| And a Very Happy New Year To All!!! Thanks Chris, I'll experiment with the pressure. Yes, it's
the 901. Robert When you say the small handpiece you need to be more
specific, because they all run at different pressures. If its the
monarch then you only need about 8 lbs of pressure. if its the
901 then you need about what you are using. It sounds to me like
you have to much pressure. They best way to adjust it is to turn
down the pressure a bit, then slowly adjust the pressure up until
you feel the hand piece start to vibrate, keep ading pressure
very slowly until the vibrating stops, then add about a pound of
pressure. it should be right then. Christian GraverMax question. I use the small handpiece from GRS that
comes with the gravermax. Using a pressure of about 20, and speed
of about 2400, I have to push the foot pedal almost half way
before the handpiece starts. Also, I hear air coming from the
foot pedal. Is this normal, or do I have some sort of problem
with my unit? Here is an update on carrying your firearms to Reno on the
airplane. While reading the list and regulations of allowable
baggage you can carry I did notice way at the very bottom a list
of exempt items that can exceed the 62 linear inches that your
bags must fall below or get charged $80.00 each way. Among this
list were items such as golf clubs, skis and SHOOTING EQUIPTMENT.
Now here is the catch….you can take one of these
“oversize” items with you in place of one of your
regular checked bags giving you still a total of only 2 bags
checked. Now that is not a problem except the airlines do not
know how to read their own regulations. I was told I would still
be charged since the gun case is over the 62 inches. This is not
what the ruling says and after ½ hr on hold for a supervisor
they agreed with me. They even admitted that the wording is a
little vague. How convenient huh?. The supervisor the added to my
electronic ticket a statement that I would be carrying this
oversize gun case and it is allowable with no extra charge. Check
your airline regulations and speak to a supervisor if need be.
Get it in writing that there will be no charge and the case is
allowable. We don’t need surprises when going on a plane
with guns either to Reno or on a hunting trip. I am considering buying a GRS System 3 engraving tool, and
am wondering if anyone can comment on its usefulness--if it works
well for light, fine work like script engraving as well as
heavier work like background relief. The price is quite
attractive. The best person to speak to on your Jager rifle is Deitrich
Appel.He can be reached at New England Custom Gun in NH. Here's
their web site address http://www.newenglandcustomgun.com/ I have a rifle that was engraved by Kurt Jager and I know
nothing about it or him and his work. I was wondering if anyone
can point me in the right direction to find some info about some
of his work. The only markings on the rifle are Kurt Jager, Mainz
and the serial number. I would really appreciate any info that
someone might have about his work. Thanks Just a not to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a
happy and prosperous New Year from the Adair's Home to your's.
Clyde I have a Pentax 645 medium format camera I am going to
sell. I have a macro lens for engraving shots and a zoom
telephoto for action shots. This camera has had pictures
published of both engraving and shooting events in publications
such as American Rifleman, Guns & Ammo, Guns, Blade, Knives
Illustrated, Guns Digest, and many more. It is excellent shape
and a proven performer. Call or e-mail for details Scott Here's a "heads up" for anyone flying to reno
with guncases.I was just checking the new flight luggage
regulations with "American Airlines" as I booked my
flight to Reno for our show. There are new max size regulations
in affect and my gun case would be considered oversize and be
subject to an $80.00 fee each way. My case measures
9"x10'x52" for a total of 71 "linear inches".
62 linear inches is the allowable size. So I will be shipping my
case out to Reno rather than carry it with me. I mention this so
you don't get caught offguard at the airport as you check your
guns into baggage if you were going to carry them with you. About
the best part of this whole mess is the fact that I won't be
flying to Reno anymore after this year. I'll be driving across
the desert with Sam. Hi danielle, It soounds to me like you are describing the
pearl roman style. If you can find a copy of J.M. Berglings books
on monogramming and lettering, I think you might find your
answer. Am I correct in interpreting that the lettering is an
outlined letter with cross-hatching, with little curles going out
at the tops and bottoms of the stems of the letter? I have heard
that Bergling's books are being reprinted, but I am not sure. It
has about all of the old lettering styles that you could possibly
use. Let us know if you find a copy somewhere. Regards,Ron Smith To: anyone that can help I am looking for a certain type of
lettering for the top of a signet ring. It is some what double
block with script like tails on the ends of the letters with
hatch lines running through the double block parts. The signet
ring that I am making is to replace a lost one that was purchased
in Holland over twenty years ago. I'm looking for an example of
lettering simalar or a contact that may be able to help me.
