Lehigh finished ( I think )

[Tom Currie]

Sometimes I don't know when to finally say a gun's done as it always seems I could do something else especially with doing some sort of faux aging. Tried my best to make it look like a long rifle and not a piece of furniture. Not a big fan of the Bivin's super finished style..just personal taste. Some of the brass is a bit shiny yet . I will let it age on it's own.  Done with J Rupp style carving elements. Pipes and patch box are handmade ( I'm not real happy with my hinge,  wish I could do it over ) Brutally honest comments and critiques are of course welcome.

Rice .50 cal C weight 44' barrel
Chambers Golden Age lock
R Goehring trigger guard and Allen Martin buttplate









   

[KLMoors]

I like it. I don't know squat about that style but I like the look of it. It looks like you may have a little bit of rust still going on the barrel just in front of the lock?

[rich pierce]

Lots to like there.  In particular the architecture of the cheekpiece, the room behind it and how the carving integrates with the cheekpiece and space are great.  Top notch execution on the carving.

[Elnathan]

It looks very nice to me, though like KLMoors my understanding of the finer points of the school is limited. One thing that does catch my eye is the corner of the buttplate on the cheekpiece side where the tang and "sole" (or whatever the proper name for the part that rests against the shoulder is) meet - it looks like it needed to be filed to a nice radius before being inletted.

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

What Rich said!! and I think that is the most elegant sideplate treatment I have seen!!!

[Eric Smith]

I am no expert, far from it. I like the engraving, not too fancy, not too plain. The carving is same. Nice job on the rifle. I do have one thing.  The butt stock and butt plate looks a little exaggerated in length from top to bottom. Is it just me? I would really appreciate if others would critique my critique because I am trying to develop an eye for these things.

[bgf]

Looks nice to me.  Regarding the PB hinge -- if the knuckle recess first on the bottom on the finial were just a little tighter, the hinge would be almost perfect looking, I think.  It is easy to go overboard with the file, and due to the scale, things look off from just a tiny bit of error.  I've seen much worse -- actually, I've done much worse!  It will bother you more than it does any of the rest of us!  You might be able to tighten up the gap by playing with the tab on the inside of the lid to push that end up just a bit, but I would leave it alone if it is soldered.

PS.  Just filing out the upper recess to match the lower one might make it less distracting, but go slow and be careful.

[Tom Currie]

Thanks everyone for the comments

Elnathan, The transition at the heel of the butt plate did not go as well as planned. Something about have the wood flush at the vertical edge and then aside on the tang  ( sheath ). I learned a lot about how not to get that exactly right.

Eric, J Rupp did some butt stock profiles that were long vertically due to exaggerated curve to the underside edge. I effectively copied this profile off 2 rifles on the KRA CD. It's a little different.

Tim, The one single curl coming out from the engraving around the screw is about the only detail on this gun that I made up. I was looking for simple yet elegant or " less is more ".  . Looks like it worked for you. I'm pleased you like it.

[James]

I like your rifle. I like the finish, I don't know all the lingo, but not being really glossy makes for a better look, to me.

[J. Talbert]

Nice!   Good lines with tasteful, well done carving and engraving.  The tang carving could stand some softer edges and more detail IMO, but that could just be me.  I thought the same thing about  the last gun that I did, after I had it finished.
I'm a big fan of restrained decoration.

Overall... very pleasing,
Jeff

[Ed Wenger]

Hi Tom!

Great looking rifle!  You've done very well indeed.  I'm no expert on Lehigh's but everything I hear other folks talk about, I think you did well with.  The subtle curve under the trigger guard, transitioning into the big curve on the underside of the butt stock looks good.  The wrist is well done, more wide than tall like most Lehigh's.  Love the finish!  Nice color blend and depth.  Use any glaze, lamp black, etc.?

My only "critique" is the circle on the wrist appears to have a couple SMALL flat spots.  I suck at those.  Did you use a veiner to cut those in?  More and more I've been trying to use gouges and/or knives because I've had better luck with that method.  I always seem to "porpoise" up and down when I use a veiner...  Anyway, small thing.  I really like what you did with the carving around the tang and with the panels.  I think the the hard edge / soft edge is kind of a matter of taste, and I tend to lean towards a harder edge.  Just me.  At any rate the carving is well designed and well executed.

The best part about this rifle to me, is that it shows how you've improved your skills.  You took the "next step" with this piece.  I hope you're able to make it to Dixon's this year, and hope you can bring this rifle with you.  I'd really like to get a good look.  Again, great job and thanks for sharing!


              Ed

[smallpatch]

Tom,

Very nicely done.  I just finished the same basic rifle a month or two ago.  Not an easy build.

I'm impressed with your carving, and I'm with you on the finish.  I don't like plastic shiny either.

If I had to com up with just one thing, it would be....... Where's that big cheek star??

Nice gun.

[Tom Currie]

James and Jeff, thanks for the nice comments

Ed, After my base color was finished , I strongly tinted some Chambers oil so that even in thin coats I could develop some range in color and then carefully wore it back to blend. I'm please with the result. The incised carving between the tang on panels were done with a v tool. I did stab the tang carving. I wish I could have done finer work there . Mine is effectively a flat raised pattern, would be nice to have some more depth or variance in depth to the carving. It's all part of the process.

Dane, I looked over your fine recent Lehigh in detail. One thing about ALR it gives us the chance to learn from others who are just a bit further down the road as ourselves. 

[Acer Saccharum]

Tom, I think you did a commendable job on the carving. It's very well done. There is definitely a place for flat carving. This really works well on this gun. A very nice effort indeed.  Tom C (the other TC)

[Eric Smith]

Thanks for the info Tom. I dont have the KRA cds. I must put them on my list. I have spent most of my brief building career studying Reading rifles. I know so little about them and even less about the Lehigh.

[alex e.]

Very nicely done!

[Long John]

Tom,

That's a real nice riflegun!  There are a number of aspects that I really love - sideplate, left side butt carving, butt-box, to name a few.

You should be real proud of that one!

Best Regards,

John Cholin

[Ionian]

No one picked up on the drool from the photographer on the 4th. picture?

Beautiful rifle, nough said!