BB55 Battleship North Carolina - CCA 2009 Gun - Engraving Forum.com - The Internet's Largest and Fastest Growing Engraving Community

MikeDubber · #1 04-05-2009, 02:42 PM

I had been struggling to locate a spot on the 2009 Colt Collectors Association Auction (CCA) Gun to place an inlay of the US North Carolina - BB55. The CCA's Annual Show moves from state-to-state each year and the host state committees choose the various gold inlay subjects to commemorate their gun...the Battleship North Carolina was one of their picks.

This year's NC committee named these three main subjects - The Cape Hatteras Light House - The Wright Flyer - and the Battleship North Carolina. I had no problems with the Ligth House or the Flyer, but BB55 NC had been haunting me for months...web searches were providing lots of history and photos, but the configuration, detail and proportions of this massive battleship were entirley unmanageable!! The ship is six times as long as it is tall, there are 12 intimidating 16" guns on turrets, two superstructures, airplane derricks and so much fine detail that I was dead-in-the-water, so to speak.

Last night it came to me - I could not inlay the entire ship, there is just not enough flat area on a Colt SAA to do it. I could only do one central, recognizable and meaningful part of the ship, and here is my solution. My layount is scribed and cut, now I'm committed - and relieved!

I'll let you know how all of this come out!

jlseymour · #2 04-05-2009, 03:54 PM

Mike, I think you have captured it just right...
I would love to see the finished gun...
How did you transfer the pic to computer and then to the gun???
Jerry

Ken Hurst · #3 04-05-2009, 03:54 PM

Hi Mike, I think you choose the only feasible alternative ! Congrats, I believe it'll come out great & look forward to seeing pictures of it. Of course, being a tarheel I would. Let me know where you get that grey gold .... Best regards, ken

MikeDubber · #4 04-05-2009, 06:17 PM

Jerry:

I first reduced the web photo to the correct size to fit the recoil shield on the Colt using PhotoShop. I laid out the the ship in quadrants and then visually transfered the line details to a master plate. Then I cut the master plate and transferred the image to the gun with Scotch Tape and wax. The Scotch tape stetches enought to allow for the curve of the recoil shield - always works for me

I would never attempt to draw the image directly on the recoil shield and expect it to be artisticaly/technically correct or accurately placed. Drawing on a curved surface like that gererates too many errors. This way I can place the taped image on the shield as many times as I feel are necessary to get the ship on the shield, correctly drawn and placed exactly where I want it. It took three transfer attempts to get it placed correctly - I'm glad I did'nt have to erase and draw it three times. Incidentally, you can also see two of my gold wire and leaf pattern layouts that will be placed on other areas of the gun - to the left and bottom of the ship image are the crane and the shovel head patterns!

Thanks Ken - come to Concord for the CCA Show in October - it's always fun to visit with other old Colt Masters!

jetta77 · #5 04-05-2009, 06:23 PM

Wow! That's gonna be really cool Mike. Can't wait to see the finished project.
Jeff

pilkguns · #6 04-05-2009, 06:32 PM

Looks like a very elegant solution for a difficult design inclusion.

JCP · #7 04-05-2009, 07:54 PM

Mike, I will be looking forward to seeing the finished work, you see, I own part of BB55. Probably about a quarter dollars worth. I live in NC and back in the 60's when I was in elementry school we were ask to donate nickles to help purchase the old girl and save her from the scrap heap. I gave what I could and have enjoyed taking my children there to see it a few times. It means a lot to us.

Jack

Dale338 · #8 04-05-2009, 08:19 PM

Thats going to be sweet,I cant wait to see it done!!
Steve

MikeDubber · #9 04-05-2009, 08:21 PM

Jack:

I heard the same story from one of the CCA NC committee members - in fact he e-mailed an image of an original 1961 (I graduated form High School that year) poster describing the program entitled - "Let's Bring the USS North Carolina Home."

It's a great story, and during the process of researching the history of BB55, I found lots about the ship that created special interest for me - that kind of thing makes engraving fun! I'm looking forward to being in Concord for the CCA Show in October. The NC Committee assured me that there would be a lot of interest in their CCA Auction Gun, especially becasue of the BB55 inlay...there will be lots of folks there about our age.

