Thanks for the lessons ! (Final Engraving, Start of Stain & Finish)

[davec2]

More than 10 years ago, long before I stumbled on this board, I wanted to take up building another longrifle or two.  I had a couple of straight barrels and a few pieces of, what looked to be, nice stock maple and just set to work.  What I was doing was based on the first rifles I had built in high school 30 years before that.  Although I still have both of the early rifles, and they do shoot straight, they have all the architectural finesse of barreled fence posts.  Due to job and time constraints, the work on the new rifles went very slowly, but it was fun to tinker at it whenever I had the time.

I was fairly far along when I found the ALR board.  However, when I saw what many others of you were doing, I stopped work immediately.  I was so far off in so many directions, that I knew I needed to learn more before I wasted any more time and material.

All during the past four or five years I have been trying to decide whether to just throw away the two rifles I had started or complete them as a training exercise (you can tell I’m ex Navy) incorporating as many improvements as I could.  I decided that the stocks would make a nice evening’s fire, the straight barrels could be sold, and the locks could be re-used on better designed rifles.    In preparation, I bought new stock wood and a few swamped barrels.  I even got so far as inletting two of the swamped barrels and rough shaping the stocks more in keeping with what I had learned here.

But I never quite got around to that evening’s fire made up of stock wood.  The rifles sat on a rack above my bench and the exterior of the barrels began to brown the oldest fashion way…what to do….what to do…..

About a month ago I finally decided, “Oh, $#*!, why don’t I just finish the darn things and be done with it”.  They will shoot OK and they will look a @!*% sight better than the first fence posts I made…and they will be good carving and engraving practice to boot.

So here is some of the recent progress.  I just wanted to thank all of the ALR members for all the bits and pieces of outstanding information I have picked up reading along.  This particular rifle is nothing to write home about, but it isn’t fence post grade either.  And trying to save it has made me employ every “how would you fix this” trick I have learned from all of you over the past few years.  Thanks again to all of you.

P.S.  Any and all critiques are welcome…I am still a long way from knowing what the $#*! I am doing here.

[smylee grouch]

I think your a fast learner. Looking very nice from where I sit.     Smylee

[heinz]

I am glad that did not hit the wood pile.  Nice engraving.  I was not sure about those dual toeplates but I think the engraving is pulling it off.  Not all flints were built before 1820 and this is going to be an interesting contemporary rifle.
The carving and engraving are not my style, probably because I don't do it as well as you.
The rear trigger guard tang inlet could use some shimming up.  The guards take a knock from time to time and I think all the support they can get from the tang helps preserve the inletting
I would suggest a pretty highly polished barrel to go with the engraving.
Good work

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

You have chosen wisely.  Tho' the wood being lovely hard maple would have given you a lot of lovely flame and heat, it is much better served as you have done.
I especially like the butt's shape and the carving before and behind the cheek piece.  Your engraving is your signature for certain...I think I could pick it out anywhere, particularly with the direction star on the lid of the box.
The wood and metal work will not be wasted, and your will have produced a fine rifle.  Stay the course, Dave.

[David G]

Always look foward to seeing your high end work! Keep it coming. Nice pics...

[mike learn]

If you are ever teaching classes, I would love to know.   I am always impressed with your work, yet, your seem so casual about it.  You discipline and patience is amazing.

[Mike Brooks]

Nice engraving. John Schippers influence?

[AsMs]

If only my fence posts looked so good.

AsMs

[Rick G.]

Wow! Very, very nice....

[oldarcher]

Very Nice!!! keep it up.

[davec2]

Heinz,

Dual toe plates...yes...one of those things I committed to years ago and could not undo.  The idea came from pictures I saw in a Golden Age Arms catalog in 1970 or so.  I made a matched set of rifles back then that had the dual toe plates with another decorative inlay in between:



Don't know if I will do that again...haven't decided if I like the idea yet, but it was a done deal on this one.  On the trigger guard, the inlet looks too wide, but there is no conventional tab and cross pin.  The rear of the guard is held like the forward end of some British locks.  The guard has a silver soldered large "L" shaped lug that engages a metal insert in the mortice that you see in the photo.  I'll see if it hold up as well as a simple cross pin:






Taylor,

You are one of my primary influences and your posts provide some adult supervision to my otherwise overly exuberant expressions in steel and wood.  You are also spot on about the engraving.  Some of it I like, some I just do because I am not sufficiently skilled to know what else to do.  I have a very limited design repertoire.  In this regard, John Ennis is the fellow who's engraving I would most like to emulate, but do not yet have the design skill.  Here is a picture or two of his work:









Mike Brooks,

Thanks about the engraving.  I just got a copy of John's book and will endeavor to be influenced by it.  I like the variety of his designs much more than some of my own.

