I think I mentioned that I was going to give tooling leather a shot. That got me thinking, always a bad thing for me...
As I was researching tooling I started thinking back to the last BP rifle I built, and the other one that I've been working on for the last 10 - 15 years.
My Southern Mountain Rifle is more then a Po Boy but still basic compared to "Golden Age" Pennsylvania Rifles. When I was on that kick I studied the wood carving of the old (and contemporary) masters and even though I have the tools and understand the technique, I haven't tried it yet.
But it dawned on me that the techniques for carving a design into a Buttstock or tooling one into leather are virtually the same!
Then I thought about engraving; something I never imagined I would even consider trying! Again, the basic techniques are the same!
So I says to myself, "self, you can practice on leather, then wood, and maybe even try steel!"
I tell ya, sometimes I worry about myself...
I'm setting up my motorcycle garage as my workshop, I wanna build a sailboat, saddle, presentation boxes for the knives and sheaths I make, CAS rigs for my C&B and SAA revolvers, get my bluing tanks set up for all the odd jobs that pop up, finish my .32 cal flinter - with carving, and I don't know what all else!
I understand that I've always had many and varied interests, but dis be gettin 'dic-a-luss! I'm even beginning to lament all the time I wasted drinkin likker, listening to rock and roll and chasing young wimmins! 'course all that seemed like a real good idea at the time...