Practicing carving?

[Jakob]

Hello,

I've been lurking here for a bit and I think it's easily one of the best sources for info on long rifle gun building.
I have not too long ago picked up a Lymans GPR (percussion), but as I like making things, building my own gun was on the radar even before I picked up the GPR.
 I have reasonable skills in most of the disciplines (wood/metal) and even dabbled in jewelry making a few years back (Silver, mostly).
What I haven't done before, is wood carving.
So, before I jump in with both feet and get infected with 'get-it-done', I figured I should practice that first, so I don't end up practicing on my first gun!.
Question is, are you better off starting with 'easy' carving wood like basswood, or should I go straight to the intended target (in my case, walnut) and get used to dealing with the grain?.

Cheers,
Jakob

[B.Barker]

Carving basswood is nothing like walnut. I would look for some scrap walnut to practice on since walnut is so expensive now. I like straight grained hard maple the best for carving. The "secret" to good carving is keeping your chisels razor sharp.

[Birddog6]

I suggest you learn to build a good clean rifle First. Then 4-5 rifles later, work on
the carving.
I have seen hundreds if very decent rifles ruined by carving. 

Doesn’t matter how good the build is, if it is poorly carved, it is a
poor rifle because of the end result.

Same on the building part. You can be an awesome carver, and still
have a poor build, and the end result is a poor rifle.

Learn to build First. Then progress from there. 👍

[rich pierce]

Solid advice from Keith there. If you have access to hardwood firewood, you can practice carving on any piece wider than 2”. Hatchet, drawknife, spokeshave, rasp, scraper and you have a top of the wrist profile to carve. Any piece 5” wide can become a practice buttstock. Fine-grained hardwoods are your best bet. Maples, cherry and so on. You probably won’t find much walnut firewood. It has to be dead dry or it won’t cut at all like well- seasoned gunstock wood.

[pjmcdonald]

Jim Kibler's practice stock has proved valuable to me and my dad. It is essentially half a butstock with a cheek rest. Plenty of wood to draw, carve, rasp and sand off, and repeat. It is mounted to a block so is easy to hold in a vise. It helps to have the curves - very different than drawing or carving on a flat board. I'm not quite ready to move from the practice block to a rifle yet but getting there.

I leave the practice block on one bench and will often just stop and work on it sometimes in between other projects.

Paul

[Jakob]

Thanks. I do have a decent amount of walnut off-cuts to practice on. Plan is very much to keep it simple. At the very least the basic moldings, how much further than that, will depend on how the practice goes!.

[Birddog6]

If you have walnut avail, just plane off a piece & go for it. 

Couple things I will add.  The carving will be no better than the drawing.  In other words, you are Carving what you
Draw.  So if the Drawing is not good, don't expect the carving to be good.  I spend more time getting the drawing
to suite me, than I do the carving of it. 
One time I had a rifle on the bench for 18 months trying to decide What I wanted on it.  I must have changed it 25
times & modified it & etc. Bear in mind I always build 2 rifles at a time, as I want one for rough in general work & on
for precise work.  On the days I feel really good I will work on the precise one & draw or carve or inlet the lock or
whatever. On the other days I will do what I call grunt work, like barrel inletting, RR pipes, etc.  On that one particular
rifle I had 5 barrels inlet into blanks & RR pipes in/done on other stocks before I got this #1 stock carved.  I just
couldn't get it to satisfy me. And I have not & never will sell a rifle that does not satisfy Me.
Many a night I have sat in the living room or den with my wife watching TV & me sitting in my recliner doodling with
a #2 pencil, doing rifle carvings & drawings on paper, trying to perfect what I want to see.
 
IMHO, how much time you put into drawing & carving practice, is a direct reflection on the results.    And once you
carve it in, it is there before God & everyone.  Remember you are taking AWAY wood, not adding it. You can't redo it
over & over on a stock, you won't have any stock left.    So the initial application must be your best.

[c deperro]

Keith hit that nail on the head. You can take a $1000.00 in parts and turn it into $700.00 real fat if the carving is poorly done. The two most over looked tools in carving are the pencil and eraser.

[Jakob]

I'm a visual effects artist by trade, which requires a rather unique mix of technical and creative skills, so hopefully some of that will carry over.
I'm already practicing drawing C & S scrolls, beavertails, etc. They're fairly easy on paper, but I suspect it'll be a lot harder when you're constrained by the shape and curvature of the stock...but then again, it's usually constraints that produces good design.

[J. Talbert]

I'm a visual effects artist by trade, which requires a rather unique mix of technical and creative skills, so hopefully some of that will carry over.
I'm already practicing drawing C & S scrolls, beavertails, etc. They're fairly easy on paper, but I suspect it'll be a lot harder when you're constrained by the shape and curvature of the stock...but then again, it's usually constraints that produces good design.

I would expect that your background should give you a leg-up, but keep in mind that good carving should flow with, and become part of the architecture of the overall piece.

I too would caution, as others have, that many a good solid early effort at gun making has been scuttled by poor carving and or engraving.

Good luck,
Jeff

[dogcatcher]

From your stated background, you should do great.  The only possible hang up could be sharpening skills.  Spend some time on Woodcarving illustrated forum.  https://forum.woodcarvingillustrated.com/forum

[Craig Wilcox]

From my art supply place, I ordered quite a few things, and among them were 5 large rubber erasers.  I have three left!  They are amongst the most-used tools in my limited artwork.