For the God Father of Multi-color inlay

Brian, which of the leaves is silver? The back one? The front could be, it is hard to tell in a picture.
ABSOLUTLEY BEAUTIFUL! This picture has me mesmerized. I keep coming back to look at it. Upon further examination, are the leaves that appear gray actually silver treated with something or are they steel which has been french grayed.

pappy, the front leaf(far right) is platinum, the other is silver.
The background is relieved and stippled.
Everything else is "as it is".....No French gray, no paint,no cold blue.
Just shading techniques.
As we speak, this is what is called "In the white".

RB....if you look at this month's "American Rifleman" magazine,page 64, article "The School of the 1911", I engraved the American Rifleman logo on the slide of that 1911 for Cylinder & Slide.
I didn't get my name mentioned anywhere in the article, other than "the pistol was sent off to the engraver..."
The deal was to trade off my service fees in lieu of having my name mentioned as the engraver.
That's the last time that'll ever happen to me.

Chris...I'm sure Ron Smith will give you his signature for your book. He's very approachable and one of the best human beings on planet earth.

Brian,

We should have a "Hall of Shame" somewhere in this forum. Every business, company or individual who has ripped off an engraver. Not a gripe thread but a "watch out for" or "don't ever send your stuff for case hardening to this guy".

I'll be glad to sign your book Chris, but you got to come to Reno...............I'm kidding! I'll do it however we can arrange it.

Brian, you gotta watch those journalist. They enjoy manipulating people with the "power of the pen"........... Of course you have just learned that. Next they will probably spell your name Wrong or put someone els's name on your work. I've seen it all.

How about this??.........We (FEGA), ought to give an award to the best and most knowledgeable journalist (on behalf of engravers)and invite him to come to our show so that we could recognize him publically. Might even give him a nice little engraving job as an award. That might get them scrambling to get it right and treat us with a little more respect......Oh, ........and also,........ give him publicity in American Rifleman mag. for his good works.

How about "Outstanding engraving article of the year", and We have a little power then, cause we get to choose who that would be. What do you think Rex??.......Any potential here??

I vote for Andrew!!............That would slap them across the face, don't you think??.......When someone outside their journalistic fraternity wins instead of them? Ha Ha

OK Ron, .........Be nice.

The devil made me do it, as Phlip Wilson used to say!!

And then we wouldn't need a "hall of shame" maybe, but that isn't a bad idea either.

And in the mean time, I will be looking for some more posts Brian, and uh.... how is my status as a human being holding up???..............Bet you didn't know I had this ornery streak.

Ron S

Brian, yup, yup, and yup. Well done my friend. Chris, good to hear from you again. You had some good things in the works last time I saw you. It would be fun to see some pictures.

Chris,.....a "Wall of Shame".......Hmmmmm....interestingly different.

Ron, You'll be seeing more posts--I promise.
The strangest thing has happened with this project----IT WON'T LEAVE ME ALONE!
It has almost completely consumed every minute of the day and night. I can't seem to walk away from it for very long.....Has that every happened to you?
(By the way---your onery streak is a bit surprising.I can't believe Liz would let you get very far with it.)
As far as your status as a human being----I believe the world has been richly blessed with folks like you and I have become a better person (and engraver) by getting to know you.
We sure could use a few billion "Ron Smith's" on the 3rd rock from the sun.

Lee, Thanks for the pat on the back...It has become some of the hardest, tedious work I've attempted.
Ain't nothing quick about this project. Everything has to be very deliberate.
AND.....I'm still reading "The Book"....Thanks much!

Roger's got some essential additions to the "Ultra-Conservative Nightstand Collection" ... fantastic. I love Double Gun Journal.

Brian ... I picked up American Handgunner the other day. What a great article. Does getting published in a HUGE publication make you a member of the "journalistic fraternity" too? Hahaha!!

I'll admit .. the Wall of Shame idea is a bit "glass half empty" and the idea of an award is much more positive. I dunno, sometimes I think some of these folks we deal with would work harder to stay off the black list though.

All funnin' aside. Thank-you Ron....I'm honored. I've been talkin' about going to Reno now for two years. I'd really prefer to finally meet you when you sign that 2nd Edition. Can't pass it up this year. I was hoping to have a super top double secret Biblical gun project underway by now for that show. That's what Lee is referring to. The scope of that project really needs an expert and I've got a long way to go yet.

