Finished Fence Post #2

[Mark Horvat]

That is not a rifle that is an institution.  Fabulous work.

Mark

[acorn20]

Absolutely stunning!  We'd expect nothing less coming from your hands. 

I think the members on here have seen enough of your work over the years that you wouldn't even have to engrave your name on it and we'd still know it's yours.

[jerrywh]

 Darn good looking fence post. Dave -your getting better all the time.  If I knew you were going to get that good at engraving,I never would have let you in my shop. Super Job. Why are you wasting your time being a rocket engineer? I love it.

[Paddlefoot]

Very nice. #2 huh?   Now that's talent.

[t.caster]

Beautiful workmanship and artistry!
A lot of extra attention to details, like your trigger & engraved plate!
I was going to post pics of my latest in a few days, but I don't want to follow that act (er, fencepost)!

[JB2]

I saw topic "fencepost #2", from Davec.   I knew what I was about to see.  Thought it was 2 days too late for April fools' post tho'.  I'm going to the shop right now to drive all my gravers into a 'real' fencepost, so's I won't be tempted to pick them up ever again.  Beautiful work, as always.

[kaintuck]

Ok, this forum knows me and some remember my past hypothesis that not all olden time builders were both rifle builders AND great engravers.......well, buy this fellows work(his ONLY second rifle!).....I now stand corrected.....it IS possible for some to have the talents of both builder and carver, and engravers!

[jerrywh]

 Talent is an aquired skill. It takes a lot of studying and practice to become talented. In my opinion the only thing required to be talented is patience, persistance and desire. Dave has them all.

[davec2]

Thank you all for the kind comments.  And to those of you who sent me substantive critiques via PM, thank you again for taking the time to sit and write and explain.  Having never seen, or better yet held, an original longrifle, it is a huge help to get critiques from those of you who are much more experienced builders and who have had the opportunity to handle originals. Two dimensional photos, and even plans, just don't completely convey what is needed to do this correctly.  Your comments and critiques are very much appreciated.

Mike Brooks:  When I was nearly finished shaping the forearm I knew there was something amiss and then it dawned on me that the wood came too far up the barrel.  I told myself that I would knock that down and reshape the edges "in the morning".  Well, by morning, I had forgotten to do that and I didn't even think about it again until you posted your comment.  Now it's bugging me ....but I won't make that mistake again.  (My excuse is that I periodically suffer from CRS - "Can't Remember S_ _t")

Jerrywh:  You are correct...persistence is the key ingredient to many things in life.  Unfortunately, I sometimes persistently make the same mistakes....over and over.   I am also very thankful that you did let me into your shop...and I need to come back for more lessons at some point.  I am now building a swamp barreled rifle out of the walnut stock blank that I got from you while I was in Baker taking lessons.  This will be the first rifle I have started after finding the ALR site and, hopefully, will not contain so many rookie mistakes.  This will also be the first rifle that I will keep for myself rather than giving it away.  We'll see how it comes out ...it's about half done right now.

Thanks again to all.

[James Rogers]

Dave,
You are quite the artist. I do have trouble seeing the fine gun for the engraving. Not that it is so much but so good! I aspire to be half that good!
Thanks for sharing
James

[smart dog]

Hi Dave,
A grand gun!  Your engraving and carving show such boldness and confidence that it is almost alarming to a right-brained person.  The perfection and precision of your craft is one of your signatures.  Anyone who engraves very much knows that straight lines and geometric patterns are very hard to do because you cannot hide mistakes.  Even parallel lines are harder than scrolls.

 You requested critiques and because I so greatly admire your work, I took some time to compose some thoughtful comments (at least I hope they are thoughtful).  The only thing that jumped out as possibly a flaw is that the panel around the sideplate appears to differ quite a bit from the lock-side panel.  The lock side flows very well but the sideplate side seems to taper too abruptly toward the rear.  It may just be the photos or an illusion to my eyes but the panels seem to differ quite a bit.  That is not necessarily a problem or wrong, but I like the lock side better than the sideplate side.  My other comments strictly relate to my personal taste and what limited talent for art and design that I possess (much of which I owe to my late wife, Gail).  Your carving and stock architecture are precise, perfectly executed, and bold, but to my eye they need to be unleashed.  They seem too restrained to me.  The shields around the lock panels should be larger in front and back and the radius of the molding bigger, less tight.  If you are going to use your bold engraving style, then give your carving a lighter touch, incorporating life and movement so that it does not simply become a picture frame around your engraved metal.  It has to stand up to your engraving.  Alternatively, reduce the boldness of the engraving and transfer that boldness to the carving.  To my eye, it is a matter of balance.  Two people on this board (and there are others but these two come to my immediate mind) who demonstrate that balance and finesse are Jim Kibler and Tom Curran (Acer).  I think a careful examination of their work is very useful.  You mention that you are building a gun for yourself.  You have all the craft skills that you need and then some.  What I would love to see from Dave Crisalli is a gun that lets the horse out of the barn and goes for a wild ride. 

