Announcement: 1st hand gun 4 mo. work yes cheap gun just wanted to see if I could do it. cratique!

[unclejohn]

This is one of my conceal carry pistols I only paid $350.00 for it. And I have close to that in silver, rose and yellow gold. I really want to start my own business but I need to know what is wrong with this one. So I can improve. Thanks all appreciate the help. Unclejohn

 

[dlilazteca]

John

Thanks for sharing, buy here is what I see right off the bat, your scroll backbones are to flat, the need to be shaped like in nature. Have you had a look at Lee Griffiths book and dvd?

It also seems you could have used thinner wire on the top of the slide. Your wire is to big.



There is more but I'll leave it to more experienced people.

My two cents worth.

Carlos De La O III

 

[Lane]

I am a newbie so no critique from me.

Is there anything you would do different? Did you have fun? What kind of tools did you use?

 

[atexascowboy2011]

Purchase American Engravers of the 21st Century by Roger Bliele and Ron Smith's scroll book for starters. See what is excellent but simple. Work up a good, SIMPLE design and practice drawing and inlaying COPPER wire and sheet into common black iron pipe or flat sheet steel from the hardware store.
Again, :beatup: START OUT SIMPLE! :beatup:

As it is you are trying every technique you've ever seen. SLOW DOWN!
Find an engraver and WATCH what he does.
IF you are very quiet, maybe you'll be invited back.

 

[Tim Wells]

It certainly is unique.

 

[monk]

well, it's obvious you have engraving experience. without that, you would never have achieved the levels you show here- sculpting, inlay. etc. i'm a big fan of the unique, unusual, and ones' personal touch. i do like your branch and how you did that on the slide rear. the scroll-- flat spots on several. leaves on some with none on others. other than size, i feel they all should bear the same treatment. the "big guns" here will likely run you thru the ringer for your scroll design. your chosen design aside, your major sin here is simply the lack of practice. thanks for posting this, and please feel free to post any future work you do. whatever you do, don't accept my comments in the negative, everybody here had to crawl before they walked upright.

 

[unclejohn]

Thank you for your advise. Much appreciated.

 

[unclejohn]

I have never seen an engraver before but I would sure like to. Thank you so much.

 

[unclejohn]

When angry count to ten, when very angry just take it to the Lord......

 

[unclejohn]

So, is it a bad idea to use scroll designs I can get off of Corell Draw? And thank you for your honesty.

 

[unclejohn]

so on the sides where most of the scroll work is I should have put more leaves in or around all scrolls? Thanks about the branch. I kinda like it to. I set a .014 silver and a .010 gold wire at the same time. Most of the inlay work is either .012 or .014 . another member suggested the wire was to large? Thanks so much for your honesty. That is what I wanted.

 

[Beladran]

Good advice here. No need to be angry. You know you can't fix it if you don't realize it's broke! Lol hey I got ****ed Saturday morning after opening this months power bill($400) an figured I need to go out to the shop an get my mind off it... WRONG!!! I felt sorry for my graver an practice plate! Looked like I was trying to dig a hole to china. Haha! O and learned copious amounts of caffeine is bad when you are trying to cut smoothly

 

[Beladran]

Check out Sam's video on scroll design.. It has helped me a ton!!

 

[leo]

Ok I am not that old on engraving I am studying most of the masters engraver work in here you took your first step by joining the forum about your slide if you were trying to achive scroll work you did not your along way from there if you want to start engraving to earn income my advice is you are in a state were there's a lot of good gun engravers one of them being Barry lee hands take a class learn more and good luck

 

[Brian Marshall]

John... yes, there are many things artistically and perhaps a few technically "wrong". Errors if you will...

There are those who think you should never try anything real without spending a LOT of time practicing first. (I gotta admit I preach a lot about filling a 5 gallon bucket with practice plates myself. But that doesn't necessariy work for everyone. Some, like yourself, have to dive right in. It's how you are made.)

The fact is, it belongs to you and you have the right to melt it down into sculpture or slag it with a torch if it trips yer trigger.



BUT there's one major thing these guys are missing.

The fact that you had what it took to spend the 4 months - and guts enough to put it out there to critique.

Next time - just ask 'em not to kick you any higher than the knees...


Brian

 

[dlilazteca]

I saw the sculpted dragon i believe, it looks good, i had missed that.

 

[monk]

corel scrolls are a good start. look at them -- till you get a headache-- then practice drawing them afterall, some call them the backbone or spine. for good reason-- the spiral is the place all good engraving begins. bad spine can ruin an otherwise good engraving effort.don't study the more complex designs at first. concentrate, then get good at simple design. the more complex will evolve as you gain experience. the main thing to keep in mind- you want design to have a good flow to it, not a chaotic jumble.

 

[dave gibson]

Well you found out you can definitely do it so I say do it more, keep doing it as good as you can, that's the real pay off. It isn't an art contest. You win because you did it. Keep at it Uncle John, I like the folk art look, I'll be interested in seeing what you'll be doing after you get more experience. Just look how much you learned in just four months.

 

[unclejohn]

Thanks this is exactly what I needed.

 

[unclejohn]

Thanks I will get it...