Incised carving

[J.D.]

Here's a couple from the Rupp rifle I brought with me to Dixons in '07.  They show the continuous chip that comes with a controlled uniform cut.

@!*%, I give up. You ain't normal.

[Paddlefoot]

Not to change the direction of this too far but do you practice chip carving other than on these rifles?

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

No I don't.  There is no better place to practice than on a freshly sanded maple stock.
I take that back.  I checked out the effect of several different chisels on a scrap of wood before I tackled the work behind the breech on the Kuntz rifle.  Only because I hadn't tried that look before.  I'm happy i did, since the first effort would have been less than satisfactory.  So, there...yes, I do!

[Paddlefoot]

Ah, mere mortals who make mistakes too.    I have gone as far as to buy the special chip carving knives and some basswood to practice on. I ended up carving a  death mask for king Hamlet as part of my daughters english class. I did the crown in chip carved patterns and it turned out OK.....This rifle building has sure shown me how talented our ancestors were.

[FlintRock Rob]

Taylor,

Thanks for the posts on the tool end's sharpening. Makes me realize I have a lot more to do on my tools before I can carve those fine curly strips of wood. Hey, can you make those curls into your signature, with no breaks? 

[Evil Monkey]

C'mon Taylor, tell the truth. You weren't carving, you were just making period correct heli coils for repairing striped out wood screws.

[Jim Filipski]

Taylor,
Have been too busy to read posts on the alr recently & just got to this one....I see Acer "answered" for me. Hate's a bad word ...more like Awe! I have never been able to push one of those darn things like that. Actually there has never been any incised carving on my guns because I gave up the idea and just did relief carving cause it was easier for me. Probably put too much on some of them when it should be incised.  However since I learned a new trick ...chasing the chisel as instructed by Acer, things are now opening up for me and finally can pull it off.   Now as for sharpening those darn things I can't  I just use them and when they get dull throw them in a pile in the corner of my shop. When the pile gets big enough I'm just going to ship them up to Acer to sharpen!
Regards
Jim

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I'm grateful for the compliments lads.  I really believe the secret if there is one, is in the sharpening.  If the tool is not absolutely sharp, it tears and plows and the carving fails, or surely doesn't look like the vision we had when we began.  A leather strop with aluminum oxide or french rouge is mandatory.  Even the occasional lick on a buffing wheel will bring back that super thin sharp that makes things happen.  I think we're a mutual admiration society here, because I love to look at everyone's accomplishments.