Sincerely Danielle O'Connor I just read the preceeding message. Any of you have a Nikon
SMZI that you can report on? Also, do es anyone do their
engraving while standing? FOR SALE: NIKON STEREO MICROSCOPE w/ FIBER OPTIC
ILLUMINATOR EXCELLENT CONDITION.... INCLUDES NEW "Flex-Arm" STAND and NEW 150w Fiber Optic Ring Light
Illuminator. Both items carry a full 5 years
warranty......Factory reconditioned SMZ1 stereo zoom microscope
by Nikon w/1 year warranty with BUILT-IN ZOOM MAGNIFICATION: 7X
TO 30X with 10x eyepieces. .......Optics are beautiful. We have
sold dozens of these units over the past several years - all for
a wide range of uses including engraving, jewelery/gem
examinations, dental labs, geology, archeology, art conservation,
metallography, botany, microsurgery, dissections, electronic
component assembly/fabrication, etc. The head can be rotated so
that it is 'horizontal' so that one can view objects in a
vertical format. THERE IS NO COMPARISON BETWEEN USING THIS SCOPE
AND USING LOUPES. YOU CANNOT BELIEVE THE COMFORT AND ERGONOMICS
UNTIL YOU TRY IT WITH OUR MONEY BACK GUARANTEE. Working distance
is 100mm. Optional 0.5x auxiliary objective halves the
magnification and increases the working distance to 181mm. (Note:
WE HAVE A FEW OF THESE 'DEMO EXAM SCOPES' LEFT FOR $1995 BUT THE
PRICE IS GOING TO $2295 THE FIRST OF THE YEAR). THANKS FOR
LOOKING..........TOTTLEBEN SCIENTIFIC CO....16 YEARS IN
BUSINESS......PLEASE EMAIL ME FOR
IMAGES.......www.tscmicroscopes.com Happy Holidays to everyone. If you are interested in
engraving and want to meet some of the best engravers in the USA,
give yourself a gift this year, or make a New Year's resolution
to come to Reno, Nevada January 31 - February 2, 2003. Visit with
the men and women of FEGA, become a member, attend our seminars
on Monday, February 3. I guarantee your'll enjoy the visit, make
new engraving friends, and learn a lot! The Silver Legacy Hotel
and Casino is where we'll be - join us. Mike Dubber, FEGA
President I add my voice to the chorus...Merry Christmas and a
prosperous 2003 for everyone. The Reno show is going to be a real
humdinger and I hope to see a lot of you there! Regards, Sam. I'd like to echo Rons Holiday Greeting to all of you also!
Pretty neat group of people. I got my Ziess Loupes the other day
(30 day free trial), but I'm afraid they arn't going to be for
me, I guess my head shakes to much and I have some other
extenuating circumstances. . I ordered both the 4.3X and 6X lens.
I couldn't even hardly try the 6X, maybe I could use a headrest
of some sort. The 4.3X is nice, but I can't seem to get
comfortable with them. I suffered a broken back a few years ago
in a skiing accident(T-12, right between the shoulder blades),
and I can't bend my neck over and look down for very long periods
of time. I think I need to go with a scope, since I can sit up
straight and look into it without that much bending over, and
have the work down at a comfortable position. I also had trouble
keeping my head at the correct distance from the work in order to
stay in focus, but this could probably be remedied with time. I
must say though that the Ziess Loupes are nice. My engraving
showed a marked improvement from being able to magnify the work
that much. The only cost I'll be out is the return shipping to
the Ziess Company, well worth the price of trying them out. On
another note, I received my Silent air compressor today. I
ordered it from Steve Lindsay (talk about a great guy!!). This
thing is quiter then my refrigerator compressor! The wife is
happy, and the cats are once again talking to me. Seasons
Greetings! I would like to wish every body a very merry christmas and
a happy new yr .. see you all in reno ron p. nott Trade..... I have the paragrave learn gun craving system.
Would like to trade for the Egg Sculpture training videos. E-mail
me if you are intereted. kevininga@hotmail.com thanks sam .. i got some of my ideas from steve lindsays
site also some from mckinseys engravings.. i have found a site
for francolini engraveings some prety nice work it is
www.francolini.com... ron p. nott Engravers: Use your computer to make fast and perfect
lettering layouts and transfers for hand engraving. My video
tutorials on CD-ROM teach you how.
http://masterengraver.com/easylettering.htm Looks good Ron. I have some of those to do soon. Thanks for
the ideas. for those of you that are intreasted i have just posted
some new photos of my recent work on the ..www.ckdforums.com go
to the fine enbellishment section and click on my name .. there
are a lot of photos of my work in this section just scroll down
to find my name... thanks ron p. nott.. i do hope some day this
forum will have this option THIS IS FOR TINA McDONALD MY E-MAIL ADRESS HAS BEEN CHANGED
IT IS NOW tjhvjh@mchsi.com MY PHONE IS 1-563-264-8908 Thinking more and more about a scope. Tried a Optimizer
w/#10 lens, but I either have to bend over to far to get in
focus, or if I use a block to heighten the positioning vise, then
my arm and shoulder starts to ache after 30 minutes or so from
being in a raised position. I'm not sure I'm comfortable with a
Ebay scope, may have been dropped, scratched, etc. If any of you
guys have something like a Meiji that you're thinking about
selling, please email me privately and tell me what you have, and
your price. I'm just checking to see what's out there, if
anything. THIS IS FOR TINA McDONALD, DENVER CO. SHE SHOULD GET Allen
Eldridge's VIDEO,ABOUT SILVER WIRE INLAY. CONTACT VINTAGE VIDEO
P.O. BOX 1616 , GALLATIN, TN. 37066. OR PHONE 1-615-452-3970. HE
WILL TELL YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MAKING YOUR OWN
TOOLS. Oh, I forgot to mention in the last post that I already
have access to the powercrafter, just nedd the really itty bitty
bits. Thanks again, Tina Hi, I went to a demo put on by Jack Brooks on Wire Inlay at
the women's woodworking guild here in Colorado a year or so ago.
