[Rad]

Going to attempt my first carving project! I want to make a sign to hang out in front of our camper when we are at a park -- I'm going to cheet though and use my Dremel like tool to carve with -- I don't have the fancy knives the rest of you have!

 

[cobalt]

It will do it okay

good luck with it, post some pics when done ,have never done relief carving yet. plenty of different fonts to go at, Have used the dremmel to mark initials on stick, it works fine

 

[cobalt]

Been shopping around for a nice looking genuine flintlock dueling pistol theres loads of pics they just dont seem the real McCoy ? suppose the musuems would be better at lest you would know what the age is and that they are the real thing. The royal Albert Museum in london seems okay for info so will try there

As for the peacemaker hundreds of them all called a colt 45 all different would be nice to view the real thing so i suppose american museums would be the best place to look at any advice on which one .There must be a huge collection of them in the U.S.A.that can be viewed on line. I assume that there are a few different models ,Also a real holster of the period would be good to see .Have the feeling that the ones i have seen there to well designed more atrractive to lookt but not the pratical item i would expect?

 

[gdenby]

You might want to check the New York Metropolitan Museum's website. They have an extensive collection of arms and armor. I just glanced at their site. A search for pistol returns around 400 citations, and Colt pistol about 30. Not everything is illustrated, but google searches using the exact term the Met has to describe the different model returns lots of images of historic revolvers.

As it happened, the museum I worked at briefly held a small collection of pistols used in the American West. The values on them were very high, and they never went on display because we could not find a place in the galleries that we thought was secure enough. The collection had a couple of holsters. They were very plain, and quite beat up, as were most of the guns. There were a few fancy guns, including a set still in their presentation case. The fancy guns had engravings, and I suppose if they were ever worn, their would have been holsters made just for them. The guns that showed lots of wear were of various sizes and shapes. I would suppose the common holster would have been designed to fit any number of different revolvers.

 

[cobalt]

Okay thanks for that will poke around there.think mayny decided on the flintlock im trying to design for a walking stickor cane as you call then will post some drawings when i have decided. Seem to be pretty bust at the mow with going to shows and outings helping a fiend cut down some trees Hopefully the wood will be okay for carving or some stick mayby, think theres apple hazel and some willow, never carved willow the sticks arnt any good for stickmaking flex to much. But a nice peice of apple wood is always welcome for me.

 

[cobalt]

Decide to finish of some items just got to paint these? been kicking around for some time

not to sure how to finish this of? the root is from a lilac tree, its a king fisher mayby needs anothe bird?

Just the draws to finish now going to carve a camio style handles with side views of the better half? made them a couple mnths ago. Keeps asking for the handles

 

[cobalt]

You might want to check the New York Metropolitan Museum's website. They have an extensive collection of arms and armor. I just glanced at their site. A search for pistol returns around 400 citations, and Colt pistol about 30. Not everything is illustrated, but google searches using the exact term the Met has to describe the different model returns lots of images of historic revolvers.

As it happened, the museum I worked at briefly held a small collection of pistols used in the American West. The values on them were very high, and they never went on display because we could not find a place in the galleries that we thought was secure enough. The collection had a couple of holsters. They were very plain, and quite beat up, as were most of the guns. There were a few fancy guns, including a set still in their presentation case. The fancy guns had engravings, and I suppose if they were ever worn, their would have been holsters made just for them. The guns that showed lots of wear were of various sizes and shapes. I would suppose the common holster would have been designed to fit any number of different revolvers.

getting busy now been working on the next project to cold today ,Dam weather

tried the museum Only one pistol on line but thanks anyway

Heres some drawings playing around with not right yet will have to rescale them .Just keeps me out of mischief i think?

I wil just hang them in the workshop to keep looking at them for a couple of weeks before decide what to do.I find these type of story boards useful helps to develop ideas

something else looking at not sur to use the whole thing or just the head ?

 

[cobalt]

Looked it up this is new to me interesting idea seen one added to a walking stick or cane as you call them.Just a thin slice placed on the end of the crook part with some scrimshaw work on it .

The dremmel should work well on it must be difficult to carve ?

We always have a cat on the bed, intruders would be getting a face full of fur and claws followed by an alarm clock and a man with a heavy stick.

People with pistol shaped anything automatically draw attention. Don't try to take it through the airport.

