[mcmillenbr]

I have done some gunstock carving, has anyone ventured into carving in the metal portions. I would be very interested in hearing about tools and such.
Brent
mcmillenbr@aol.com

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

look up "paragrave" on a googe search

[Ashbys]

Metal work is considered engraving. Engraving is an art unto itself, and as many ways there are to carve there are ways to engrave.
A master engraver can add thousands to a gun, the last hand engraved hand made gun I saw sell was almost $53000.00 and considered as a cheap purchase.

The tools are not much different than carving tools , but Hand engraved means just that. A gun that is hand engraved has to be completly produced without the use of any type of motor. ( dremel, auto engraver, high speed , chemical ) Failure to do so , can cost the maker, the priced paid for and damages for false advertising. This has already been in the courts and the courts established the standard.

That said, the basics are the same , and if your interested in engraving tools , look do a search for engraving tools and you will find them.

Ash

[mdallensr]

Bill Janney did a session at the WCI open house on gun stock carving. He also engraves the metal parts, but I think he uses a power tool for both wood and metal. He showed a gun he had carved and said his work added $3,500 to the value of the gun. Mike

[Kenny_S]

The worth of any gun is what someone is willing to pay. Don't get me wrong on that. Bill does excellent work and being a semi collector of weapons, I value the art put forth but I go more on useablity or practicallity of the weapon. Have a buck knife that a guy in Springfield Mo did the engraving on by hand. Beats any power engraving but then, That is JMHO.

[Ashbys]

Md
Bills work is really good. The term in use for gun engraing is basically

Hand engraved or simply engraved.

Engraved which covers all other types of metal engraving. This would be , everything from machine rolled , where there is a design placed upon a metal roller and the steel is rolled through the machine to accept the engraving , to chemical where the picture is etched into the metal.
There are even registered patterns for specalized engraved molds.

If you want to do a simple engraving the process is basically the same as with wood. Using engravers wax cover the outer surface of the steel, then use talc to give you a page if you will. Then draw your pattern in the talc.
After you have your pattern then use a scratch awl to mark the lines of your pattern.
From here it is a matter of using the skews and chisels to make the design. Or you can use an engraving bit .

Very similar to wood carving , just different media.

Here is a good site for seeing some of the work done.
http://www.engravingarts.com/engraver.html
Ash

[mcmillenbr]

Thank you all very much for your information and oppinions.