Lion Floorplate

[MikeDubber]

This lion is inlaid in gold on the floorplate of a John Bolliger (Riflemaker from Pocatello, Idaho) custom Model 70 in 375 H&H. I lightly bead blasted the area around the figure and then cut the grass to keep him grounded. The entire inlay was made of wires - instead of a solid sheet.

Note: you'll notice that the lug (just above the top of the bottom metal) the action is engraved - very strange, huh? Well, Tim Wells happened to be in my studio engraving scrolls on some nice soft practice plates. I challeged him to engrave something really hard and handed over the Winchester action that I was working on. He did'nt flinch, and engraved the lug like pro! I could'nt find anything harder to challenge him with!

I like to create contrasts between engraving patterns between heavy and light work. The area around the lion cartouche is filled with very light and airy "Ghost" scrolls. That offers some contrast to the heavier relived scrolls at the corners of the floorplate. The influence for these contrasts came from Winston Churchill during his Grand Masters Seminar.

[ron]

Mike that is just a beautiful job on that floor plate , could you give us some close up`s of it .. thanks ron p.

[MikeDubber]

Here is an enlargement of the lion - he was inlaid in wires instead of a solid sheet of gold. The details are a combination of lines (cut with the Palm) and dots, picked with a very fine 60 degree burin

(click on)
http://fototime.com/ECDBFBADA15C887/standard.jpg

[MikeDubber]

Ron: I'm having some difficulties with my downloads. I did go back to fofotime.com and created an enlagement, but wants to download a different photo? This is a shot of the CCA 2006 Auction gun?? I'll work on this later.


http://fototime.com/ECDBFBADA15C887/standard.jpg

[ron]

hi Mike .. e-mail me a photo of the lion floor plate and I will enlarge it .I would call you but I don't have your phone # .. also I for got to ask you how you do those pierced front sights. ron p.

[MikeDubber]

Ron: I need your e-mail address to send the photos. I'll back in my studio this afternoon (2:00 Central) and the number there is 812-867-3039

[Rich Hambrook]

Very, very nice work my fellow traveler! Did you treat the metal after engraving and what process? Rich Hambrook

[Barry Lee Hands]

Great Job Mike...

[Zernike Au]

Roar! Wow! What a beautiful floorplate. It really opens my eyes.
Thanks for the post.

Zernike

[MikeDubber]

Hey Rich:

Good to hear from you! I've been watching your posts as well, you've made quantum leaps over the past years.

The floor plate was blued and then selectively French Grayed by painting acid over the selected areas with a tiny brush. The acid (SnoBol toilet Cleaner) tends not spread off the painted area, it gradually turns gray, then I wipe it off with a cotton cloth that is dipped in soda water to kill the acid.

[Tim Wells]

That's mighty nice of you to mention Mike.

There I am engraving on a nice soft piece of silver minding my own business and he hands me this thing and says "Cut a scroll right there so you can see what hard metal is like". I'm secretly thinking; I can't afford to replace this action if I screw up.

So I start cutting with an M42 Cobalt graver and the tang kept banging me in the chest when I turned it around to make the scroll. I couldn't get far enough away from it and still be able to see what I was doing to keep from making a dent in my ribcage. I just ignored it as best I could to concentrate on making tha scroll round and not allow that minor inconvenience to cause me to dogleg it.

I looked over at Mike who was watching me with an expression on my face that must have said "there must be a better way to do this" and he just said; "welcome to the world of gun engraving, deal with it bub"... with this smile on his face.

I'm thinking my arms aren't long enough and immediately wondered how you guys do barrels

I learned a heck of a lot in that short 3 day class about jewelry engraving that I have put to good use. Three knife monograms, several bracelets in western bright cut and now my wife brings home some pendants and earrings from some lady at her nursing school who wants me to do what I want on them and send her a bill!

If I hadn't taken that class I might not have got the much needed "kick" in the seat of the pants that Mike gave me and encouraged me to get started doing something with these skills to make extra money and "earn while I learn". Should have done this a long time ago. Thanks Mike

[Steve Ellsworth]

[Rich Hambrook]

O.K. Mike thanks for the input. One more question, did you put any protectant on the selected french gray area's to protect them from the environment or will the above process do that? I usually apply a baking enamel over a greyed area.

I am correct when I call you a traveler right?

Rich

[Steve Lindsay]

Hi Mike, Beautiful engraving :whoo:
I like the picture background and contrast with the piece. Looks like it was photographed in the dark jungle.

Steve