Jerry , WOW!!! Did you use a magnifier of some type to see this while working? What type of rifle/ gun is this for? I bet cutting out the tiny gold inlays was fun . How do you hold something that small to shape it? Beautiful results , time well spent!!! Nathan
I confess to using a microscope. Microscopes have existed for hundreds of years but I have found no proof that they were ever used by engravers in the 18th century or before. They did use some very powerful magnifying glasses probably in the range of 10 power. There is no doubt about that. There are engravers in Europe who do it the same way and they are some of the best in the world. The late Frank Hendrix of the USA used the old method.
Those gold inlays are not cut out. I use a different method. The part was held on a wooden block with thermo set plastic, sold by GRS.
This gun is a long rifle, contemporary to say the least and very far out for a long rifle. I told Mike Brooks it would drive him nuts. There is a small gold rococo frame on the breach end of the barrel that has three different bank note and bolino style game scenes in it. A deer fighting a dog, A fox after a squirrel, and a wooded scene with a rabbit in it. All this is withing a 1 5/8" long x 1.2" wide frame on three barrel flats. The scene is left in the white and the rest of the barrel is browned. It will be for sale when it is done. It is no farther out than some of Keith Cateel's stuff or Judson Brennan. It is a wall hanger for sure. I started making this for a hunting gun and got carried away. AGAIN.
