Finished Project

[rick landes]

I like the aged look of the finish. s I look at the rifle I think I see an old rifle that had the metal/inlays cleaned up...

I think you might have some benefit from drawing more scrolls and the like. I think drawing the patterns helps the fingers to follow when carving. Do not doodle. Draw with purpose to improve; not to reinforce that which is not wanted.

I have to see the pattern and draw it to get it into my head before I can carve it. And I do not mean just drawing it out on the stock. My eraser can correct what my chisel has not taken off!

I also like to draw a pattern and leave it for a day or so before coming back to it check it out again.

Use french curves, templates or whatever to get your curves flowing and lines straight. We are all gifted with the ability to see a crooked line or a poor circle/curve. I have carved a piece and then taken a template back to it to check what my eyes are not picking up. A small change can make a big difference.

I really like the hunters star, too!

Thank you for sharing.

p.s. In some of the pics I had a heck of a time figuring out what you had done...THEN I realized it was snow flakes!

[wetzel]

ha ha ha...ya, have you ever put off doing something until finally you had to do it right then, no matter what?  Well it was snowing the day that happened with these pictures.  Thanks Rick for the tip.  So you use templates sometimes to help get your curves right?  I have a heck of a time sometimes to get them just right, and when I need to duplicate something on the other side...  What do you make your templates out of?  I do really need to practice more, I just struggle to sit down and do it.  Where do you get ideas for designs? 

[whitebear]

One alternative to a bigger countersink would be to chuck the screw up in a drill press and as the spindle turns round the head of the screw over with a file making it an oval head and reducing the diameter of the head at the same time.

[wetzel]

That's a great idea, I might do that as countersinks are a bit pricey.

[rick landes]

What do you make your templates out of?  I do really need to practice more, I just struggle to sit down and do it.  Where do you get ideas for designs?


I use card stock from old file folders. French curves are available from many art supply and drafting supply stores (Staples?)

The struggle to put in practice will be helped if your drawing IMHO. Just do a bit here and a bit there. You do not need to do a whole pattern. Try and focus on say acanthus leaves. Draw top, front, side views, single and multiple leaves. Then draw onto scrap wood and just carve a leaf or two. If that seems too much try and draw strait lines and cut them or curves and cut them. All objects are one or the other or something in between. The object is to improve in small steps. If you get fatigue, frustrated, distracted...stop. Your goal is to learn and improve with each cut. Have purpose in each thing...to become better than YOU were. A session of ten minutes will help if done a few focused times per week.

I think the "struggle" is the push it seems life has on us to know before we have learned. "Techno-lag" does not need to be a mindset. These building activities should be fun and challenging; not feared and overwhelming. Relax, enjoy the experience. Think that somewhere in the past a master was an apprentice and had to put in the time under the master.

What is the worst that could happen on one of your practice blocks? You make a poor carving? Get another hunk of wood and start over. Do not pitch your block. You are going to see how the second IS better than the first! Be excited and enjoy the time; expect to be challenged.

Ideas come from studying other rifles. The end IMHO is not to copy what was done, but to learn what was done and then apply that knowledge to your modern building.

Have FUN!