Woodsrunner Question?

[bpd303]

All that means is that you’ve not worked on carved longrifles. Ever look at books?

I have worked on quite a few original long rifles and out of a dozen or so only one had a lot of carving. Probably because money was scarce here in the Ozarks in those times. My taste runs in the plain stocks, but that's just me. I love the rifles you are producing.

 

[Capt. Jas.]

I have worked on quite a few original long rifles and out of a dozen or so only one had a lot of carving. Probably because money was scarce here in the Ozarks in those times. My taste runs in the plain stocks, but that's just me. I love the rifles you are producing.

I'm going to guess none of those you worked on were contemporary to the original Woodsrunner?

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

I’d love to add some light scalloping and some curly q’s and a line or too. Nothing ornate just a bit of decoration here and there.

How hard would that be for someone completely new?

Last time I carved any wood was 1997 in the Pine Wood Derby as a Boy Scout.

 

[Eric Krewson]

Bad carving looks ten times worse than no carving, as a once upon a time artist of sorts, what looks good to a guy with no carving or art experience looks amateurish to me.

I was a very good duck decoy carver but come up short on carving rifles because my heart just isn't in it and I haven't taken the time to perfect rifle carving. My practice rifle carvings are just OK but not something I would put on one of my rifles, none of the rifles I built are carved except for butt stock and forend molding lines.

 

[Wirehair]

I cannot answer your question precisely, but I can tell you this. You can carve the gun yourself, even if you think you are all thumbs. There are some NMLRA videos on YouTube that explain how to do it. Also, Jim's videos help a lot, too. I know because I carved mine. I had never done it before.

The Doc hopes this 'prescription' helps.

I'm currently "personalizing" a Colonial. Jim has examples of carving on-line which I've plagiarized and modified (simplified). I'm no artist, but with sharp tools and a lot of patience, the project is progressing. I don't try carving until I'm in the right mood. I expect to be ready for stain and finish in another month or so. And yeah, my carvings not perfect, but it's my rifle.

 

[büchsenmacher64]

I (without proof) would speculate that beings a long gun was more a tool then a piece of art. A utilitarian long gun was used for protection from every point as well as to fill the freezer (so to speak).

I for one would pick the least expensive weapon (like I do now) to work for my needs.

Spose it all depends on what lifestyle you want to emulate. A frontiersman or longhunter or meat hunter is along the lines of my description.

On the other hand if a fairly well to do city dweller is your choice than more Foo faraww and doo dad's would be perfectly understandable. Like carving and purty inlays.

They had freezers?

 

[Mike in FL]

I think the machine-carved stock Jim K. offers is just the right amount of carving. Much more looks tacky, IMO. I'm not able to spend what it takes for carving. I'd rather put money into a higher grade stock. Fancy wood plus carving is just too much money for some folks.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Thanks, gang.

The more I look at the CNC carved option, the more I like it. I enjoy how the lines play off the architecture nicely.

Went ahead and submitted my order for a plain maple stock in caliber .54 with the fully CNC-incised carving option. I chose plain maple to let the carving and architecture shine through.

I just don’t have the skills and have decided it’s best to let the robots at Jim’s place do the hard part!!

 

[Buff1958]

It is hard for me to believe as hard as money was to come by way back then that some fellow that was probably living had to mouth would spend an extra dime to have his rifle carved. I suspect the fancy carved ones just survived better as they most likely didn’t get carried every day. BUT I really don’t have a clue

 

[Mike in FL]

I think the machine-carved stock Jim K. offers is just the right amount of carving. Much more looks tacky, IMO. I'm not able to spend what it takes for carving. I'd rather put money into a higher grade stock. Fancy wood plus carving is just too much money for some folks.

Good choice. Don't forget to let us see the finished product.

 

[acavdragoon]

You can always add an inlay or a patch box or even both if you like. If you’re not too handy carving that you can put your name on the butt stock…

 

[springfield art]

Hey all

A .54 caliber Kibler Woodsrunner is calling my name. I’d love a kit for this fall. But I do not trust my skills in wood carving (which are non existent) at all to attack a fine piece of wood. The pre-carved option costs a great deal more.

I enjoy the looks of the un-carved rifle greatly, but I am curious if this style/school of rifle would ever have been found with no carving during the period? In other words, if one were to travel back to the 1770s, would guns of this general styling have always had some amount of carving?

Thanks and take care!!

-Smokey

Kiblers are CNC machined so that you DON'T have to do 'woodcarving'! Give it a try! I believe he's now offering pre-carved decoration on stocks, if I recall right.

 

[oreclan]

Bad carving looks ten times worse than no carving, as a once upon a time artist of sorts, what looks good to a guy with no carving or art experience looks amateurish to me.

I was a very good duck decoy carver but come up short on carving rifles because my heart just isn't in it and I haven't taken the time to perfect rifle carving. My practice rifle carvings are just OK but not something I would put on one of my rifles, none of the rifles I built are carved except for butt stock and forend molding lines.

I agree; however even the 18th & 19th century gunsmiths had some carvings that I didn't like. Those either didn't adhere to the Golden Mean or either did not follow the dictates of the Baroque or Rocco art forms.
I actually like the simpler carvings or the folk art ones.

 

[RiverRat]

Back in the day the most expensive part of a long gun was the barrel and lock. Labor was cheap, unlike today where the gun builder makes more money on his carving than the barrel and lock.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Thanks, gang!

I went with a standard maple's wood stock with the CNC carving for the Woodsrunner. I also got .54 caliber. Submitted the form yesterday!

I am planning on finishing the the stock in a coffee brown type of coloring and will be lightly antiquing the brass and barrel and lock.

 

[Tradbow]

For myself I prefer my rifles plain and my powder horns personalized. I’m no Horner my any stretch of your imagination. But I am planning on doing some scratching on mine. May start with my spice horns first.

 

[tnek13]

You don't have to be a wood carver to do a few lines on a stock. A V tool is nice, but you can use a single line checkering tool preferably a joiner. Watch a few videos and buy a practice stock from Kibler to perfect your style and have fun. Or leave the sanded stock alone because they are beautiful with nice lines.

 

[LonestarShootR]

Back in the day the most expensive part of a long gun was the barrel and lock. Labor was cheap, unlike today where the gun builder makes more money on his carving than the barrel and lock.

Yes looking at the website there is a $60 credit for using customer supplied wood. So is a plain maple blank valued at $60? There is a $320 upcharge for the extra fancy maple. There is a $400 charge for the CNC engraving. Crazy stuff.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Yes looking at the website there is a $60 credit for using customer supplied wood. So is a plain maple blank valued at $60? There is a $320 upcharge for the extra fancy maple. There is a $400 charge for the CNC engraving. Crazy stuff.

While the $400 upcharge for the CNC carving did give me pause, I had a lot of beer the night I ordered and figured “you only live once” and chose it. I do certainly enjoy the look of it on the website.

 

[James Kibler]

Yes looking at the website there is a $60 credit for using customer supplied wood. So is a plain maple blank valued at $60? There is a $320 upcharge for the extra fancy maple. There is a $400 charge for the CNC engraving. Crazy stuff.

I can say with a straight face that we offer the best value in traditional muzzleloading. As to the credit for customer wood, this is based on what our wood cost is per blank. Further dealing with customer wood can be problematic and there is a cost to it. As to the carving, it’s certainly an option. If you can do as good a job yourself for less money then that would be an option. Additionally you could have this work hired out. All I can say is that you’ll not likely find the same quality at a lower price point.