I have yet to use any Japanese blades, but have plenty Chinese

Here is a Tagua nut skull I am trying to work on and some sculpts.

what a good aleternative for ivory cant belive it gets that hard

 

[gdenby]

tried the museum Only one pistol on line but thanks anyway

Try plugging this into your browser location bar:

http://www.metmuseum.org/search-results?ft=pistol&x=0&y=0

altho a similar search for "dueling pistol" does return only 1 gun.

 

[cobalt]

came across these photos today

nice to see origanl artwork it was under american stick making

Tried to check out american sites on stickmaking no joy there. This site seems a lot more interactive than others although in many ways the style is pretty much the same but seem to put more into the choice of the shank, ,staining , and removing the bark.I still dont get why the bark is removed as hazel,chestnut,blackthorn has good characteristcs and when oiled should last a lifetime, I havnt seen a lot of wood you use over there (something i would like to change in the future) but do you remove the bark because its coarse or it falls off during seasoning? or is it to enhace tha shank,think its the latter.

One thing is stickmaking a craft or art ?what is it that attracts people to it?

Why is the american market saturated with the wood spirit? Is it age that makes people interested in it

For me its carving origanal work going through the design process .I do sometimes use books people like ian norbury who can teach you his photots alone are worth it other than that need to keep things fresh and try different types of carving.One of the best formal carvers is Gibbons although his work is to formal for my taste but you have to admire his skill

The bead work just said north american no info on the other pics

 

[gdenby]

more into the choice of the shank, ,staining , and removing the bark.I still dont get why the bark is removed as hazel,chestnut,blackthorn has good characteristcs and when oiled should last a lifetime, I havnt seen a lot of wood you use over there (

While hazel and blackthorn do grow in No. Am., there is no hazel that I know of within hundreds of miles. The only blackthorn near here is planted as a garden ornamental. The American chestnut is all but extinct. There are a few remnant stands a few hundred miles north of where I live.

Of the trees around me, beech has a nice smooth bark. I like carving the wood, but I think most would find it quite hard. Young sycamore, similar to the English plane tree, has a beautiful smooth bark, mostly ivory colored, but mottled w. patches of green and brown. But sycamore rarely has straight limbs, except when young, and then tends to be to light and flexible for stickmaking. Early on, I tried leaving the bark of those trees on some stick, but put coats of polyurethane on them, not oil. Some of the beach bark became brittle after a year or so, and began to split away from the wood. The varnish on the sycamore bubbled up, and began to flake off. I may try doing some w. an oil finish in the future.

 

[CAS14]

Over a year ago, I found a prunus spinosa, aka blackthorn, at a west coast nursery and mail ordered it. It appears to be surviving its second winter, but it has grown very little. I hope that it will take off this spring. It is said to be invasive, which to me means that new shoots will come up and someday I can cut some blackthorn for an authentic shillelagh in honor of my grandad. It had better grow fast, as I'm 67.

 

[cobalt]

more into the choice of the shank, ,staining , and removing the bark.I still dont get why the bark is removed as hazel,chestnut,blackthorn has good characteristcs and when oiled should last a lifetime, I havnt seen a lot of wood you use over there (

While hazel and blackthorn do grow in No. Am., there is no hazel that I know of within hundreds of miles. The only blackthorn near here is planted as a garden ornamental. The American chestnut is all but extinct. There are a few remnant stands a few hundred miles north of where I live.

Of the trees around me, beech has a nice smooth bark. I like carving the wood, but I think most would find it quite hard. Young sycamore, similar to the English plane tree, has a beautiful smooth bark, mostly ivory colored, but mottled w. patches of green and brown. But sycamore rarely has straight limbs, except when young, and then tends to be to light and flexible for stickmaking. Early on, I tried leaving the bark of those trees on some stick, but put coats of polyurethane on them, not oil. Some of the beach bark became brittle after a year or so, and began to split away from the wood. The varnish on the sycamore bubbled up, and began to flake off. I may try doing some w. an oil finish in the future.

Just posted some pics on shanks on the stains topic? should have posted them here?

sycamore is a nice wood oftern used to carve a crook handle to attach to a shank.Beech is also a good wood to carve and your right its hard.

The main reason i oil the wood is beause varish gets brittle and starts flaking of after time and use it looks unsightly and spoils the look of the stick.

