To carve or not

[rp77469]

Fancy wood needs minimal carving and a well matched, sliding wood patchbox. I love for the wood to speak for itself. I dislike large, brass patchboxes on beautiful wood...they cover up too much of the beautiful grain.

Plainer wood is for carving. It shows up well on plain wood, and nicely engraved brass PB show up and enhance the rifle in this case.

It is what I like. If I'm going to spend $1500+ on a rifle, it will be one that fits the first option (probably ) My $0.02

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

Fancy wood needs minimal carving and a well matched, sliding wood patchbox. I love for the wood to speak for itself. I dislike large, brass patchboxes on beautiful wood...they cover up too much of the beautiful grain.

Plainer wood is for carving. It shows up well on plain wood, and nicely engraved brass PB show up and enhance the rifle in this case.

It is what I like. If I'm going to spend $1500+ on a rifle, it will be one that fits the first option (probably ) My $0.02

Some guns don't need carved at all.

 

[TDM]

The inlays do add a touch or two though.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

That stock came from a walnut log i bought out of a log yard. Happens to have been cut from a bluff that overlooks the Mississippi River in Illinois that I used to hunt on when I was a kid. Still have a 1/2 dozen blanks left from that log.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

I ough t to build another sheetz rifle like that for myself

 

[TDM]

That stock came from a walnut log i bought out of a log yard. Happens to have been cut from a bluff that overlooks the Mississippi River in Illinois that I used to hunt on when I was a kid. Still have a 1/2 dozen blanks left from that log.

Like to build a SMR out of that wood. It’s really nice.

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

Funny how we look at dates and names carved into pieces with provenance and verification of its existence done with a barlow knife...man thats Art....!!!!?????

 

[Colonialnerd]

Some guns don't need carved at all.

That inlay work is breathtaking.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

Like to build a SMR out of that wood. It’s really nice.

That log produced blanks as hard as woodpecker lips

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

All the inlays are fine silver. Box is brass. Barrel is a Rice Southern classic in .50. I made for myself and shot it enough to sight it in then somebody offered the right kind of money and it was gone.

 

[stikshooter]

My last two builds had CM4+ grade wood. I only did very minor incise and relief around the barrel tang and lock panels. The figure is the decoration and yes, carving around the multitudinous grain directions can be extra challenging and somewhat chippy at times. I prefer simpler, more subdued rifles in general. View attachment 216467


View attachment 216464View attachment 216465View attachment 216466

That's pretty and tasteful/Ed

 

[Billy Boy]

I've read here very fancy wood ought to be allowed to speak for itself and left undecorated with carving. Plainer wood is better dressed up with carving. The grain in fancy wood is harder to carve precisely than the more forgiving plainer wood, which can be carved more easily. I've received a precarved stock with very fancy striping and a lot of birdseye figure. I paid a premium over and above the maker's highest price for striped maple for the stock. What should I be thinking about when deciding to carve or not to carve?

I'm putting the stock back in its box and putting it aside until I'm caught up on my projects. It's just satisfying to plan ahead.

No, I won't be posting pictures now. I'll wait until the project is ready to go. Just imagine a stock so nice it'll make you envious and you'll have a picture in your mind.

I recieved a rough blank from Pec. Rivers, I ordered plain maple, after draw knives, planes, and rasps, removed about 10 lbs of overburden, there is nearly coast to coast strip figure. Taught me if you order a blank, you could be surprised either way, don’t buy a pricey one that looks good on the outside.

Practice on something else ‘till you just feel good about cutting into it.

 

[oldwood]

In the mid 1980's , I was just stuck on how to do stock carving. Went to the Spring shoot out at Friendship Ind. , and at the newly built log cabin m/l member gun display museum , I met another m/l builder , Lew Sanchez , ( RIP. ) . Lew was one of the very highly skilled gun builders of the time ,and graciously sat on the museum's porch , for an hour ,and explained how to approach m/l carving. Basically , he taught me on paper , with a lead pencil, how to look at a picture of a carving , say in Shumway's Book, and transfer it onto a stock. Then, he taught me what areas on the drawing , where the actual wood was to be carved away. That one lesson removed my fear of carving , and taught me how to analyze a carving , from a picture. That was the beginning for me. ....Thanks Lew, for helping me. ........oldwood

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

Lew has been gone for a long time. He was a great loss to the muzzleloading community. In fact, all of Lew's buddies are all about gone now too.

 

[TDM]

Does not bode well, a lot of knowledge gone.

 

[Dale Lilly]

I have one gorgeous, highly carved, Lancaster rifle made by Cresson Mountain Muzzleloaders [Jeffrey Hagens]. However, none of my other 40+ guns have any carving. I like the Lancaster to show [and will shoot it some] but I know me ... and I won't be cutting pretties in nice wood.

 

[Hatchet-Jack]

I met Jeff Talbert in 2021 and started going over to his shop to watch him carve and learn to carve. Learning from a good teacher is the only way to go!

 

[TDM]

I met Jeff Talbert in 2021 and started going over to his shop to watch him carve and learn to carve. Learning from a good teacher is the only way to go!

Well, amongst the disadvantages of living in the backwater is that there’s no one even remotely close to study under. I would love to watch and learn is given the chance.

 

[Hatchet-Jack]

Well, amongst the disadvantages of living in the backwater is that there’s no one even remotely close to study under. I would love to watch and learn is given the chance.

Road trip! Come up to Kentucky and I'll take you over to Jeff's shop!

 

[TDM]

Road trip! Come up to Kentucky and I'll take you over to Jeff's shop!

Thanks, might do that one of these days. Love Kentucky.