New Ventures

I am getting ready to embark on a new venture…well, really TWO new ventures. 

Venture #1: 

If you look back through my postings about a year, you will see that I carved what I feel is a “more than passable” wooden replica of an 1884, Springfield 45-70 “Trapdoor” Rifle. It is hanging on the wall in the family room but for some time I have thought that I’d like to make some sort of a companion piece for it.  What I *didn’t* want to carve was a duplicate of the Colt Peacemaker cap gun carried by every young Buckaroo of the wild and wooly 1950s, myself included.

 So after much searching, I have finally selected my victim…err, I mean subject…to carve.  A Remington 1861 Cap and Ball Revolver. 

 Loyal readers…and I think/hope I have a couple… know that I spend a lot of time “Googling around” looking for images that I think will make good carvings.  As it turns out, the 1861 Remington is a *very* popular firearm among collectors and the web is just loaded with resulting really good photos to use as a “Go Bys”.  This shot is typical. 

The major problem is getting scaling information.  But some collectors have graciously agreed to make and send the critical measurements to me.  Given these “benchmarks”, I think I can just scale everything else off the photos.

As you might surmise, woodcarvings *look* nice but they are *amazingly* fragile.  So to avoid having to tell grandchildren…and not just a few adults:-)…not to handle the gun, I plan to display the gun in a box with a glass cover.  You can look but you can’t touch! 

My original thought was to make a pristine, velvet-lined walnut *presentation* style case -- but after seeing this picture, I think that the *well used* carrying case, complete with oil-stained and tattered instruction sheet seems much more appropriate.  So that is what I am going to do.  Note: the revolver in the case is a Colt of about the same vintage.  It is nice, but I think that the Remington is “Waaaay Cooler”.

Venture #2

I am going to try to make this an "interactive"…if that is the right word…project.  Unlike the rifle, I’m going to try to take interim photos and I intend to post periodic updates on the progress.   That is my story and I’m stickin’ to it.

‘Til next time…Keep Makin’ Chips