Archive for July, 2010

Why Did I Choose Gun Stock Carving?

I have been asked many time why I chose to carve or engrave gun stocks? Instead of carving eggs, gourds, engrave on glass, etc. Well, my husband is an avid hunter. He loves guns and has aquired quite a collection. We usually go to the gun shows that are in the Salt Lake valley. One time, as we where getting out of our truck, he said to me: “Its your turn to buy something. What do you want? What kind of gun do you want to buy?” I told him, “I didn’t know.” I would look for something while where in the gun show. When we entered the gun show, I heard the wine of a dental drill. At least that is what I thought I heard. We went to that booth to see what it was. Sure enough it was a high speed pen that used dental bits. Called the Paragrave. I was allowed to try the tool. I  immediately fell in love with it. We wondered around the show for about another two hours. Came back to that same booth and purchased the tool.

Since that time I have tried my hand at engraving rocks, tile, eggs, glass, mirrors, metal and everything else I could get my hands on. In February 2009, I went to my first carving class with Dr. Lew Jensen, inventor of the Paragrave high speed pen. Again, we carved all kinds of differnet materials. Out of them all I have found I enjoy carving or sculpting wood. It is the medium I have found gives me the more enjoyment and the most challengs. Read the rest of this entry »

What Animal Would You Like Me To Carve Next?

I am asking this question of my readers. What animal would you like to see me carve next? I have custom carved, or engraved, many animals on different gun stocks over the year. I have enjoyed carving each and every one. Some of them are more challenging then others. Still, I get a tremendous satisfaction from completing each carving or engraving I do. Now, I am wondering if there is a certain animal you would like to see carved? To date I have carved elk, moose, mule deer, a mountain lion, grizzly bear, and mountain goats to mention a few.

There are lots more animals out there to be carved. Which one should it be? Help me decide by commenting below. You will be the one making this decision for me this time. So hurry and leave your choice below in the comment section. I will be adding the basket weave and something else to the forend and/or grip of the gun.

Here are a few ideas. Please do not limit your decision on just these pictures. Antelope, Black Bear, Big Horn Sheep to name a few.

I will keep a tally of requests. The highest number will decide the next carving. The decision date will be August 15th. I will post the results here on my blog. The gun will be for sell and on display at the Cross Roads of the West Gun Show in Salt Lake City, Utah, this coming September 25 & 26, 2010. I’m sure this gun will make any gun collector proud. Will that person be you?

Thanks for participating in this decision! Deb L

Update – Custom Carved Winchester 7mm MAG Gun Stock

I thought everyone would like to see what has happened so far on the custom carving process of the Winchester 7mm MAG. As you know after choosing the pattern to be carved on the gun stock. I will then mold the carving into clay. This gives me the depth and helps me to know how many layers there will be in the carving. I can also play with the clay and redesign the pattern if it does not work out or makes the carving to deep.

After molding the design in clay, I will then carve a sample of the design. This helps me to get a very good prospective as to how it will look on the gun stock. It also helps me to see where the design may need to be changed. I also have found on some samples the subject will have to be placed in a different area. I have carved up to 12 samples of a carving before I am happy with the design.

When I am satisfied with the sample carving I will then carve the gun stock. I will have more pictures of this gun as it progresses. Check back often to see the progress. Thanks for visiting my web site. Deb Lindsay

How I custom carved a Winchester 7mm MAG gun stock?

While camping over the 4th of July weekend. I was able to play with my clay and develop yet another pattern for a really cool gun. The gun is a Winchester 7mm REM mag, model 70. After hearing the story behind the purchase of this gun and the time it took for the owner to purchase it. I know this gun will remain in his possession for the rest of his life and then be passed on to his children. Definately a family heirloom!

I have been itching to carve this picture for a long time now. I just hadn’t found the right gun for the picture. This old calendar photo of two bull elk fighting, intregues me. Finally, I get to carve this pattern on someone’s gun stock. I have come up with my own design using the picture as an inspiration. I believe this carving will go very well on this gun. The owner loves to hunt, especially elk. For this reason I have chosen this design.

After working the pattern in clay to determine the layers and depth of the carving. I will then carve the pattern on a sample piece of wood. Sometimes this process will take several sample carvings before I am satisfied with the end result. When the design has been carved to my satisfaction, as well as the design tweeked just right. Then, and only then, will I carve the pattern onto the gun stock. After completing the carving, the sanding process will begin. Hand painting the artwork is the final step, using oil paints and very small brushes (usually the brushes only have a few hairs in each brush). This bring the scene to life. 