[smylee grouch]

Dave, does that trigger guard tang lug cam somewhat when you install it and fasten the other end down?   Smylee

[davec2]

Smylee,

If I understand your question, the rear lug pulls up tight as the front end is seated.  It took a little hand fitting, but there isn't any slop at the rear of the guard when it is seated.  The front end is also not traditional.  It is held by a screw coming down from the barrel channel.  No cross pins at all.

[FL-Flintlock]

If you're not happy with 'em Dave, I'll gladly pay the shipping.  

[davec2]

Mark,

Thanks for the "Bravo Zulu". 

Dave C

[smylee grouch]

Yes Dave, you understood my question even though I did a poor job of asking. I thought the back lug would have been made like you explained and thanks for showing how the front end was fastened down. Very nice job on a very nice gun with very nice engraving. As has been said, your engraving is IMHO your signature.     Smylee

[Don Getz]

Dave.....what you need is more practice.   How about if I send my next barn gun out to you and you can practice your
carving a little more.   And the engraving, just stick to it and you'll come around.     I can just see it now, more global
warming, mostly from guys throwing gun stocks into the fire, thinking they were pretty good until......................Don

[FL-Flintlock]

Mark,

Thanks for the "Bravo Zulu". 

Dave C

Well earned Dave!
(You know those who aren't swabbies are scratching their heads about now.    )

[davec2]

Mark,

Let the grass combing lubbers ponder it a bit  

Don,

I would be happy to do some engraving or carving on one of your guns some time, if you trust me, in thanks for all the good advise you have posted here over the years.

Dave C

[Eric Smith]

Dave, glad you shared your story. I am about now where you started ten years ago. Hope to improve half as much as you did. I really like your engraving. Should have got you to engrave my wire depth guage.

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Dave,

You are such an incredible artist!  I can only dream of being able to do the beautiful work you do and have have done on this gun....

I am puzzled by one thing... and I may be dead wrong .. and if I am I want to learn about it.  What bothers me is the front curve & volute and the shape of the stock just to the rear and coming down to the plane of the rest of the stock,  from the cheekpiece.... see my arrows in the picture... the curve looks flat and parallel to the rear edge of the cheeklpiece to me...camera angle??  Seem that the arc of the drop from the cheekpiece down to the plane behind it should curve/flare a little more up toward the buttplate return and the bottom left of the forward curve/volute should extend slightly forward toward the end of the cheekpiece.......... OK, that's how I see it from here...



I am sure I am miss-seeing this as every other aspect of the carving and engraving just nails it as your work always does!!  And all the fantastic artist builders haven't said anything...but nothing ventured... nothing learned....what do you think??

[Eric Smith]

No picture, Doc! 

[JB2]

I'm thinking that ALR needs to revise its' rules.  Davec2 is NEVER allowed to post pics of any of his 'best efforts'!  It will just be too disheartening for all us hacks!  Well, at least for this hack!!;D

Seriously, can't wait to see more pics of these 'mistakes', so's I can get inspiration to make 'mistakes' so nice.  Maybe you could create your own 'school' of architechure with these mistakes, call it 'late Cali-flintlock', 'California Dandy', or sumpin'!

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

I'm thinking that ALR needs to revise its' rules.  Davec2 is NEVER allowed to post pics of any of his 'best efforts'!  It will just be too disheartening for all us hacks!  Well, at least for this hack!!;D
 Maybe you could create your own 'school' of architechure with these mistakes, call it 'late Cali-flintlock', 'California Dandy', or sumpin'!

That is my thought as well!!  

[heinz]

Dave, I understand that rear inlet now.  Very clever trigger guard mounting overall.  I think it should be quite strong.