Hi Lee. It's great to hear from you as well!! The last time you saw me I was under a bit of stress Been hunkerin' down over the last several months getting organized and diversified. A lot of self-time and engraving time in the old double-wide engraving studio / bunker. I'd like to put that project I mentioned on an old '73 restoration rifle but just haven't picked one up yet. I'm temped to get a replica Uberti Henry. I got an L.W. Seecamp pistol I'm working on for a buddy which I'll post. That thing is made of the hardest material ever conceived. It's evident in the scrollwork how much of an influence Ron's latest book has been. I'm trying to get to the next level of scroll design which will be necessary for the '73 project.

Hmmmm ... Ron, as the Seecamp is still in progress, if I posted a picture could you give it a quick critique?

Chris

Certainly Chris! If you wish.

Brian, I told you guys at the class it would grab you!! Now, don't do it like I do. Take a little time and go fishing. You don't want to burn out like me, but I understand the power behind that passion......."Has that ever happened to me"......Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha....................
Ha Ha ha
A billion Ron Smiths?..............Now that would get pretty boring wouldn't it?

You sound pretty excited about that project, and I am too! Can't wait to see more. Probably won't be bringing anything to the show this year. Wouldn't want to have to compete with you anyway. It's really getting rough out there.................

Good job!!!!!

ok Ron .. cool. Here goes. This ain't nothin' compared to Brian's multi-colored inlay. This is an opportunity I can't pass up!!

This material is precision cast 315 stainless which (according to the manufacturer) makes it much harder than machined billet. I've ground at least an 8th of an inch off a Carbalt graver on just the shading you see here and multiple passes are requires on most lines. Not sure but more deepening of some of the lines might be necessary. There's something that is just not quite right. My gut feeling. The small size of this slide is brought into perspective as it sits in the vise. The other side will be the same scroll design with a ribbon woven through it where the manufacturer's name is stamped.

Chris,

Beautiful work on the Seecamp! I would suggest you put a mention of it's hardness and steel composition in the Cafe Gun List in the Tips Archive to warn others of its hardness.

RB

Ah yes ... totally forgot about that thread. Thank-you Roger.


Hmmm looks like that is read-only Roger.

Chris, Glad you like the "Engraving 101" Article.
(I don't think the mag. article qualifies me as a journalist of any kind, but stranger things have been known to happen!)
....and Kudos on the Seecamp pistol! Nice job!
Tough stuff, huh? Some of that stainless steel will keep you at the PowerHone for hours.

Ron.....I'll take your advice....time to break out the fly rod. But first, I'm gonna re-string my Fender Stratocaster.

Not much critique needed here Chris. That is outstanding. The only thing I can see, is the focal point at the begining of the last large scroll. You have a mass of leaf surface that combined disrupts the background balance just lightly. But this is almost non-important. the cross-over confuses the balance of your background space slightly. You made it work nicely with your shading techniques however, which you can often do in this case. I truly like your over and under approach.

The one thing I can see that will help resolve the situation I spoke of would be to intensify the over and under effect, making the stem going under sort of enlarge the background effect, if you know what I mean, but this is so nit-picky, I'm embarrased to even bring it up. We are really just talking about enhancment and intensity, not mistakes.

Nice clean work Chris...............
Ron S

Ron,

Thank-you very much for taking a look at this. I read your reply about three hours ago and gave it time to sink in. That particular area is what has been bugging me and I couldn't figure out what or why. I did the same thing on a silver pen knife Sunday. Just wasn't sure how to handle it when I drew it. I'll have to take a peek at the book again. I still have the other side to do and I'm gonna try to fix it. Actually, the end of the ribbon will kinda cover this area.

This is exactly the type of feedback that is so helpful. "Nit-picking" never would have crossed my mind because I know I've done this on other stuff. When something bugs me, it's a major issue (obsessive compulsive). I get a little confused on how to handle a particular area and I'll try to adjust on-the-fly (attention deficit maybe). I suppose that's where my shading compensated for it. Speaking of shading ... I'm looking at one of the drawings that just has the scroll and leaf outlines with no shading. That leaf is clearly out of place.

Thank-you again Ron ......... that is, "Godfather"!!


Brian,

Thanks buddy!! I wasn't looking to take the subject here off topic with my stuff. It's just that it's not every day you get to ask the master.

The Seecamp 315 stainless makes North American Arms minis seem like butter. One day on this thing and I need a week or so cutting silver. I'll never do another.

Well ... I gotta go North to Yankee-land to visit family. If I don't post tomorrow, I'll see ya' all Monday.