Mike

Ken Hurst · #10 04-05-2009, 08:40 PM

Mike, have you given thought to having the CCA to see if they can get any steel from the old girl that you could inlay into this SAA ? It could be a washer, bolt or piece of scrap from the bildge ...... just a thought. Perhaps BB55 inlayed in relief on the bottom of the backstrap. Ken

Tom McArdle · #11 04-05-2009, 09:09 PM

Maybe a piece of brass, or some copper from the wiring?

A great concept! Love the way you decided to do the ship.

Tom

monk · #12 04-06-2009, 12:16 AM

well, mike- having seen a battlewagon up close & personal, as some called them, i think you've simmered the sauce to perfection ! that's just about all you could do to capture the essence of such a huge organization of steel. those monster guns are the reason for the existence of the ship. so,

you have nailed it !

MikeDubber · #13 04-06-2009, 07:56 AM

Great idea about the scrap metal inlay - I'll check out my resources in NC.

Mike

JCP · #14 04-06-2009, 08:35 AM

The last time I was there you could purchase a piece of the old wooden decking (teak, spell check). Might make a great pair of grips.

Jack

Ken Hurst · #15 04-06-2009, 10:09 AM

Great Mike --- I was thinking about mil. style lettering like they cut out of plate and weld to the bow of ships.

ron · #16 04-06-2009, 08:28 PM

hi Mike .. that should look great when you are finished , could we see some other view of the gold work ,, is this the gun that will have 3 cylinders and 3barrels .. ron p

MikeDubber · #17 04-06-2009, 10:14 PM

I'll show the work as I make progress. No, this gun has only one barrel and one cylinder. Your engraved accesories (three Loizito screwdrivers and the oil bottle) will be placed with this North Carolina project.

Mike

plat955 · #18 04-06-2009, 10:42 PM

Beautiful work as all your work is! Thats certaintly an exciting theme and project!

ron · #19 04-07-2009, 11:22 AM

hi Mike .. well what happened to the 3 barrel set .. ron p

Big-Un · #20 04-10-2009, 10:06 PM

Well, I also own some of the "Old Girl." I was 14 and in a rural school after my father died, and we gave pennies to the project. I remember it well. I know you'll do her right.

Bill

Tony Miele · #21 04-11-2009, 09:25 AM

Hi Mike,
Great idea, looks good to me. How about showing photos of The Cape Hatteras Light House - The Wright Flyer? I would love to see those also.

Tony

KenB · #22 04-12-2009, 06:45 PM

Hey Mike,
Just got back from a few days visiting my daughter in Fayetteville, NC, and just saw your post on this beautiful project. Saturday, we drove over to Wilmington and took the tour of the USS North Carolina. I think you picked exactly the right view to capture the ship's personality. Can't wait to see the finished piece.
Hope to get to Evansville sometime in the next few months.
Ken Burklow

MikeDubber · #23 04-13-2009, 08:26 PM

I spent the entire weekend detailing the BB55 NC gold inlay, but I have a student in some special training this week so I had to put the NC Colt down for a while.

Meanwhile our favorite scrim artist Katherine Plumer has taken on the ivory grip art for this project- so we'll have lots more good stuff to show everyone when it all comes together in early May.

Mike Dubber

KatherinePlumer · #24 04-14-2009, 07:36 PM

Tony, to answer your question, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and the Wright Flyer will be on the grips. Stay tuned...

-Katherine

WVEngraver · #25 04-15-2009, 02:03 AM

I, for one, can't wait. The individual contributions of such outstanding artisans will make one truly special compilation.

This is certainly a great opportunity for you Katherine ... and a vote of confidence as it is an "official" affirmation the level of quality that is consistently displayed (and perceived by others) in your work.

Simply outstanding!!

Chris

Steve Lindsay · #26 04-16-2009, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeDubber

I spent the entire weekend detailing the BB55 NC gold inlay, but I have a student in some special training this week so I had to put the NC Colt down for a while.

Meanwhile our favorite scrim artist Katherine Plumer has taken on the ivory grip art for this project- so we'll have lots more good stuff to show everyone when it all comes together in early May.

Mike Dubber

That is great Mike about Katherine doing the scrim. Looking forward to seeing it Katherine! Mike, if you think of it during the training this week and your student doesn't mind, take pictures during the class for the forum.