Use of 'Golden Mean' discovered by accident.

[Acer Saccharum]

Here's the link:  http://www.engraverscafe.com/content.php?56-Golden-mean-ratio

Not to pick the scab off an old wound, but this is to show a practical side to the Mean.

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Its a conspiracy... our minds have been programed by the Golden Mean.... must be a ________ plot!!

[flintriflesmith]

I was planning on waiting until I saw Jim Kibler in person at the end of the month to point out that his recently posted carving has the major features in Golden Mean proportion!

When Barry Bohnet first started about the Golden Mean at the Western Kentucky seminar in the 1980s my reaction was: "That's BS. I never heard of the Golden Mean!" The we broke out a pair of proportioning dividers and there it was -- all over my engraving and carving. Osmosis I guess. Spend enough years learning what looks right to your eye and the odds are that a lot of it will be a very close match to the GM.

Gary

[alex e.]

Oh, no! not again.


[img width= height=]http://www.runemasterstudios.com/graemlins/images/fear.gif[/img]

[Jim Kibler]

Interesting Gary.  I've never been one to give much credence to the Golden Mean.  Perhaps I should consider it a little more.  I hear what you're saying about looking at this stuff enough that it becomes ingrained in you.  Heck, I sometimes see carving or engraving patterns when I look at things that have nothing to do with either!  Interesting and fun stuff.

[Pete G.]

The whole point of the golden mean in layout is to produce something that looks good, consequently most things that look good are usually very close to the golden mean proportions. It's not really a difficult concept.


..and Tom, it's just like your mother told you "Don't pick at it, it'll never get well."

[Paddlefoot]

Seems to me the golden mean is a bit like jazz music. The real art in it is to be able to fit your decoration into an area and fudge the GM just enough to make it look (or sound) right for the purpose at hand. Otherwise art would be just a formula.

[Bill of the 45th]

It's just, defining what we've been doing all along, and what is naturally pleasing to the eye.  Belaboring it makes it the "Golden Meaney"   As Gary mentioned, pull out the dividers, and wow, manure happens!

Bill

[JB2]

Where can I get me a set of them mean "Golden Mean' dividers?  That'll fix all my carving mistakes.

[B.Habermehl]

I really shines when you have some thing that just does not seem quite "right" and it bothers your eye. Time to break out the divider and start measuring the relationships. A handy tool.

[FRJ]

Man oh man, I opened this can of worms about a month ago and learned my lesson the hard way!!!!! I'm gonna go and make some  popcorn. Frank

[Steve Bookout]

I made a pair of GM dividers a few years ago and was surprised by what I found.  An Andrew Kopp forearm with moulding has the 3X5 in the moulding as well as the whole forearm from ramrod channel to barrel channel.  The tear drops at the rear of the lock panel were 3X5.  The patch box was 3X5 and the head of the patch box was 3X5 as well. The list goes on and it really becomes an eye full when you start looking at an original J.P. Beck rifle.....Cheers, Bookie

[Jim Filipski]

"Good design" may very well follow the golden mean...."design" by following the golden mean usually fails.

The difference between art & technology

Again I must state the Golden mean rule for building a long rifle :
to start out your work table must be the "5" and your stock blank must be the "3" If you get that correct you will surely build a work of art! 

[Jim Filipski]

Just One more thing & then I will depart:

"The Golden Mean is a way to dissect great art.
 It is not the means to create it "

[B.Habermehl]

I Beg to differ slightly. The golden mean is helpful especially for a beginner to establish relationships.

[Jim Filipski]

 Then when does the golden mean kick in ?.... The relationship to the barrel vs the stock.....the Relationship to the lock vs the lower forestock??
Or the relationship of your work surface to the stock blank?

It is easy to lay on the golden mean dividers  to a well built rifle....find the 3's & 5's and say wow it really works!

Lay out the entire gun based on the principal ....well someone please try it & get back to us Please!
Jim