Kibler Colonial: Period appropriate carving

[rich pierce]

Do a search here for “scratch stock” and you will find more good info. 

[petera]

Hello Friend.
  We[[, you surely have a dreat deal of good advice from those who have posted.  Taylor S's idea of simple is fine, if that's what you wish.  Not for me, because I wish to stretch, artistically.  Study, obsessivly all the guns in RCA. VOLs I & II.  Draw every one of them which attracts you.  My book can give you some ideas of 18th Century art forms and how to design them.  B asically, my advice is to study, learn, and then, do your own thing.  Good Luck!   

[stubshaft]

When I was younger, my dad would have me practice on bars of Ivory soap.  Saved the shavings for my sisters, as it was a mild soap.

Just another of those simple tricks that I would have never thought of.

[Iktomi]

Once again, thanks all for the advice and references. It is all very helpful

[Mike Brooks]

Sapergia's advice is excellent. Well executed simple carving is the way to go. I see a lot of guys get in over their heads when they push too far too fast.

[Iktomi]

Sapergia's advice is excellent. Well executed simple carving is the way to go. I see a lot of guys get in over their heads when they push too far too fast.

 I agree 100%. It seems to be true regardless of the particular craft.

[Mr. Bubbles]

First of all, there are very few straight lines in most ML'er carving.  The major exception of course are the lines along the fore stock.  I tried making the tool described in the Recreating the American Long Rifle book, and it worked ok, but just ok.
 Personally, I prefer to use a steel straight edge ruler, and the blunt side of an exact-o knife to make a scratch.  Do it in a direction that the grain will be inclined to make the blade ride IN to the straight edge, rather than away from it.  Then go back over your scratch a few times to deepen it.  Now that it's somewhat deep, you can then put your 1mm V gouge push tool  in there and start turning it in to an actual cut.  Deepen until you are happy.

[Mr. Bubbles]

One other thing I forgot to mention is that you can use one of  those thin little curved riffler files like Brownells has to even out the undulations in the depth and width of the cuts.  I use the coarse one the most, because it really isn't very coarse.  That's something that's harder to do on curved lines.  For that you can use a single point checkering tool, but that may have too long of a cutting depth too (like too long of a heel on a graver).