Author Topic: A Blunderbuss Commission - Finished.....Finished !!! (Read 41438 times)

n stephenson · « **Reply #75 on:** January 01, 2017, 06:23:49 PM »

Dave , Beautiful work!!! Did you cast the thumbpiece your self ? Thanks Nathan

davec2 · « **Reply #76 on:** January 01, 2017, 08:20:28 PM »

Nathan,

Yes. I made an original thumb piece in brass (cut out with a saw and carved with gravers and chisels). Then I vulcanized a rubber mold and pumped wax patterns as I need them to cast in gold, sterling silver, or brass. I make this same design in several different sizes. Here is a smaller silver version I used to decorate the patch box door on an English rifle:

n stephenson · « **Reply #77 on:** January 02, 2017, 05:43:37 AM »

Dave, PM sent Thanks Nathan

davec2 · « **Reply #78 on:** January 09, 2017, 01:49:54 AM »

Well....Not "done" done....but close enough for the final photos. Need to get a sling made and a few of the screw heads need to be hardened, but nothing that would make the photos any better than they are now. Here goes......the stock is not quite as dark at appears here.......

Joe S. · « **Reply #79 on:** January 09, 2017, 02:30:21 AM »

Beautiful Dave,like it a lot

Daryl · « **Reply #80 on:** January 09, 2017, 02:40:23 AM »

Incredibly beautiful, Dave. Now - tell me honestly, that it would not be GREAT to shoot a moose at 10' or 15' with that gun!

Chowmi · « **Reply #81 on:** January 09, 2017, 02:47:15 AM »

Quote from: Daryl on January 09, 2017, 02:40:23 AM

Incredibly beautiful, Dave. Now - tell me honestly, that it would not be GREAT to shoot a moose at 10' or 15' with that gun!

As long as it died quickly.....

Otherwise, enjoy the experience for the short time you would have left!!

James Rogers · « **Reply #82 on:** January 09, 2017, 02:52:22 AM »

Beautiful as always Dave.

davec2 · « **Reply #83 on:** January 09, 2017, 02:53:05 AM »

Daryl,

Somewhere long ago I read that the English made 4 gage, flintlock, very short barrels guns well into the 19th century for sale to Pygmy tribes in Africa. The Pygmies hunted elephants by getting underneath them while the elephant was grazing, placing the butt of the gun on the ground pointing the barrel straight up at the elephant's belly, ducking down, and then depressing the trigger with a thumb. As soon as the gun went off, the hunter would drop it and then get out from under the elephant as quickly as possible (for obvious reasons).

I think if I went after a moose with a blunderbuss, I might adopt a similar method.....

Thank you all for the kind comments.

SingleMalt · « **Reply #84 on:** January 09, 2017, 03:54:53 AM »

I really like it! Sleek and pleasing to the eye. I'd be happy to own one.

Daryl · « **Reply #85 on:** January 09, 2017, 08:41:17 PM »

I've getting wound up on this, a bit. I think I need one with an 18" bl., 4 bore, of course - that would be 1.052", give or take a few thousandths. A 5 gauge ball, at .977" would weigh 1,400gr. 1,750gr. for a full 4 bore ball, so about 1,675gr. for a 1.00" ball - or thereabouts - hard or soft, no matter.

Ed Wenger · « **Reply #86 on:** January 09, 2017, 09:20:12 PM »

Beautiful in every aspect. Very well done, Dave! Thanks very much for sharing.

Ed

bob in the woods · « **Reply #87 on:** January 09, 2017, 10:46:02 PM »

Since I raised the question re what can you use it for..?? I should tell you that I put a swivel mount on mine, and it regularly spends time either on a post in front of my shop, or..on the front of my canoe

jerrywh · « **Reply #88 on:** January 12, 2017, 08:28:19 AM »

Dave. Did you cut the letters on the thumb piece??

davec2 · « **Reply #89 on:** January 12, 2017, 10:42:36 PM »

Jerry,

I didn't cut the thumb piece letters, I etched them fairly deep. Using the usual resist, I scribed the letters through the resist and then etched them into the sterling silver with a solution of 25% nitric acid. Took about 5 minutes to etch and then I cleaned up a few of the serifs and lines with a graver. I did cut the "LONDON" on the top barrel flat, but those letters are much larger and easier to do. I still can't engrave script or, actually, any type of lettering well enough to do so with confidence. I am trying to teach myself script lettering now.