 

[cobalt]

welcome to the club i am the same age but like to think i am 50,still very fit and active, my grandaughter thinks i am here age and after running around flying that dam kite i am bushed

The point yes senior moment there dont quote me or tell anyone, yes blackthorn is invasive ita a devil to get rid of and deadly to ,with those thorns but its a very nice stick if you get get over the scratches and torn clothes getting it.To get a shilegh out of it will mean digging up the root ball, so thick leather gloves on plenty of sticking plasters for the cuts and a old coat if you dont want the one you wear ruined with the thorns,good luck with it

Over a year ago, I found a prunus spinosa, aka blackthorn, at a west coast nursery and mail ordered it. It appears to be surviving its second winter, but it has grown very little. I hope that it will take off this spring. It is said to be invasive, which to me means that new shoots will come up and someday I can cut some blackthorn for an authentic shillelagh in honor of my grandad. It had better grow fast, as I'm 67.

 

[JJireh]

The dremmel should work well on it must be difficult to carve ?

Dremmel works on it, it is very hard and chippy. Difficulty is the size and my carving style.

 

[JJireh]

As far as bark removal, it depends on the stick. Mainly the sticks you see in the US are 1 piece. It can be difficult to have a good transition from carving to bark on a stick, so many just go ahead and remove the bark. Sometimes the wood or cambium is prettier than the bark. Many of the hardwoods do have a very coarse bark. sometimes people just start with a huge limb and carve the whole thing down (thus removing bark ). I leave bark on all my cuttings until I decide what to do with them.

 

[cobalt]

I can see where your coming from makes perfect sense.I have tried removing some of the bark on a hazel stick before i put a topper on .Based loosely on celtic scrolls finished it with gold leaf.had to paint it with a undercoat 1st then gave it a coat of matt red before applying the gold leaf.Wanted to see how durable the gold leaf was gave the stick to my wife . It seems to have stood the test of time okay.I have not yet carved directly onto a stick .My style seens to want more wood than the stick allows , just my style i suppose .

The process of using gold leaf was interesting. Not real gold leaf by the way but a sub. Old work but still like the looks of it,although can see to many mistakes with the balance of the carving and the mistakes in the topper but amongst the 1sti did.still being used always handy near the front door ready to grab on the way out The final peice is in my gallery. The white is just masking tape i used as a guide .it was to thick it needs to be more delicate. will try it again sometime

The deoth of cut is nowhere near the depth you would use and the shank was a smaller daimeter. so a larger shank could offer more possibilitys? along with the bark being dipped in a dye?But this and the use of the leather dyes seems to be worth pursuing dont know how yet.

as for your tagau nut what size are they? have had a look on the carving path interesting work,very detailed

 

[cobalt]

Your right quite a lot although not all have pics.

Certainly need to scale my drawings down

You might want to check the New York Metropolitan Museum's website. They have an extensive collection of arms and armor. I just glanced at their site. A search for pistol returns around 400 citations, and Colt pistol about 30. Not everything is illustrated, but google searches using the exact term the Met has to describe the different model returns lots of images of historic revolvers.

As it happened, the museum I worked at briefly held a small collection of pistols used in the American West. The values on them were very high, and they never went on display because we could not find a place in the galleries that we thought was secure enough. The collection had a couple of holsters. They were very plain, and quite beat up, as were most of the guns. There were a few fancy guns, including a set still in their presentation case. The fancy guns had engravings, and I suppose if they were ever worn, their would have been holsters made just for them. The guns that showed lots of wear were of various sizes and shapes. I would suppose the common holster would have been designed to fit any number of different revolvers.

 

[cobalt]

Got to cold out and dark so got templetes made ready to use when i want then. there all small birds and are life sife

chaffinch Blue tit robin

 

[JJireh]

The deoth of cut is nowhere near the depth you would use and the shank was a smaller daimeter. so a larger shank could offer more possibilitys? along with the bark being dipped in a dye?But this and the use of the leather dyes seems to be worth pursuing dont know how yet.

as for your tagau nut what size are they? have had a look on the carving path interesting work,very detailed

You'd be surprised at the amount of wood you can remove and still have stability and strength. Sure a larger shank would offer more room, but I wouldn't think too much more would be needed. I mostly work with 1'' and less, sometimes 1.5''.

Tagua nuts are roughly the size of hen's eggs and similarly shaped.

Janel has posted some great tutorials to download as well. (also see Sterling's compendium on carving, very nice)