My First Rifle carving...

[Jerry Samouce]

I am new to the whole reenactment thing as I have been doing it for only 1 year.
Being afraid to mess it up, the amazing gunsmith David Ricketts assembled on commission and delivered my first Flintlock Rifle to me a week ago.
It is a Jim Chambers Mark Silver 58cal Virginia Rifle and even non-zeroed with a bit of "Kentucky windage" it shoots like a dream!

Now, I also happen to have been working wood with chisels off and on for over 20 years and I am very confident in those skills.
So, I made my first design and posted it on my FB page. This first design was shot down (pun intended) by My local Rev War Mentors as way too fancy and thus inaccurate historically. So, I took their advise and simplified things to come to my second design.
I am moving toward reenacting one of my relatives who lived on the frontier of south western NC and served as a captain of NC Militia during Kings Mountain to Yorktown.
John Whiteside moved as a kid to the wilderness of NC with his blacksmith father William Whiteside and family… which means F&I War time too.

What I love most about Rev War reenactment is that it is the perfect excuse to fully explore and combine my strange assortment of art mediums: sometimes simultaneously...
Here is my wood work so far... (There are photo filters on the last to for better contrast)

 

[andy52]

Outstanding workmanship.

 

[1950DAVE]

Nice

 

[Art Caputo]

Wow! Outstanding work!

 

[Grenadier1758]

Too fancy? Perhaps, but not all rifles were plain. I suspect there was some jealousy expressed.

While I prefer a simpler bit of carving and a few acanthas scrolls would suffice on my rifles, I admit that I can't do that quality of carving. I admire your skill.

 

[Magungo1066]

Great job! Looks fantastic

 

[OldRust]

What Craftmanship ! My hats off

Thanks
O.R.

 

[rich pierce]

Very well executed, non-traditional carving. Nice work.

 

[Jerry Samouce]

Too fancy? Perhaps, but not all rifles were plain. I suspect there was some jealousy expressed.

While I prefer a simpler bit of carving and a few acanthas scrolls would suffice on my rifles, I admit that I can't do that quality of carving. I admire your skill.

No... The criticism was valid... This first design really was much too intricate...
Even I admit it looked like a Mexican saddle... he he he

 

[Jerry Samouce]

Patch box cover plan...

 

[appalichian hunter]

A bit fancy, but I like it nice work.

 

[erhunter]

Beautiful work! That's awesome! How long did it take to do that very detailed work?

 

[Jerry Samouce]

Beautiful work! That's awesome! How long did it take to do that very detailed work?

I am in around 30 hours...

 

[hanshi]

Your work is exquisite regardless of its intricacy.

 

[M. De Land]

I am new to the whole reenactment thing as I have been doing it for only 1 year.
Being afraid to mess it up, the amazing gunsmith David Ricketts assembled on commission and delivered my first Flintlock Rifle to me a week ago.
It is a Jim Chambers Mark Silver 58cal Virginia Rifle and even non-zeroed with a bit of "Kentucky windage" it shoots like a dream!

Now, I also happen to have been working wood with chisels off and on for over 20 years and I am very confident in those skills.
So, I made my first design and posted it on my FB page. This first design was shot down (pun intended) by My local Rev War Mentors as way too fancy and thus inaccurate historically. So, I took their advise and simplified things to come to my second design.
I am moving toward reenacting one of my relatives who lived on the frontier of south western NC and served as a captain of NC Militia during Kings Mountain to Yorktown.
John Whiteside moved as a kid to the wilderness of NC with his blacksmith father William Whiteside and family… which means F&I War time too.

What I love most about Rev War reenactment is that it is the perfect excuse to fully explore and combine my strange assortment of art mediums: sometimes simultaneously...
Here is my wood work so far... (There are photo filters on the last to for better contrast)View attachment 61781View attachment 61783View attachment 61784View attachment 61785View attachment 61786View attachment 61787View attachment 61788

That is tremeously interesting to me as I have wanted to try my hand at stock carving as well. I've been checkering gun stocks for many years but have never ventured into carving. It looks very impressive to me!

 

[MIOutdoorsman]

More accolades from me too. I admire folks who can do this kind of work—combination of artist and craftsman. I drew a really nice stick figure once back in 3rd grade—that’s about my artistic limit. I can design and sew descent and usable accoutrements bags, and I did a reasonable layman’s job with a pistol kit too, but true gun builders and carvers have my be respect and admiration.

 

[516tcw]

I am in around 30 hours...

Jerry, your carving ability is absolutely fantastic...! Trust me no one would ever, ever tell Jud Brennan that his carving was to over the top .! So sir you just use that gunstock as your palette, and let your art shine. Fantastic work. I wish I could draw a straight line........!
Bob

 

[Col. Batguano]

I look forward to seeing it after you have done your modeling. The few minor elbows and proportional imbalances can certainly be cleaned up during that process.

30 hours actually sounds light to me. I'll bet you're at > 3x that when you're done with it.

 

[Jerry Samouce]

Update!

 

[Jerry Samouce]

I AM TICKLED PINK!