Recent non-bow work

[half eye]

Thank you all so much for the nice compliments. The small tools for stock carving keep debris down enough I can do it indoors without making my wife mad about a mess. (no heat in the shed) anyway since most of these were for friends I did a lot of pics like a "how to" to keep them in the loop while the carving was going on.
    I said that so if anyone is interested I can send them sets of pics via email. Dont want to take up PA space with non bow stuff. This stuff is real easy to do once ya see it done. These examples are all on very old well used stocks so some design changes needed to be done. Adding a couple more to show some animals that a friend wanted on the butt stock

[half eye]

critters didn't showw too well so here are a few more

[Trapper Rob]

Rick about how long does it take you to carve a stock? That's some amazing work. Really like the way you made it look like the base of a antler.

[selfbow joe]

Beautiful work

[half eye]

Trapper....that is a real antler base. The real old Stevens stock does not have enough material for a complete pistol grip, so I added that for a little extra bling. I did carve the wood to fit the base for a "blended" seam. Also the cap is attached with 2 wood screws and glue. I then back-filled the screw holes and carved everything to blend in and to hide the screws. Did not want it coming off.

It takes about a week on a lot of them maybe 2 weeks if there was a lot of "intricate" coverage. It does not take very long in my opinion.
rich

[PaulN/KS]

Beautiful work Rich.   

[Pappy]

WOW, That is some beautiful work, thanks for sharing.
 Pappy

[tattoo dave]

Awesome work there Rich!! Hey is that my old 410 we traded for? Looks a heck of a lot nicer then when I dropped it off!!

Tattoo Dave

[JonW]

Dang Rich! Makes me wanna send you some gun stocks. Beautiful work bud.

[High-Desert]

That's very impressive work!

[jeffhalfrack]

Wow!!! I love those H&R handy rifles ,,mine don't look like that though ,,,,I miss your posts half eye !! Can't wait for more,,,..hey you got anything on the Onondaga type bows ?? Thanks jeffw

[Eric Krewson]

Have you studied German Jager rifle relief carving? Their's is much like yours but halfway between low and high relief carving, all Kentucky rifles are low relief.

I have been practicing to carve some of my long rifles but my old arthritic hands done't want to cooperate.

[half eye]

Eric, I am familiar with the classic eastern long rifles. I agree about that shallow rococo carving. I too used to do that (built 9 flinters and one eastern mountain cap gun which had no carving) I'm in the same situation as you and cant use those tiny little chisels anymore. My first set of carving knives
was made from old bicycle wheel spokes ( made damned fine cutters to). Never was very good at wire inlay though just didn't have the eye for it.
   I'm down one eye and one wrist so my carving is pretty heavy handed right now. I always did like the Jaegers just never did build one. Thanks for the comments sir.
rich
PS: To this day I still prefer a straight grip stock, even on the high powered rifles.....go figure.

[Redhand]

Beautiful work Rich!
You are a very talent person!

[Stoner]

Rich, you got skills! Two things. One I have an old .22 I got for $20 and played with inlay of bone & scrimshaw and my first checkering job back in the 80's. Second, I have the same 12 ga. single that was my krittr gittr in my old stone shop. Makes me want to dig it out and try my hand at carving a stock again. Once again, great craftsmanship. John