I want using one hand as the driver and the other as the brakes.  The second is a small carving knife that I bought from Bill Slusser at the Gunmakers' Fair.  The last is a V-shaped scraper that I made from a saber-saw blade that I use to deepen and shape the incised lines.

Best Regards,

JMC

[Tom Currie]

I have a 60 degree V parting tool that I hand push.

[Jim Kibler]

One method to consider when performing incised carving is to first stab the design in and then trim the edge or edges with a knife or skew chisel thus creating the "V" shaped groove.  Very fine incised work can be created in this manner.  This is the method I've come to prefer.

[rich pierce]

I bet that cures the "wide groove" problem I sometimes have with a V chisel.

[Mike R]

Thanks.  One question I had was that close-up views of some original rifles seemed to show a round bottom groove in some incised carving--especially for volutes?

[Mike Gahagan]

My guess is they didn`t have the precision tools that we have today to make the very sharp "V"parting tool,so what they ended up with was more like a "veiner" which is like a very small gouge.

[A.Merrill]

    I believe the reason it looks round bottom is do to, finish build up or, dirt an grime over all the years giving it that aged look we all love.   AL

[rich pierce]

I'm with Mike; having made my own V chisels using a triangular file to cut the V groove. Even with one safe edge it's hard to get a sharp V groove (for me).

Some experts who study originals (Mark Silver mentions this in the latest CLA "magazine" articles) are able to figure out what tools were used.  I'd love to take a class on that.

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Thanks.  One question I had was that close-up views of some original rifles seemed to show a round bottom groove in some incised carving--especially for volutes?

I have noticed that too....... Do we have inventories of gunsmith's tools from the day that include V parting tools and no small veiners??/  Are there carving books from the period that describe what tools to use for incise carving??   

[Cody Tetachuk]

I have very little experience with incise carving so it would be wise to consider this post as entertainment rather than education. I use a very small veiner. It can be very difficult to maintain a consistent depth and therefore width, particularly in heavily figured wood, with a parting tool. A Veiner has straight sides so slight variations in depth do not translate into variations in width. When a slight variation in width is required, I follow up with a flat chisel and gently widen the side of the cut. I also take the flat chisel and just shave the corners of the incised line to remove the perpendicular angle from stock surface to incise cut to soften the transition.  I DO use a parting tool for some elements, cross hatching as an example.