Just doodling. Suggestions?

[JohnTyg]

Any comments or suggestions on my sketching ideas before I start to carve? Just purchased the W. Gusler DVD, which should help.  I'll keep the carving pretty simple.

Took some advice and purchased a contour gauge.  Very simple to check a profile and then turn it around 180 degrees and note the high points.  The wrist is much more rounded and symmetrical.

This forum has given me enough useful help that I think I'm heading in a much better direction with what I am now doing.  At this point will probably just finish it up. My sincere thanks.

John

[JohnTyg]

Heres a better profile of the right.

[rich pierce]

Hot diggety that's going to be a great looking rifle.

[LehighBrad]

Yup...agreed...she's gonna be a purdy lady.;-)

[Cory Joe Stewart]

Looking good!

Coryjoe

[Jim Kibler]

I think it's looking pretty good.  The volute on the box side could be improved a bit though in my view.  I'm not crazy about the incised lines around it which you have drawn in.  Also if the ending of the volute wouldn't extend quite so close to the rest of the volute, I think it would look better.   Hope this makes sense.

Jim

[JohnTyg]

Jim,

Not particularly attached to the incised lines, at least as they are currently drawn.

I see what you mean about the volute.

 I'm chagrined to admit it was a nice day out so I went ahead and proceeded with my first ever volute on a prominent area of the rifle.  It still needs some cleanup and I'll adjust that lower boarder.  Keeping most of the carving to 1/32" but the volute got away from me a little (was saving the deeper carving for behind the cheekpiece).

Do agree that the lower boarder is too close and will adjust it downwards a little.

John

[JohnTyg]

Had quite a bit of "carvers remorse" after "attacking" the wrist of my rifle with my first attempt at a volute.  Practiced on some scrap first, but didn't really know how it would look on the rifle until it was cut in.  Quickly realized it wasn't done in a traditional manner at all and should have been very superficial.  Well softened it up as much as I could, at the expense of a little of the wrist thickness.  Suspect the rest will go better and hope that my volute will eventually get lost in the overall "folksy" look of the rifle.

I do like the look of the lock panel.  Well what I have here is a collection of things I like, don't like and things I would do different next time.  Great "template" for my 3rd rifle.

[rich pierce]

There's quite a bit of variety in the height of carving, especially on early rifles, so I'd not worry too much.  The thing about carving is, as you've discovered, there's no going back.  Enjoy what you've done!  There are a number of "perfectly carved" original early rifles.  It's a small number.  Doesn't mean we shouldn't strive to do our best, but I try to imagine a period maker who probably spent a morning carving the whole rifle.  They did enough of them, that they developed some mastery.

[Jim Kibler]

Looking pretty nice!

[Meteorman]

Well what I have here is a collection of things I like, don't like and things I would do different next time. 

that pretty well describes most builds, I believe.  At least for me.

your tansition from lock panel surface to and thru beavertail went well, it looks like.  nice work.

/mike millard

[JohnTyg]

Thanks for the helpful comments and observations.

Smartest thing I did with this project was one of my very first decisions.
Purchased a VERY HARD piece of sugar maple.  It has made both inletting and my first attempts at moldings/carving much easier.

John

[Long John]

John

You're doing fine.  Just go slow and remember that you don't need to go to finished depth and detail with the first cut.  Indeed, for those of us that are amateurs at this it is often better to cut very shallow and see the overall look before going to finished depth and starting the model the shape of the carving.  Remember, too, that the best carving is deceptively shallow - a 32nd of an inch deep - the thickness of a regular paperclip.

I find that it goes better for me if I try to work on the whole rifle all at the same time.  Much of the carving is interconnected on a long rifle and I like to get the feel of the whole design all going together in the same direction, so to speak.  Work on one side, then the other , then over the wrist at the nose of the comb and then back to the sides so everything gently progresses to a single internally consistent statment.

I don't often achieve that, but that is what I am striving for!

Best Regards,

John Cholin

[JohnTyg]

John,

As usual here, excellent advice. 

Thank you, and best regards also,

John

[Jim Kibler]

Making statements about carving depth and what is best sort of makes me cringe.  To be clear, there was a wide range of carving height used on original longrifles.  From barely relieved to probably .100" or so.  In the appropriate place and if each is treated (sculpted / modeled etc.) properly both extremes can be historically correct and have aesthetic appeal.  There even is sometimes considerable variation in carving depth on a given rifle.  An example of the extreme in height is tang carving on RCA 42.  It is heavily sculpted and shaped, however, so it doesn't appear to have that height.  Guess my point is that this stuff isn't as simple as it might seem on a surface level.

[Ed Wenger]

John,

I don't see anything to get remorseful about...  I think your carving looks very well executed.  I might have shortened the termination of the volute a little, but it's well done.  I used to get hung up on carving depth, but not so much anymore.  You seem to have an eye for what looks "right",  which I think will serve you well. 


            Ed

[JohnTyg]

Ed,

"Carvers remorse" was somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but it certainly did describe my concerns over making what I thought was an avoidable error (polite for stupid mistake).  After cracking the butplate on this rifle, or sawing though the lock plate on an earlier effort, I'm taking these things in stride,.. somewhat.

Still the encouragement and experience offered here is very much appreciated as I really am in the process of developing an eye for what "looks right", couldn't do it without the feedback offered here..

That volute is looking better to me all the time. 
Same goes for the wrist architecture (thanks to Acer and Jim's help on that one). 

Best regards'

John

[Bentflint]

I think that when you stand back and say "the carving is done", if it look as good as the architecture and inlets it will be a fine rifle. Way better than my #2 for sure.

[JohnTyg]

Thanks,

Much more of a learning experience here than I anticipated and it has been an exciting build for me as I think that I am starting to "get it" regarding the architecture.  I has been a slow build as I seem to spend more time standing back and looking at it, trying to figure out whats next, than actually working on it.  Even visited the Landis museum Lancaster display.  I am sure my next build, if my wife lets me, will go quicker.

Still lots to do.  the lock panels need slimming, restricted somewhat by my location of the trigger guard pin and lock bolt.  The top of the comb looks too prominent or high and will probably curve this down very gently the last 1/3 or so (very gently).  Will probably shorten the cheek piece at the rear, prior to sketching any carving design. The wrist is as thin as I dare, 1 1/4" (1" breech) partly because I sacrificed some of the thickness to soften my first volute.

John

[Jim Kibler]

John,

Once again, I think you are doing a very fine job.  It's looking great to my eye.  Working slow, understanding and learning seems to be paying off.  Keep up the good work!

Jim

[JohnTyg]

Thanks Jim!

I do tend to pick out and post the better photos that accentuate the good parts rather than the flaws though (and lots of them).  But even this helps me view the rifle more critically.

John