However, I did do this lettering on the underside of the copy of the Jim Chambers rifle I just finished. The lettering was all laid out with a pencil and cut with a graver. I did it on the underside of the barrel because I lack confidence, but it came out well enough that I am not ashamed of it.

And the lettering style was copied from my Navy Surface Warfare qualification badge that my Dad had engraved for me by a very old jewelry engraver he knew 40 years ago. The engraver's name was Mr. Soto. He was a originally from Spain and was trained in Europe at the turn of the 20th century. He cut everything by hand with a push graver with only a very few tools and a block. He used only a single eye loop and sharpened his gravers on one small stone and emery paper. As a high school kid I would watch him work and marvel at how effortlessly he would lay out a design, lettering, borders, etc., and then just start cutting. This is the back of my Surface Warfare insignia that my Dad made for me in 18k gold and that Mr. Soto engraved in 1978. The whole engraved space is only about 1/2" tall. I like the design of the lettering and I tried to use the same style on the underside of the barrel in the picture above.

Here are both sides of a silver handled letter opener he did for my Dad as well. Took Mr. Soto about 5 minutes a side to lay out the design and finish cutting.

jerrywh · « **Reply #90 on:** January 13, 2017, 12:39:41 AM »

Dave. Lettering is one of the hardest things there is to do. Straight Roman is the hardest in my opinion because if one vertical line is off the slightest bit it shows up like a light at night. Those are super good even if they are etched. I etch some lettering pretty often as you know. There is an old Dover book called the jewelry engravers manual. It is about the best book on lettering I have ever seen. It is very inexpensive. Script gravers are different than regular gravers in there geometry. Everybody interested in Engraving should get that book . Phil Coggan is the best engraver in the World in my opinion and he uses a script graver for a lot of his stuff especially on banknote style.
The bolino style engraving on your gun is very good. I couldn't do any better. Great job.

Ed Wenger · « **Reply #91 on:** January 13, 2017, 06:24:19 AM »

Jerry..., thanks for the info on the Jewelry Engravers Manual, just ordered a copy!

Dave, I keep finding more things to like each time I look at your work. Thanks again for sharing.

Ed

t.caster · « **Reply #92 on:** January 13, 2017, 06:07:28 PM »

Real cool project and very precise execution! I should have shipped my "Free Born" rifle to you, to do my lettering. Super job!

davec2 · « **Reply #93 on:** January 26, 2018, 09:52:08 PM »

Another old post resurrected here.....but I wanted to publicly thank James Rogers for his help on this. A year ago I had finished this commissioned blunderbuss and had ordered a sling for it from Roy Najecki. Unfortunately, Roy's wife had passed away just after I had ordered the sling and Roy had enough to deal with in his life without making a sling. Life and aerospace work intruded on me at this point and I did not have the time to deal with making or getting a sling made for several months. Some time later, I had asked James Rogers to make a special shot pouch for me and I happened to mention the sling. I asked if he could make one up for me. Of course, as these things always work out, James was right in the middle of his own busy life and moving into a new shop as well. Nonetheless, he made this buckle and sling for me and allowed me to finally complete this project. I just wanted to again let everyone know what a stupendous craftsman James is and what a pleasure it is to work with him.

smylee grouch · « **Reply #94 on:** January 26, 2018, 10:59:25 PM »

STUNNING !

Justin · « **Reply #95 on:** January 27, 2018, 12:02:56 AM »

Very nice. Your engraving makes me want to get into that arena. More tools to buy I guess...

Daryl · « **Reply #96 on:** January 27, 2018, 12:07:35 AM »

Yes indeed- Stunning! I would really like to shoot a moose with one of those - 4 bore would be perfect!

smart dog · « **Reply #97 on:** January 27, 2018, 03:07:46 AM »

Hi Dave,
Wonderful as always! The engraved decoration is outstanding and very appropriate, historically.

dave

SingleMalt · « **Reply #98 on:** January 27, 2018, 03:23:16 AM »

I don't know how I missed this before. That's a beautiful blunderbuss.

James Rogers · « **Reply #99 on:** January 27, 2018, 03:42:16 AM »

Dave,
Glad I could help out and honored to have my work accompany your superb workmanship.
James

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Author Topic: A Blunderbuss Commission - Finished.....Finished !!! (Read 41438 times)

n stephenson

n stephenson