not sure if my newbie status matters i do repairs and light mods i am not a certified gunsmith but my grandfather is and i have learned a lot from him
+1 to this, teaching myself stockwork (starting with hand-checkering, carving, etc., then up to fitting).
The "artsy/decorative" area is one area that I'm not as skilled in. I can do woodwork and have for years, but fancy carving or extravagant checkering I'll leave to others. Everythings else I can handle, especially custom mechanical applications/designs.
the woodwork is easy, but it's the engraving and patterning stuff that i'm not good with...my uncle was a reverred gunsmith in the Indy area for several decades tooOne of relatives (he's a cousin of some number, over second) does the stocks for Dakota Arms and has his own custom shop. Here's one of the guns he did:
Suffice it to say I won't be working on wood that nice for a looooooong time.
the woodwork is easy, but it's the engraving and patterning stuff that i'm not good with...my uncle was a reverred gunsmith in the Indy area for several decades too