Gunsmithing NEW Service being offered/announced

LRI

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Minuteman
  • Mar 14, 2010
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    Sturgis, S. Dakota
    www.longriflesinc.com
    Mr. Jimmy P. is my neighbor and a tattoo artist of 20+ years.

    No, you can't order "Mom" inked on your arm through the shop.
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    He's recently expressed some interest in engraving and the whole gun "thing".

    The photos was a lunch hour fiddle fart session with about a month's worth of practice and after a "zillion" bucks invested in the equipment (Ziess (OUCH!) stereo microscope, carbide tooling, pneumatic hand held engraver, etc). I think we have a winner! Now I know this isn't exactly the "artsie" crowd, but rest assured he has no hesitation doing tribal flames, skulls, naked chicks, etc. . .

    Pretty cool. I feel humble!

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    I'll have to get a different lens to do this justice. It's pretty crazy how concentric/fluid the arcs are. Very nice job. He's got one of a pinup girl that's just sick! I'll get him to bring it in tomorrow.

    If anyone is interested just get with me. He'll be doing the work in my shop so the whole FFL thing won't be a problem, just send it my way and we'll do the rest!

    Enjoy!

    C

     
    Re: NEW Service being offered/announced

    Chad,
    Let me see if I have this right.

    A tattoo guy
    Who owns tattoo guns
    Is going to start tattooing guns?

    Have to admit the engraving looks pretty good.


    OK what is next for the new shop?
     
    Re: NEW Service being offered/announced

    Once I get my chit together in the new place (Kalli and I worked late into the night getting things sorted/arranged) I'll make a more formal announcement with more examples and some pics of Jimmy chewing on steel.

    He does work in Sturgis in the down town section. Apts only.
     
    Re: NEW Service being offered/announced

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bob2</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Can he do a "likeness" of kenda's avatar? </div></div>

    Ha! It'll lose a lot in the rendering. Nothing will match the original.

    Thats awesome work. We have an old 45-70 project around here, and it would spruce that sucker right up to have some fancy scratches on it. But in the middle of everything else going on I doubt we could even find it right now.

    I'd love some work on my Springfield Compact (the real one, not an XD). But I think Jim would then tattoo my ass.

    Anyway, good thinking Chad. Diversity is a key to survival.
     
    Re: NEW Service being offered/announced

    What about a stock? With the fiberglass shell or gel coat stay intact if the surface was broken down? Im thinking it would be sweet to do something on the flats of the stocks where there is more room to be creative.
     
    Re: NEW Service being offered/announced

    I checkered a fiberglass stock once.

    Once being the word to focus on here.

    Never again. . . I'd have to think that engraving like this on a stock (especially glass) would be a very daunting/expensive task.

    The gel coats are just too brittle. Unless it's molded in (think McMillan) forget it.

    The expense of having to engrave a master then cast a mold doesn't make it too realistic.

    On round actions there's a surprising amount of surface area above the showline for engraving work. Falling block actions have even more.

     
    Re: NEW Service being offered/announced

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Bernarde</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Chad, I have a nice springfield 1911 That would look awesome with a bit of scroll work on it! do you have an idea on rates, hourly or by job? </div></div>

    The best way to go about this is to have the two of you get together and decide the pattern, size, layout, etc.

    This is the world of "true custom" stuff so its never cheap. Hand tooled work is hand tooled. I can assure you the rate won't be a raping session though. In most cases when work like this is done through a mainstream builder it's subbed out. The markup for this is absolutely incredible. To the tune of several hundred percent. I know of one major company in the dangerous game rifle business that uses an almost 1000% markup on engraving as a standard to START from.

    I can assure you our rates will be <span style="font-style: italic">much</span> more reasonable.

    If you'd like to know more, just gimme a call next week and I'll put the two of you together.

    Look forward to seeing what you two come up with.

    C
     
    Re: NEW Service being offered/announced

    not tryin to be a dick but havent they been doing engraving on guns for over a hundred years? I understand doing truly unique patterns though and not the typical patterns that look like a doily. I'd like to see some pics of engraved art like a topless zomby beast woman! Looks like he does some amazing work, I just dont see anything unique in the provided pic
     
    Re: NEW Service being offered/announced

    That is cool as hell and fits well with your true custom platform. I bet the tattoo artist could do a lot with some SS or AL BDl bottom metal, and no ffl hassels sending in bottom metal.

    My neighbor has a laser engraver that will do some neat stuff but it is not as permanent, or as cool, but it will work on fiberglass and wood stocks. It is nothing more than a fancy zerox. Hunt the internet for the pic you want on your stuff and he can "print" it on your stuff. But real hand tooled tribal flames etc. would be pretty cool.
     
    Re: NEW Service being offered/announced

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jonaddis84</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Is he actually putting engraver to metal? Or is he drawing into digital and your machines doing the engraving? Im assuming the former based on the picture. </div></div>

    This is all hand engraved. He uses an engraving setup that basically operates like a little air powered chisel for the bulk of it. The rest is a combination of picking and tappin in the surface features, dots, shading, etc.
     
    Re: NEW Service being offered/announced

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: VAJayJayPunisher</div><div class="ubbcode-body">not tryin to be a dick but havent they been doing engraving on guns for over a hundred years? I understand doing truly unique patterns though and not the typical patterns that look like a doily. I'd like to see some pics of engraved art like a topless zomby beast woman! Looks like he does some amazing work, I just dont see anything unique in the provided pic </div></div>


    Were not reinventing the wheel here. It's traditional hand engraving with a modern twist. In 20+ years of being around this stuff I've yet to see naked chicks or modern art being applied to guns. It's the same old scroll work, animals getting eaten by lions, etc.

    Just putting a different spin on it, that's all. I'll get some additional photos with the pinup girls and stuff as time allows.

    C

     
    Re: NEW Service being offered/announced

    Rock on Big C, I like the concept (my checkbook might not!) keep the picks coming.... Vintage pin ups would be killer. Will this individual provide a free hand sketch before he starts to "work his magic"?.
     
    Re: NEW Service being offered/announced

    Here's a few more.

    Understand, these are still practice plates done on lunch hours and weekends as time allows. These are also done on pieces of scrap A2/O1 ground stock I had littered around the shop.

    If you want something different, start posting some pics of stuff and we'll consider it.



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    Re: NEW Service being offered/announced

    Never thought I would want engraving done on a gun until this thread... I can't believe he's only been engraving for about a month, must be some skill transfer between engraving and tattooing, huh?
     
    Re: NEW Service being offered/announced

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: C. Dixon</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
    Were not reinventing the wheel here. It's traditional hand engraving with a modern twist. In 20+ years of being around this stuff I've yet to see naked chicks or modern art being applied to guns. It's the same old scroll work, animals getting eaten by lions, etc.

    Just putting a different spin on it, that's all. I'll get some additional photos with the pinup girls and stuff as time allows.

    C

    </div></div>

    It's not uncommon in higher end guns to see the feminine form engraved and inlaid with gold, etc. I had a Galazan/CSMC calendar a couple years back with some in there. Some guys I know saw several at the SCI show as well.