Check back here often for pictures I will be posting of this gun as I complete this project. This will give you an even better idea of how I create the art for each gun and the process I use to carve it.

Your comments are greatly appreciated. Please leave your thoughts below. I look forward to hearing from you. Deb L

Winchester .30-30 Model 94 Gunstock Before and After!!!

In June of this year, I posted some before pictures of this gun. After working for over a month on this gun. It is finally finished. Each side of this gun has been carved. On the front of the gun was a medallion of a stage coach. I did not remove this. Instead I carved two trees, representing two people who have intertwined their together. I also put their names with the date their lives became one. On the reverse I put a picture of a memory the gun owner had of their past life together. You see… Pauly contracted cancer and passed away several years ago. This gun was hers, but John wanted something to remember their time together. This is the result.

Each side has been custom carved and then hand painted. I didn’t know it at the time I painted the gun., but the colors I chose are the colors of the horses each of them road. I guess there was some kind of influence there. When I John received his gun last night he stated, “This gun means a great deal to me. I will never let it leave my hands. Thank you so much.”

How Do I Come Up With The Design?

Calender picture

How Do I Come Up With The Design you ask. Well, I do not have an easy answer to that question. There are many ways in which I come up with my designs for a custom gun stock carving. Usually, I see a picture of something that inspires me. I might be 4 wheeling in the mountains with my husband and see a landscape I like. I will take many pictures of that scene at different angles. Other times I will have a client bring me a picture of what they would like on their gun.

Photo from client

When I have client contact me to carve a gun for them. I will talk to them and find out all I can about their likes and dislikes. This helps me design something that I’m sure they will enjoy. This is when the real process actually begins. I begin focusing on the client. Their likes and dislikes. During this process, I actually allow the gun to talk to me. I know this is kind of hokus pokus, but to me it works.

Personal drawing

Many times, in the middle of the night, an idea or design will come to me. I will have to get up and draw it out on paper. Otherwise I will not be able to go back to sleep until I get the picture out of my head. My clients and my art mean that much to me. A clients gun is very special to them. There is usually a story behind each gun. Wheather it was in the purchase of the gun or a special hunt. The gun means as much to the client as my art does to me. Even the value of a gun is increased greatly when a carving has been put on a gun. Ask any gun collector. This is what they will tell you.

I hope I have helped you understand my process of finding the design for each project. If you have any questions. Please feel free to ask me in the comment section below. Thanks for stopping by. I look forward to hearing from you. Deb L

What Is Relief Carving?

It has come to my attention I have never explained what relief carving is or the different types. So, I thought I would do my best to explain this to you. Here goes…

There are actually several types of carvings. The type of carving I use is called full relief carving. This means I have a smooth piece of wood, like a gun stock, that I carve part of the wood away. The end result is the place where the picture is and there is no part of the original gun stock left in the area of the picture. In other words, the front side of a picture in 3D. There is 2D carving, or semi relief carving, which is a carving you would get if you left part of the original wood in the picture. You usually will see this from carving which has been completed by a laser. You do not get much shaping, (deminsion) to your picture/carving. There is also full round carving. This would be when you take a block of wood (say 4 inch by 4 inch) and carve the entire animal or object out of the wood. Like carving the complete elk, legs and all. Like the status of animals, etc. Here are a few of examples.

(Full Relief Carving)

As you can see this gun stock of a moose. I have used the full relief carving method to carve this gun stock. There is nothing left of the original gun stock in the picture. There is, however, the original gunstock outside the design.

(Semi Relief Carving)

Yet on the wood carving of the horses head, (shown above), there is still part of the original plate left in the main picture design. This is knows as semi relief carving.

(Full Round Carving) – ( This carving is a Craig Hone original)

With full round carving, (shown in the picture above) there is nothing left of the original outside portion of wood. The difference is you have all sides carved with the full round carving, only one half of a carving is left with the full relieve carving method, and with the semi relief method you still have part of the original wood in the picture.

After I have carved my design, I sand the project. Then I hand paint each carving. To me this helps to define the carving even more and it helps to bring the carving to life.

I hope this helps you to understand the types of carvings as well as just how unique each type of carving is. If you have any questions about this or have a question about something I have talked about on one of my posts. Please feel free to ask me in the comments below. I would be happy to explain it to you. If I don’t know something I will find out for you and let you know.

Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate your comments and feed back. Have a wonderful summer! Deb L