Building the Webley horseshoe target...some advice please chaps

[DCL_dave]

Hi Chaps,

I am trying to build the large Webley horseshoe target (to the specs I have already given in an earlier thread here and on the other side) and I'm starting with the main horseshoe part because to my mind, the most difficult bit is cutting the lettering out in relief. I am working with an 8"x3/8" blank steel disc. Got as far as roughing out the horseshoe shape ( pic here) and need to set the lettering out...I've resized the only image we have so that the lettering is near as damn it the actual size (pic here - you need to print to size DO NOT print to fit page) but it is apparent that the image is an artist impression because the lettering doesn't look right, the angles don't quite work out...(pic here) and in order for it to look right in the flesh, it seems to me that the orientation of each letter should radiate out from the centre?...it looks like it should do this because the letter E has a longer line at the bottom?...what do you think?

So...what's the easy way to set this out then?...and what's my next move? ...use the mill/rotary table with a scribe in the chuck to mark out the radii on the plate and just freehand the lettering to mark it out with the correct orientation may be? (does that make sense?)


...No quips about finishing the Quacker target first either...

[ccdjg]

Hi Chaps,

I am trying to build the large Webley horseshoe target (to the specs I have already given in an earlier thread here and on the other side) and I'm starting with the main horseshoe part because to my mind, the most difficult bit is cutting the lettering out in relief. I am working with an 8"x3/8" blank steel disc. Got as far as roughing out the horseshoe shape ( pic here) and need to set the lettering out...I've resized the only image we have so that the lettering is near as damn it the actual size (pic here - you need to print to size DO NOT print to fit page) but it is apparent that the image is an artist impression because the lettering doesn't look right, the angles don't quite work out...(pic here) and in order for it to look right in the flesh, it seems to me that the orientation of each letter should radiate out from the centre?...it looks like it should do this because the letter E has a longer line at the bottom?...what do you think?

So...what's the easy way to set this out then?...and what's my next move? ...use the mill/rotary table with a scribe in the chuck to mark out the radii on the plate and just freehand the lettering to mark it out with the correct orientation may be? (does that make sense?)


...No quips about finishing the Quacker target first either...

I don't think the lettering font itself should radiate out from the centre, and I doubt the original artwork would have had this in mind. Yes the bottom of the E is longer than the top, but that is probably just a font thing. To take it to its extreme, consider if the letters were much larger and the radius smaller, then for a radiating font each letter would be obviously wedge shaped, noticeably tapering towards the centre of the circle. This would look weird, like something found in modern advertising logos rather than on vintage metal ware. Most commercial examples of circularly disposed lettering have used normal shaped font - the lettering round coins and medals for example, and I think that to deviate from this would detract from the vintage look of the target.

[Troubledshooter]

I think you will find the lettering used does not conform to any know font available at the time, as most, if not all of Webley's illustrations and lettering were hand drawn by very skilled craftsmen.
I came across this problem when I was trying to restore some early badly damaged Webley illustrated parts lists and advertising literature, and had to rely on the clone method to replace damaged lettering, as there was no font available.

[pjbingham]

Webley no1 target in the post first thing tomorrow Dave. That way you can go straight off that for your measurements. Atb Phil

[DCL_dave]

I don't think the lettering font itself should radiate out from the centre, and I doubt the original artwork would have had this in mind. Yes the bottom of the E is longer than the top, but that is probably just a font thing. To take it to its extreme, consider if the letters were much larger and the radius smaller, then for a radiating font each letter would be obviously wedge shaped, noticeably tapering towards the centre of the circle. This would look weird, like something found in modern advertising logos rather than on vintage metal ware. Most commercial examples of circularly disposed lettering have used normal shaped font - the lettering round coins and medals for example, and I think that to deviate from this would detract from the vintage look of the target.

Hi,

Thanks for the reply and sorry but I'm not sure that I explained myself properly?...I didn't mean that the lettering should be wedge shaped or tapered as such, more that any vertical lines in the lettering font should point towards the centre...because they do not in the image...and yes I do know that the image was probably drawn from a 3D off centre perspective.

I think you will find the lettering used does not conform to any know font available at the time, as most, if not all of Webley's illustrations and lettering were hand drawn by very skilled craftsmen.
I came across this problem when I was trying to restore some early badly damaged Webley illustrated parts lists and advertising literature, and had to rely on the clone method to replace damaged lettering, as there was no font available.

Thanks, I probably will have to mark this out freehand then...thought as much.

Webley no1 target in the post first thing tomorrow Dave. That way you can go straight off that for your measurements. Atb Phil

Thanks Phil, much appreciated.

[pjbingham]

They should be with you tomorrow Dave, there are two,one is a used wrecked one that I cut up to assist with the build when I was marking mine out and the other is a nicer complete one that would look the part on the finished piece. Sadly none of the few that I have are in particularly good condition I’m afraid,hopefully some nicer ones will come along at some point.
My version is slowly coming along but I have a day off today and can fit in some shed time. Keeping to the stated dimensions of 10’’x10’’ I’m finding it better to construct the horseshoe and lettering by eye. The original illustration and subsequent measurements were leading me off somewhat. However I am aiming towards an ‘in the spirit of’ rather than a museum grade facsimile. I think the end result should be ok.