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My first attempt at Rococo

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IanH said:
Mostly copying from images of Haines original works, but I'm altering the style slightly (fewer sharp points to the leaves, for one thing) and making some of it up where I can't seem to find any detailed photos, such as the transition from the forestock mouldings to the entry thimble carving. I'll also have to make up the tang carving so some degree as I explained earlier the person who started the kit and inlet the barrel and tang didn't modify the tang so I have this big flared, squared-off thing to deal with.

Something that's more difficult than I anticipated was drawing some the designs backwards by eye....my rifle is left handed.
Click to expand...
take a picture in the mirror and then print it off
 
I have no problem with carving once the pattern is drawn out, BUT my hands turn to paws when i try drawing out the pattern. I checkered for 45-50 years or so but the most curves that entailed was Fleur de Lis. i am trying to find a pattern for this cherry build. it is going to be my swan song and i would like to carve it up a little. take eyes away from all my mistakes!
IanH, you are a born artist.
 
dave_person said:
Hi Ian,
That looks great! The Kentucky Rifle Foundation sells CDs with fantastic quality photos of original guns. They have a couple of Isaac Haines rifles and the photos clearly show many of the carving details used by Haines. They are really useful for projects like this. Here are 2 examples.
oWVBJ41.jpg

9km6Ho6.jpg


dave
Click to expand...
wow. i like that. looks good bud
 
Wow, well done! I've done some carving before - not guns, I did a jewelry box. I found the actual carving to be easy to do exactly what I drew - as long as I didn't rush, stopped to strop, and braced for any slips. The design though, that was the hard part, drawing something that looked good, and looked good in relief proved to be very challenging.
 
In fluent Southern.... DA- YUMMM. DUDE!
THAT is absolutely STUNNING, regardless of the time the artist has been doing this!
I think I'll just sneak off to my corner of the woods and make do with what little contour incision I can hold steady enough to do, embellished with a bit of 'skin brass tack designs, and hope nobody sees me...
 
ham386 said:
Wow, well done! I've done some carving before - not guns, I did a jewelry box. I found the actual carving to be easy to do exactly what I drew - as long as I didn't rush, stopped to strop, and braced for any slips. The design though, that was the hard part, drawing something that looked good, and looked good in relief proved to be very challenging.
Click to expand...

I do well to write my name legibly and share your exact struggle. Drawing designs takes practice and being able to think about the subject in three dimensions, then deciding how to capture the gist of it in relief. I have no practice or background in drawing anything but blueprints, so I have to copy pretty closely existing work. The carving itself is straightforward and possibly even easier than inletting a lock.

One thing you mentioned that nobody else has so far is keeping your tools SHARP. I've never taken any instruction on gun building or carving/engraving wood, but I would imagine that the entirety of day one should be spent learning how to properly sharpen all the typical tools used.
 
Cvkotvkse said:
In fluent Southern.... DA- YUMMM. DUDE!
THAT is absolutely STUNNING, regardless of the time the artist has been doing this!
I think I'll just sneak off to my corner of the woods and make do with what little contour incision I can hold steady enough to do, embellished with a bit of 'skin brass tack designs, and hope nobody sees me...
Click to expand...

Incised carving (engraving, technically) is probably more difficult than relief. No room to correct mistakes! I tried my hand at some real simple stuff on my cherry Woodsrunner, it turned out just like I wanted, very sparse and understated but accenting the shapes of the gun. I was going to do a nice woodburning job on it and watercolor stain (Texas flag, pecan trees, and bluebonnets) but if I had and posted photos I bet a mob of angry purists would have descended upon me with pitchforks and torches!
 
IanH said:
I do well to write my name legibly and share your exact struggle. Drawing designs takes practice and being able to think about the subject in three dimensions, then deciding how to capture the gist of it in relief. I have no practice or background in drawing anything but blueprints, so I have to copy pretty closely existing work. The carving itself is straightforward and possibly even easier than inletting a lock.

One thing you mentioned that nobody else has so far is keeping your tools SHARP. I've never taken any instruction on gun building or carving/engraving wood, but I would imagine that the entirety of day one should be spent learning how to properly sharpen all the typical tools used.
Click to expand...
I'm a hobby woodworker. When it comes to hand tools, and it always does when precision is involved, sharp is probably the 2nd most important thing. First is to not put anything soft or fleshy in front of the business end, eventually a slip will happen, chisels are one of the biggest causes of severe injuries. That's why I also said bracing for a slip - a chisel is a 2 handed tool, one to push one to brace. Or one to align and one to tap with a mallet. Never one to hold the work and the other to push with a chisel.
 
IanH said:
I do well to write my name legibly and share your exact struggle. Drawing designs takes practice and being able to think about the subject in three dimensions, then deciding how to capture the gist of it in relief. I have no practice or background in drawing anything but blueprints, so I have to copy pretty closely existing work. The carving itself is straightforward and possibly even easier than inletting a lock.

One thing you mentioned that nobody else has so far is keeping your tools SHARP. I've never taken any instruction on gun building or carving/engraving wood, but I would imagine that the entirety of day one should be spent learning how to properly sharpen all the typical tools used.
Click to expand...
that is one of the commandments of basic rifle building and it is in capitol letters for carving.
i have carved deer head busts and such and there is no slack for dull tools. i am the worst sharpener in the world probably but i don't quit until i can shave a curl almost see through. same with scrapers, they need to be as sharp as you can get them.
I have been looking for some patterns i can copy to do some carving on the Cherry stock i am working on. also some patterns for wire inlay. thinking this is my last build.
 
I mostly sorted out the design mess and roughed it out, I'm pretty happy with it. Part of my problem was forgetting I left a little too much extra wood there and had to rasp it back. Once I did that, it came together. This is a brilliant and intricate design with a lot of subtleties that need to be done just right to get the full effect. I took the liberty of running the bottom leaves across the moulding line for extra pop and interest....and I needed the room.

20240212_193629.jpg


20240212_220826.jpg


20240212_220450.jpg


Symmetry check: pass.

20240212_221430.jpg
 

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