Announcement: The 2015 SCi Auctoin Rifle

The 2015 SCI Auction Rifle

I showed the elephant butt plate from the 2105 SCI Rifle earlier (I'll place it here again). Now I have the floorplate completed and ready to send to John Bolliger (Pocotello, Idaho Riflemaker) for bluing and assembly. John and I will be in Las Vegas in February to present the rifle and anxiously await the big auction on Saturday evening, February 7. The entire presentation includes a Marvin Huey Case, a Julian Credenza, and Dennis Friedly Knife (engraved by me also).

I have attached a photo of my various layouts for the lion - pencil sketch, steel master plate, and 14K cutout. As you can see the lion was inlaid from sheet gold, but the elephant was inlaid with 24K wires to allow me to form the silver tusks first and build the gold around them.

First I make a sketch, then size it and transfer it to a steel master plate. Once it's properly laid out on the master plate I transfer it (with Sam's Transfer Wax) to the floorplate. Once it's on the the floorplate I transfer it again to the gold sheet....then saw the sheet and then excavate the inlay area and set the inlay. After that there were many, many hours spent detailing the lion, but I did have my master plate to transfer proper placement of the body and facial details.

Mike Dubber

I can't wait for auction night. Thanks for all the hard work. Some luck son of a gun is going to be very happy!
Layne

That is amazing work. Let us know what the gun brings at auction. Thanks.
Don

That is amazing work. Let us know what the gun brings at auction. Thanks.
Don

That looks really sharp Mike, congratulations.
Great work as usual.

John

The work of a true master and artist,Sir. If you have a moment, can you describe the process of "building up" the elephant with gold wire?and if you have another moment, describe the tools and techniques you use to detail ( hand push micrograver, micro chasing tools ?) and to really push the request envelope, close ups of the inlaid figures ? Thanks in advance for any more on this superb work.

Great work as usual, thanks Mike!

James:

There are a number of terms applied to inlay work. In this case the gold inlaid figure is "Raised," meaning that the surface of the inlay rises above the surface of the surrounding gunmetal ( the opposite would be a "Flush' inlay - or one that is stoned or filed even - or Flush- with the surrounding metal). I "Build Up" a raised inlay by subsequently inlaying thick wires side-by-side, which allows me create figures like the raised elephant and lion. I did not take photos of the inlay building process on these two pieces, nor did I take high-resolution photos. These are my "Shop Photos." When the gun is blued and completely assembled it will be professionally photographed.

I do have a series of photos that will take you through the process of creating a raised gold inlay. These are photos of the Colt Collectors Association "Sam Colt Commemorative" that I recently completed. The focus is on the Colt Armsmear Family Crest - specifically a running horse in the top window of the Crest. This Colt is about 3/4" wide from nose to tail) and rather large compared to the three smaller horses in the bottom frame!

So, without unnecessary descriptive dialog, this is the creation of one small "built-up or Raised" inlay on the cylinder of the Colt SAA.






All the inlay work on this Colt were made with gold wires, built up just as in the above sequence of the Armsmear Horse

Excellent, thanks Mike

Sorry taking so long to give you much thanks for the pictures and explanation of the inlay process, my computer went down...I have more questions, but I don't want to take up more of your valuable time. Suffice it to say that you have inspired in me the desire to learn raised figurative inlay, and give continueing inspiration with your superb works of art.