New here and hoping to get some help, 1st build

[RHoyle]

About a year ago my lovely wife gave me a chambers issac Haines kit, and I have been reading and building and lurking on here for some time, but haven't found to courage to post my work yet.  Anyhow, I made a big mistake as I was finishing up carving behind the cheek piece, and in my haste (which I have learned fast is not good), I tried to repair it, but it looks horrible.  I have yet to come up with a solution to make it look a bit more pleasing, but haven't found anything yet, so I am hoping some of you more experienced builders may have a suggestion or two.

By the way, I have thoroughly enjoy this site, and am constantly amazed by the talent of the people on this board.  Thank you all for posting pics of your builds; they have certainly been an inspiration for me.

Roger

[cmac]

The patch work? I would make that a low area in the carving, and when finished lamp black the low areas with candle soot. That should make it disappear 

[Larry Luck]

A builder in the period (particularly a European gunsmith) would not hesitate to patch a flaw in the wood.  Building my first rifle, I found several wormy spots that I patched, with differing degrees of detectability.









Perfect, no.  OK, I thought so. 

Orienting the patch so the grain parallels that of the surrounding stock helps.  I was working with a stock blank that had been cut 20+ years before I stocked the rifle, so the patches were from a completely different piece of maple (and sugar maple in a red maple stock, to boot).

I like what I see of your rifle and look forward to seeing the entire gun.

Good luck.

Larry Luck

[Acer Saccharum]

Glued in patches? Pshaw! there are about five patches I can see in this german fowler buttstock.




And then a big toe patch on an American gun.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I've used plugs too, to fix a screw up.  On my latest Hawken, I ran the drill out through the side of the forend not once, but twice, and repaired the damage with plugs.  One is really noticeable, and the other practically disappeared with the staining and finish.
On a previous occasion, I cut the butt stock of a rifle for the butt plate, and then realized I was an inch too short - cripes!!  So I just glued the piece back on, and since it was a single band saw cut, it mated perfectly.  You cannot see the joint to this day.

[Ed Wenger]

I agree with the other guys, things happen, and it can add some character...  I'm thinking it probably won't be as visible after staining anyway.  If you wanted to hide it a little more, I'd consider doing some more carving in the area, especially relative to the vertical glue lines.


          Ed

[WadePatton]

fixing mistakes is what craftymen do. 

fixing less mistakes is what master craftymen do.

John had the ramrod drill turn and come out the bottom of a customer build.  he patched it with a "wear plate'.  Customer absolutely loved it...better than if it hadn't happened. 

post more.  lurking is for lurkers.

[RHoyle]

I didn't realize patches were that common on originals, course I've never had the opportunity to look at any originals in the flesh.  I think I'll try and come up with something to hide the vertical lines better and then let be.  I'll get some more photos up of the complete gun before I finish it.

[WadePatton]

the most common repair i see on originals (in pics mostly) is patched (often crudely) wrists and toes.  and why i consider a tang extension to be mandatory not optional for a thin-wristed gun.  but i'm a novice with wood--still not sure where your repair is.  i can see the others no doubt.  need circles and arrows.

[Mark Elliott]

Black Paint!   That is how you hide mistakes and repairs.    If you have repairs that show through the staining and finishing, then it is time to age the rifle which allows you to make liberall use of black paint not only is the areas that don't get much wear but in the damaged and repaired areas.    You also fill small gaps with black wax/crayon.    All the best builders and restorers do this.    If you see black paint, you can be pretty sure something is being hidden, but it doesn't look out of place on an old or aged gun.  By the way,  you did a really good job with the patch.   It shouldn't take much as all to disguise it.    I do have another suggesstion for the future.   The best restorers use patches that do not have straight or right angle lines.   These are the easiest to see.   Diagonal or curved lines are the hardest to see.   A patch in the middle of a piece of wood should ideally be a lens or cat-eye shape.    It would be the hardest respair to detect as long as the color, grain, and curl of the wood matched.   

[RHoyle]

Thanks for the suggestion Mark, I would have never thought of hat on my own.  Definitely be filing that one away for future use.

[sweed]

From my days in yacht building we had a saying that marked a master.
"Its not how bad you 'mess' up! It's how gracefully you recover!!!!"
Do what you have to do, everybody does it!