My Build so far

[anika]

I figure I've reached the half way point with my TOW Bivins kit. I've learned alot, by far the most important thing I've learned is that I should have gone to dental school back in the 70's. I seem to have a natural talent for mixing up glue and shavings and then filling in cavities with it. I also learned that the next build( yes I'm going to do another) will have brass furniture. If I ever learn how to post photos I doubt that I'll post photos of this rifle when it's done. She will become the homely girl that gets fondled under the bleachers than ignored in the hallway when your with your buddies. Any suggestions on patterns for carving, allot of info out there on how to carve but how do guys come up with those beautiful designs. on paper first and then transfered with carbon paper? Don't tell me it's free hand right to the wood. odis

 

[J.D.]

Good going Odis.

Carving patterns often are drawn free hand, but can be drawn and transfered. IMHO,if you can't draw it, you most likely won't be able to carve it well.

I suggest searching the net for gunmakers web pages and drawing each and every carving until it looks good, then begin searching for carving that is correct for the school of the rifle you are building.

I also suggest that instead of filling gaps with glue and powdered wood, that you shave off thin shavings of wood. Iron them flat, stain and glue enough shavings to build up the thickness to fill the gaps. The edge of the shaving sandwich should blend with the grain of the stock wood. Once finished, the shavings will disappear. IMHO, wood glue and powdered wood won't.

God Bless,
J.D.

 

[anika]

For gaps I have been using a plane on the scrap piece that came with the stock. But for the holes that were botched :cursing: I've been using the scrapings from the sure form cheese grater. Has any body tried using a leather crafters swivel knife for cutting curved guide lines? I've found that when I have a guide cut that I can follow them better with the veiner. odis

 

[Mike Brooks]

Don't use a knife for inletting, it's one of the hardest tools to master. I've always used a chisel and stabbed it in with a light blow from a mallet. You can also stab in a gouge of the right sweep for the curved inlets. I personally can't imagine inletting curves with a knife! :shocked2:
Check out my gun building tutorial at the top of this section. I'm sure I cover basic inletting there.

 

[anika]

Oh Mike I've looked at both of your tutorials many times. I'm wondering if you have a series of designs that are on templates that you transfer with carbon paper. I know you used one for the beaver tail because you pointed it out on your tutorial, I was just wondering about the design along side the cheek piece. I purchased a book on stock carving that is mostly devoted to modern guns that has a number of designs in it but the ones that are appropriate for a flintlock are to big. The knife that I was talking about is a swivel knife in that it can swivel while you put down word pressure on it to make a shallow cut in the wood as a guide. odis

 

[Mike Brooks]

Symmetrical tang carving is the only thing I make a pattern for, every thing else is drawn free hand. Look at TOTW's web site at the guns for sale. Lots of carved guns there to use as an example. Then get a pencil and start drawing on your stock. Keep at it till it looks right. I have at times spent several hours drawing out carving, completely erasing the carving at times until it looks right.

 

[anika]

Thanks for the encouragement Mike you too J.D.. I have a couple from the TOW site that I have printed out and keep tacked to the peg board at my bench. I'm sure I'll be going through erasers faster than pencils. odis