As a builder, I suffer from the HUGE disadvantage that I have never, NEVER actually seen an original long rifle with my own two eyes, let alone held one. And, actually, I have only ever seen and held one single contemporary rifle that I did not make myself. It was a beauty (I have posted pictures of it before) made by John Ennis. It was truly magnificent, but I only had a chance to hold it for possibly 3 minutes and that was several years ago.
To answer some questions:
Burnt - the color was the result of two applications of aqua fortis / iron nitrate solution and subsequent and heat blushing. The finish (per Smart Dog's posts) was Sutherland Wells Polymerized Tung Oil.
Acer - Working with someone else's palette / style was definitely an eye opener in so far as it expanded my technique, design eye, and sense of what I like and don't like. And, in that vein, trying to duplicate Jim's work did indeed shift both my interests and my desire to learn better skills.
Taylor - Not a question, but I thank you for the comparison to David Dodd. I assure you, it is not deserved but it is nice to think that I am making some progress.
Bill Shipman - Also not a question, but, just to warn you, one of your rifles may be my next attempt at a duplication...although trying to pick one to copy might be the hard part.
And to Jim Kibler, first let me thank you again and publicly for your gracious help, especially for sending the casts of your rifle (which should be back in your hands safely by now....I hope. I sent them through the US Postal Service !) Your answers to my emails about how to do this or that were also a great help and I hope I did not make too much of a pest out of myself. But, to warn you and others, you guys are not off the hook yet. I still need help next with carving, background leveling, and finishing...I am missing something.
I also wanted to share some of my "lessons learned":
1) It is much easier to copy someone else's design than to come up with your own. I usually spend much more time trying to decide what to do than it takes to actually do it. Copying someone else's work eliminates all the decision time.
2) It is very difficult to make a "bench copy" of anything when you don't have the original on the bench. (Although, in this case, Jim's gracious gesture of loaning me casts of parts of his original rifle was a tremendous help).
3) Digital pictures show too little and too much at the same time. By that I mean that the 2D images don't show you everything (i.e. subtle contours, etc.) you need to know to duplicate something exactly, but they make things that look good in real life look like $#@* at a magnification of 5X.
4) In making a less decorated rifle it is nice to smooth up all the brass parts and then realize that they are done. On this rifle, I spent, perhaps, 5 minutes, total, cutting the very few engraved lines on the side plate and rear sight.
5) As it was with my engraving, I struggled along for many years trying to learn techniques on my own without making a lot of progress. After a week of face to face lessons with Jerry Huddleston, I learned more than I had in the previous two decades. Along the same lines, I need to go take lessons on carving and finishing. I am missing something that I can't seem to put my finger on without watching someone, who knows what they are doing, work in front of me.
6) Jim Kibler has an unfair advantage. He has seen and handled many more original Kibler rifles than I have.
Thanks to all of you who have made comments expressing support, encouragement, and compliments. They have all been greatly appreciated. And sorry this project took so long...this working for a living really eats into my time.
