Ok, those that said Issac Haines are correct! It's nice to know it looked good enough to recognize it as Haines.
There were a couple of questions asked so here is an attempt to answer them...
Is this the first time I have ever carved?
Yes. Aside from "whitlin" while setting on the from porch at age 9 that was about the extent of my carving experience.
What kind of tools were required?
You can buy a standard assortment of 8 carving chisels from various ML suppliers and wood working shops. These chisel kits advertise that this is all you will need to get started. Well unless you are way more talented than I, you will need atleast another 15 chisels of varying sizes. Some you will use constantly others only once in a blue moon. Bottom line, be prepared to spend 200.00 for are your chisels and sharpening stones. At $25-60 for fine chisels, not to mention $300.00+ for fancy chisel sharpening systems you could easily rack up some major bucks in carving tools. On one end of the scale you can poor-boy it at 100.00 or go ape 1000.00, your choice, your budget.
Did you use a template to create your carving or did you draw free-hand? :blah:
I think TSU Tiger was the first to ask this... The only thing I can say initially is if your not talented you have to make up for lack of talent with innovation. I could of sat there and looked back and forth, and back and forth and back and forth and eventually drew what I needed to draw from the very poorly detailed pictures I had in reference books. And I did. Then I says to myself, THIS IS CRAP! :curse: So I used what I considered innovative but seemed to of discovered what probably what everyone else does. YES friends I used a template. ::
I scanned from the Rifles of Colonial America book all the pictures I needed into my computer. Then I made multiple copies of each picture and increased the size in 10% increments. I cut out the carving and placed the cut-outs on the rifle in the appropriate places and traced the cut-outs. Once I had the basic outline of the carving it was a slam dunk in filling in the carving with detail. Once I had the detail in place I began carving.
Here are some photos...
My initial print of the carving from original photos with the carving portions cutout.
The initial print of the stock carving with various cut-outs I used.
The cut-outs placed on the stock.
The forearm stock template
The forearm carving.
ok, so thats it. I appreciate the compliments. I hope that this first time effort encourages others the try a little carving themselves.
one hint, spend alot of time sharpening your tools. If you attempt a cut with a dull tool your just gonna smash the wood in and not cut it clean. smashed wood = splintering and a big fat ugly mess!!! :cry:
and yes the beer helps, but only if you drink it the way I do. It takes me 3 hours to drink one beer. I leave the beer on the bench just far enough to where I have to get up to reach it. I never want to get up while I'm carving so it just sets there. So when I do get up to stretch and get a different look at what I'm doing, it sure does taste good...HOT, but good. ::
