doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Dry point engraving on guns. Why not?

Here's a Lefever H grade 16 with mismatched forend that I've been upgrading. It's a gun I used to own and re-purchased recently. 30"/2.75" ic/m mint barrels, the best shooter I've ever owned. After converting from a pistol grip to straight grip, and enhancing the canoe paddle plain H grade wood to marble cake, the monotony of the very plain metal has been getting to me, so I decided to do something about it too.

Since I'm not an engraver (I only play one on tv ) but I have done a fair amount of dry point etchings as a print maker (my degree is in painting, drawing and print making), I thought why not try dry point engraving on the side plates? Dry point uses a sharp stylus in somewhat of a drawing fashion, rather than a graver and hammer in a chiseling fashion. So, I added some subdued engraving, borrowing from E and G grades, and added a couple of stylized chukars on each side (this is my main chukar gun). The steel is much harder (of course) than the copper plates I'm used to working on, but I was able to get the job done. Not too bad for my first attempt. I'll tighten it up later when I get a magnifier.

As an aside, I thought it might also be interesting to ink up shotgun side plates and run prints from them through a press. Wouldn't that be an interesting framed companion piece for a prized gun? They could be hand colored, drawings added, etc. Anyway, sorry, artist brain at work. Here's my gun:)

Mark, I am always amazed at your artistic ability. Now with the drypoint engraving you have gone over the top. I love it.

Mark;
The usual and customary WOW!
I really like the art work on the side plates. It is somehow: elegant.
Simple, clean, and just.......neat.

The best gun I ever picked up and shot was a Purdey that has been at Dale Tate's in California being refurbished for three years. I twist in the wind.
The Fox (the one whose stock You worked on)is waiting on Ken Hurst to finish the barrels he has had for over a year, the action I showed you is being case-colored, and I am a spoiled guy. I just WANT A DAMN SIDE BY SIDE FOR Hunting Season!! Guess I will have to settle for my Parker 28 Ga Repro.(Grins)
Sam Ogle, Lincoln, NE

Thank you Joe, Sam. That's the look I was striving for. Just simple and elegant, in keeping with an otherwise plain hunting gun.

Hope you get your gun back Sam! I'm not a very patient guy, so I don't know if I could wait more than a couple months for something to get worked on.

Impressive there, Mark! The chukars are really nice and life-like.

Hi Mark:

Back in the day, I had to learn how to dry point etchings for a course in Graphic Arts Design. This was done on a steel block that was type high so that one could print copies on an early 19th century platen press. I have not thought about doing a dry point engraving until I saw your work! Great job!

Another question. How did you get that nice glow to the stock in the picture?

I am working on a stock that has great grain and I just applied a coat of stain. The stock has a dull finish to it but my wife thinks that I should leave it this way but I would like to add some "glow" to the wood. I do not want to add gloss!How can I add a finish that will glow and yet protect the stock?

I have tried about 8 types of finishes but they all came out too glossy! Yes. I can cut the gloss with steel wool or a rubbing material but I was not able to get that glow that is on the gun that you have in the picture. Any suggestions?

Stay well,

Franchi

The glow comes from the gloss, Franchi. What's so bad about some gloss? Looks better than dull every time.
JR

You put it out for viewing, Mark, so here comes the hard critique. The added wood figure is waaaay overdone. I think you could have pulled it back a good bit and it would have been much more tasteful and correct for that gun. The mock engraving looks like just what it is-mock and pseudo. Very 50's Japanese. The old gentleman deserved better.

The wood finish looks pretty good, though.
JR

Sorry, but I'm a bit confused. "Dry-point" generally (I thought) refers to the image printed from an engraved plate. When a copper plate is engraved by a graveur it raises a fuzzy edge along the edge of the incised line. When such a plate is inked and printed the resulting image is called "dry-point"

There is no such thing, to my knowledge, as a "dry point" etching. Etching is a totally different intaglio process.

Wonderful and insightful comments guys, thanks!

