Shaping opinions.

[Phil Coffins]

That looks more correct to my eye. Note how the front end points more or less at the center line of the wrist as it fades away.

 

[andy52]

That looks more correct to my eye. Note how the front end points more or less at the center line of the wrist as it fades away.

Yes I see that, one more question. The cheekpiece appears to be slightly concave or is that so the inlay would fit.

 

[Phil Coffins]

The leading edge is concave as it blends to the comb but the butt end is generally flat except the top edge rolls gently to the comb. There’s no geometric flatness in these shapes but more like sculpture, if that makes sense. As you noted the edge is a radius that varies as it comes around. Also try to get the area just under the cheek to be straight where it meets the toe line.

 

[andy52]

Yes it does make sense but I'm not sure I'm talented enough to pull something like that off. I will give it some thought.

 

[Col. Batguano]

I hadn't seen that original before, but the artistic implementation of that cheek rest line is beautiful. The tight curve at the back and then gradual opening if it going forward is great. Then, the very slight downward turn leading your eye toward the bottom of the left lock panel, which, with the highlight in the finishing, gives the impression of a less acute wrist angle, lending grace and "flow" to the overall visual impression of the gun.

 

[andy52]

After looking at a few more pictures I decided to lay out the cheekpiece one more time. The photo Phil showed me and the two below have the leading edge of the cheekpiece almost below where the front of the comb begins and my lay out was about 3/4 inch shy of that. All three of the photos show a concave cheekpiece but the ones shown here are repros but good ones and a little different lower edge.
You'll have to ignore the toothpicks the screw holes for the trigger guard were so far off that I'll have to fill and re-drill them.

 

[Col. Batguano]

Just stare at a few of them for a while and dissect the elements of them that create the more favorable impression for you. Do you want something with a constant radius or do you want a curve radius that evolves? How far forward do you want to extend it? What direction (or what part of the lock area) do you want your eye to be directed as it fades out going forward? The bottom of the lock panel, the middle, or the top? If towards the bottom that will give it a somewhat slimming impression.

Draw it in pencil on the stock a few times, walk away from it for a while, erase, repeat. At this point, don't be afraid to try something radical too. If you hate it, you'll know. Gradually you will be erasing less and less of your design until you get to a point that re-drawing it leaves you with something worse than what you just erased. One thing's for sure; you will (or should) spend more time with the eraser in this part of your design than you will with the cutting tools.

 

[andy52]

I've been staring at photos so much my eyes hurt.....
Your right about the eraser part I've already erased three layouts. As the layout is right now the leading line would follow to the middle of the lock panel, it doesn't have a point on the back like the third photo but same placement. Without a point on the back of the lock panel it probably wouldn't be of a value to carry the line as far as that one does.
I'm leaning more to the second photo with the line ending below wear the comb starts.
I'm not overly fond of the way the lower part of the cheekpiece is radiused on the Kit Carson rifle so I don't think I'll do that.

 

[Col. Batguano]

There you go. Even the greatest pianist in the world started out playing "chopstix". Lots more thinking than doing goes in to gun building.

 

[andy52]

There you go. Even the greatest pianist in the world started out playing "chopstix". Lots more thinking than doing goes in to gun building.

I never really thought of Mozart playing "Chopstix"..........

 

[sb 54 cal.]

andy I'm watching this with interest. Wanting to redo stock on my smooth rifle

 

[andy52]

andy I'm watching this with interest. Wanting to redo stock on my smooth rifle

At the rate this going I probably won't have it complete until April, I haven't even started on finishing the metal parts yet.

 

[andy52]

Well I got up enough never to start cutting the cheekpiece. It's pretty good so far even though the walnut is difficult to work with and wants to chip easily. The key so far is keeping my tools extremely sharp and taking only small amounts of wood off at a time. This is going to take some time to complete.

 

[Phil Coffins]

Nice shape but that straight down cut is going to give you grief. A rasp may be a better tool then a chisel at this point.

 

[andy52]

The two areas pointed out here probably are about ready for the rasp, The center portion I think needs more chisel work there really isn't enough room to get a in there yet.

 

[andy52]

Well I'm at the point now that I have a couple of decisions to make. Leave the lower edge of the cheekpiece with a 90% angle and sand smooth or concave the lower edge. Second cut the upper forward part at the comb like the other side and shape the cheekpiece to follow the stock or concave the cheekpiece slightly. I'm pretty sure I can accomplish either without a problem.

 

[Pete G]

Concave the edges.

 

[Col. Batguano]

Concave the edges.

Agreed. Harder sharper edges to things like lock panels and cheek pieces give them a more "applied" look. Softer concave edges with radii that are evolving and changing make the features look more like they grew out of the stock. How you handle the transition zones has everything to do with how much "flow" there is between them, and to the overall impression of the gun.

You can have a sharp break to the edge of the cheek piece--in fact you should. But there should be something of an evolving "sweep" to it as it gets higher and higher off the base plain as if it is "growing out of that base plain. In nature, think about the the "sweep" of the roots at the base of a tree trunk. It starts out shallow a ways away from the trunk, and then the root radius curve gets tighter and tighter the closer it gets to the trunk. So many of the things we appreciate as "beautiful" or graceful in our art are really an adaptation and implementation of how things are in the natural world.

 

[andy52]

Thanks guys. I had already decided that the original style was the way to go with this. As of this morning I started cutting the radius on the edge of the cheekpiece. It's coming along nicely. As you can see in the photos there's still a slight ledge at the top of the radius but that will disappear as I form the upper portion.

 

[andy52]

I'm well into shaping the concave in the cheekpiece. It wasn't as difficult as I though it would be and is coming out nicely. I think it still needs a little more removed from the rear of the cheekpiece but it's getting very close to being finished.