Your friend,

dave                 

[davec2]

Dave,

Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments.  And your comments are, as the Brits would say, "spot on".  On the subject of the side panel, I was looking at the photos I posted (the day after I posted them) and said to myself, "What the $#*! did I do to the shape of that side panel?  It must be the photo !"  Well, when I went back to look at the rifle, it wasn't the photo at all.  At some point, I apparently had a brain murmur and just messed it up.  I'm not sure how I did that.  My procedure is to inlet the lock and shape its panel first.  Then, using the lock bolts as locators, I make a clear plastic template of the lock side panel and transfer it to the side plate side of the stock.  Seems pretty darn simple to me…..but somehow I flubbed it.  (I need to remember next time that the photos don't lie.  I should take pictures before I start the stain and finishing operations and look at them closely until I get the hang of this gun building stuff.)

As for the engraving and carving, I understand what you are saying…I just need to figure out how to do what you are saying.  I do often study your work for inspiration as well as Jerry Huddleston, and Jim Kibler, and Tom Curan, and Bill Shipman, and …..  After just a couple of guns, I am fighting my way through overcoming my tendency to include haphazard design elements and work toward the unity and flow of the others mentioned.  Tom mentioned my "distinctive style".  Unfortunately, I don't necessarily like my distinctive style and would like to build with the distinctive style of the other builders I admire.

Well, I am fresh out of old projects that I started before I found all of you and before I knew what I know now.  We'll see if I can, as you put it, "let the horse out of the barn" on this third rifle, although I believe it will be a more subdued piece.  Thanks again for the helpful advice.  And I am sure that if I had a place to work as magnificent as your new shop (rather than the rabbit hole I occupy), I would be more inspired to create an inspired piece.

All the best.

Dave C

[omark]

i am certainly not as knowledgeable or experienced as most of the people on this site, and the only original rifle i have really been able to examine was built by jacob long from pa. it was handed down through the family to my brother in law. it has a very nice curly maple half stock and has brass furniture with silver inlays. it is a caplock. i would call it more of an ohio style. i only mention this so you will know it was not a poor boy type of rifle but one of quality. the reason i mention it is that i noticed that the lock panels on it do not match at all. i dont know if that is common or not, but was definitely done on occasion.    fwiw    mark

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I have enjoyed studying this rifle and appreciate that there are so many images of it, taken with the builder in mind.  I have gone back to it over and over, enjoying it every time.  Are there mistakes - I suppose so.  Are there things I'd have done differently - perhaps.
Second rifle?  Lord have mercy!
Studying the engraving alone, I admire your confident and powerful approach.  Your engraving is bold and concise, well designed and executed.  In spite of its use of time honoured elements, it demonstrates your own creativity, and I admire that immensely.
I'll be pacing the floor in anticipation of #3.

[dogcreek]

Great woodworking. Excellent  metalsmithing. Just great gunmaking! Congratulations on a job well done, Dave!

[Long John]

Everyone else has beat me to the punch.  Super work!  If that is a fence post then I am in the process of making flooring for the chicken coop!

John Cholin

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Dave it is amazing. I can't wait to see a gun built after you have seen and held a bunch of originals!!!  You are an amazing artist.

[PeteStevens]

I feel like you set me up. Being a newbie here I was expecting something, well, perhaps not so ornate. My jaw dropped after seeing the first picture and drool started after the second. You Sir are a truly an artist. If this is a fence post then I would love to see what you would call a long rifle.

RLTW

[Artificer]

Dave C,

Beautiful rifle and STUNNING engraving. 

Just have to ask, are you a Libra or do the scales represent the Scales of Justice or something else?

Gus

[andy49]

Dave
As everyone has said, this is an incredible piece of work!
Do you use a power graver to do such fine engraving?
Andy

[davec2]

Pete, Artificer, Andy,

Thanks for the kind comments.  I built the rifle for my brother-in-law and he is an attorney…hence the Scales of Justice.  Andy, I do most of the engraving with a 35 year old Gravermeister, but I also do some of the finer shading with a push graver.  In general, I'm OK with how this rifle turned out, but there are much better examples on this site of guns made by other builders who have the architecture, the engraving, and the carving perfected to a much higher degree that what I have done here.  As I noted in previous posts, I suffer from the handicap of never having held an original in my hands, but the constructive critique and helpful suggestions I have always received on this site from much better builders has been invaluable.

Thanks again.

[kaintuck]

Tim adlam is also someone to look to.....he has done my rifles and a super good artist.....he can ramp up or down to match the rifles needs, from a 1770 flinter, to a browning~ he has a nice web site....
Let us have some in-process photos, of rifle #3

Marc

[justAwink]

WOW! It looks so good I will say it backwards too WOW!