I really appreciate the critique John. I need more of them. This happened to be a very plain gun with no figure. It's also a custom gun with mismatched forend and my personal gun, and since my tastes run a bit flamboyant and towards the baroque, I happen to like my grain a bit overdone. Really just a matter of personal taste. Being "correct" really wasn't a consideration in this particular case, and I purposely pushed the boundaries to get what I wanted. On other guns I do for clients however, it most certainly is.

Since this was my first attempt at any kind of engraving on a gun, that is definitely something I want to work on. Dry point gives a softer edge with burrs, and looks different than chiseled engraving. I'll keep working on it a bit and see if I can tighten it up and deepen some lines. Hopefully that will help. Point well taken though.

Gnomon, you are correct about dry point being the image printed from an incised, and not etched, plate. I was trying to find a term to describe incising on a plate without actually printing it. If you have a suggestion I would love to hear it.

I think, lower the contrast. Make it look handled and patinated like the rest of the metal. Maybe add finer secondary fill into your scroll pattern to give it a bit more purpose. Just thoughts, thanks for showing it. Maybe a bit much, but nice display of wood options.

If "handled" there will be nothing on the wood or the metal.

I think it looks good, Mark, the work on the metal. And, if you like that stock, that is all that matters.
I'd like a little more information on dry point engraving please.
I'm not quite clear on how you do it, a graveur?
John Roberts is just offering his opinion, a bit too bluntly. others may have other opinion

That is helpful. Thanks.

Mike, dry point uses a sharp stylus in a drawing, scratching fashion, as opposed to a graver and hammer, which creates deep chiseled marks. Here's an example of a hand colored drypoint I did years ago, titled Fleur de Lion. (almost lifesize). You can see how it allows for minute, scratchy lines and gradations::



I really do appreciate the opinions. Reminds me of my critique sessions in college. I agree this butt enhancement is a bit heavy handed, and atypical from my usual work in that regard. I may even decide to strip and re-do it at some point. Or not.

Hammers Back,

Mark

For stock repair I can maybe see it...just to doll a piece of wood up I can't.

Based on all the input I've received here, if I do decide to strip and re-do, here's an enhancement I did on a Lancaster a while ago that might be about right for this old Lefever:

That's not an opinion I share, but thanks anyway.

Mark
This is a gun I would be proud to hunt with!!
It is a wonderful adjunt to the the adventure
Well done, Well done
AND I LIKE the stock
Mike

You have a typical Lefever that follows the "Lefever rule" exactly. Anything goes and if a customer asked the maker to put that type of wood on a gun it would be done. You scratching is very interesting. Another direction of engraving like the Baker style of etched engraving is different. It might look better i fyou darken it slightly to take away that high shine look.

I have a DS 12 with a burl walnut stock that would have looked at home on any high grade double of its day. How did a top selection blank end up on the cheapest grade gun? At first I thought it was a damaged blank but can find no sign of blemish or repair. Then considered an employee gun or a special order gun. Maybe some one did pay double for a DS with a great hunk of wood. If only the records remain so many of these open ended questions could be answered. How many odd Lefevers have we seen? Lefever are just like a box of chocolates and you never know what you will see or find inside or outside.

Mark,
The heck with the critics.... I like it!
It is your gun isn't it?

Jerry

That is quite nicely done, Mark. Looks well-suited to that buttstock. That bottom photo seems to make that stock look very deep at the butt.
JR

You need to call it something just call it "bulino". It may not be the titz n cats like Torcoli and the gang at Creative Art's kinda stuff but ............



check it out

http://www.creativeart.it/


HTH

have a day

Dr.WtS

Boy isn't that the truth. I just found out this gun was re-barreled by Ithaca approx. 1916 +/- after Uncle Dan died, as it has a second set of serial #'s farther up the tube that correspond to that date. And, since the new barrel lug didn't fit the old forearm, Ithaca likely just grabbed one that fit, which likely explains the mismatched forend. Uncle Dan is full of surprises indeed.

Thank you John. It was indeed deep at the butt. I've noticed that english guns seem particularly well suited to enhancement for some reason.

Wonko, that Creative Arts bulino is amazing. I've seen their work before. I did a Beretta fantasty trap stock that was along those same lines recently . It's fun using those kinds of juxtapositions.