Which do you do first???

[LehighBrad]

Yet another question from a guy who never bought one instructional video on building longrifles. But hey, ain't that what this forum is for? How do you guys do it.....do you inlay the wrist and cheek inlays before or after all the relief carving is done on the stock???

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I inlay the wrist escutcheon after the carving is done, since by then, the wrist is cut down to its final dimension.
A cheek piece inlay could easily be added after the carving, once the cheek piece is reduces to its final shape and contour.

[Lucky R A]

    Actually I think most of us would like to see you make an effort to educate yourself like about 90% of us did.  No one was around to spoon feed us even the most basic of things.  As we moved forward in our building careers, we gravitated to a site like this when it became available to exchange information on more technical aspects of building a good representation of a traditional longrifle.  Most of the experienced builders have amassed quite a library of books, videos and other instructional material.  So buy some good building books, there are lists posted here, educate yourself and use your intelect to attempt to answer your questions first.  
     Your question ask if you put a inlay in before you carve the area.  If you put a wrist inlay in after the relief carving is completed how do you file the inlay to completely conform with the surrounding area if it is already surrounded with a relief carving?  Building longrifles is not rocket science, and half the fun is the journey   Take a few steps down the journey on your own and enjoy the feeling that comes from solving a problem.  If you get in over your head we are more than happy to bail you out, but make an effort first...I know this may sound harsh, but once you start building and feel confident with the process you will understand where it comes from, and I do not mean it as a personal attack.  

[LehighBrad]

Thanks Taylor.....I was thinking that inlaying the wrist medallion AFTER the relief carving at the tang would be the way to go. I can then blend and file the common plain of the wood from the carving even with the metal of the medallion. And Lucky....I appreciate what you're saying....you are right....I should read up more before asking what was a basic question that I should've known. I do however have a copy of Chuck Dixon's "Building A Pennsylvania Longrifle" which I read through many times, but don't recall anywhere in that book where it answers that particular question I had. I also borrowed a friends VHS tape years ago on relief carving the Kentucky rifle by Wallace Gussler, but it's been too long ago to remember all the things he covered in that video.

[LehighBrad]

   Just testing to see if I did this right.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Ron is providing you with wonderful advice.  A good part of the enjoyment that comes from this craft is stepping off the end of the wharf and learning how to swim.  And I laughed when I read his comment on how we all came to this point...so true!  I live in a longrifle desert - a rock island in the middle of an ocean of the unknown.  All of my contact with longrifles came from books, and it's only recently that I have been given the opportunity to actually see and study originals.  I have two rooms full of reference books, and I don't have them all...yet.
The fact that you are asking your questions shows that you are considering the options.  And you pretty much answered your own question.  So, give it a try both ways, and you'll have some more great experience to call knowledge.  There's probably as many ways to do it, as there are people who do it.

[LehighBrad]

Had to post one more pic......now that I FINALLY got this picture posting thing licked! This was a while back...before my new bench vise when the forestock was still square.

[Acer Saccharum]

Inlaying before or after carving would depend on if the inlay a) is to be filed off and polished or b) not to be filed off, as in moulded, like a bas-relief, or a coin.

Building a gun is always a puzzle, what comes first? Sometimes you can work yourself into a corner. But with some planning, one can start to see the pitfalls ahead of time. This will often take more than one gun to learn the ropes of building sequence..... and I'm still learning the sequence after thirty guns.

Tom

[Bill of the 45th]

Wow, the Vise changed color! 

Bill

[Eric Smith]

Mine changed color too!

[Moosemcnally]

That lock is even on the correct side. Nice work.

[Pete G.]

Kind of a beginner mistake by putting the lock of the left hand side,  ::)but other than that it looks good. To answer the question; install inlays before carving. They are inlet slightly proud and then worked down to the surface of the wood. Carving is not as high as it looks in pictures. That is part of the illusion.