His work was phenominal!! Unfortunately, even if the group could
get a group lesson going, I am afraid I'm on a fixed income and
can't afford the cost that he quoted the then guild president for
even the group class, let alone an individual lesson, which I am
sure would be well worth the money, if I could afford it. I am
interested in learning from others what methods they use, or if
there are any books, videos, etc on how to prepare stock for the
inlay. I'm guessing the term for this would be scribing the wood?
Jack used a mini screwdriver that was ground to a chisel point.
He did it so fast, that I thought this would actually be
something I could do after a whiplash injury, but I'm starting to
wonder if I just don't have enough hand strenth to go deep enough
without a mallet, and I'm afraid a mallet might crush the wood
instead of cutting it. Perhaps a powercrafter or similar micro
rotary tool wouldn't be better for my purposes. I know this board
is for engraving, and my apologies, but after seeing some of the
beatiful work many of you do on the gun stocks, I know many of
you do the wire inlay as well. I am looking to do jewelry boxes,
etc. and am starting out with standard 1/8" wide bezel wire,
because as you can tell, I'm a lot more interested in doing the
actual designing and inlaying and designing than I am with
cutting the wire strips and scribing the wood. Any input would be
appreciated. And if this is really off topic, I wouldn't mind
personal emails at tlmcd@qwest.net so as not to clutter up your
board. Thanks! Well, it's gratifyting to hear that Ron Smith is
overwhelmed by something - he has overwhemled the rest of us for
years with his engraving talent. Welcome aboard Ron, and let us
know when you learn to engrave with that keyboard! I have a nice used Meiji boom stand, for use in engraving
work. I can include the focus pod for a Meiji scope for another
$20 , or it has block that can be easily adapted to other brands.
E-mail me for pics_________ . I am asking $190, or would consider
trades for ……._____________ Also, have a partially
prepped PPK for sale. ______ It has a stainless receiver , and
blued slide. .32 cal. (funny , somehow I have another one that is
just the opposite). Stainless gun was unfired prior to this
swapping $350 OBO _____ slide has been surface ground to remove
all markings for engraving. email or call if interested
.______will go through FFL _______
http://www.pilkguns.com/personal.htm ____________________ As for
the lubricant, I have found in teaching that students break
considerably less points when using the lubricant than when
cutting bone dry. I am just in the habit of using, usually every
4-5minutes (never really timed myself) and never cut without it,
regardless of material Thanks for the graver lube input guys. I appreciate these
good, professional answers. Since switching to carbide tools for precious metals, I
haven't needed lube for thos projects. Don't use it on steel
either. I have noticed a problem with brass sticking to some of
my regular steel tools, but o normally use carbide on brass now
too, so I really don't lube my gravers at all any more. Tom Hey Les, Long time no see, how's it going? As soon as I get
it figured out, I will send you an e-mail. As for the discussion
on lubricant, I used Oil of wintergreen when I did jewelry
engraving and turpentine for aluminum, but haven't found that it
is too benificial on steel. The non-ferrous metals tend to
attract a deposit of metal onto the point of the tool which
creates a bit of a drag so the lubricant works well on bronze,
copper, silver and alloyed golds. I have never tried it on 24k.
Ron Hello Ron, Glad to see you are learning some new tricks.
Send me an email when you have time concerning some projects. Graver Lube: For lubricating graver points I keep a 35mm
plastic film vial at my bench. I stuffed it with cotton and
saturated the cotton with lube (I use oil of wintergreen). I then
drilled a small hole in the vial lid, into which I can stick the
point of the graver. The saturated cotton allows me to lube the
graver "just enough." That is to say, you don't want to
pick up a drop of lube on the point of your graver, you just want
to pick up a light coating. In addition, the small hole in the
top keeps the lube from evaporating, thickening, and otherwise
picking up contaminates. Works great for me. I try not to use
lube unless I have to. Be aware that the graver cuts much
differently when it is lubed. If you are cutting a line, for
instance, get to a hard area and decide to lube the graver, watch
out, things will feel and cut differently from here on out! I would send you my e-mail address Marty, but I am just now
learning how to do these things, I think. It is overwhelming.
Regards, Ron Smith I just got the latest copy of Shooting Sportsman, (the
Jan/Feb issue). There are a number of great engraving photos in
this issue,articles and ads alike, so it might be worth grabbing
a copy off the newstand_______________________Interesting enough,
the Guild's ad for Reno is on the same page as my tour Italy
adShooting Tours of Italy, Germany and China Robert, I have a small plastic container on my bench with a
cotton wad oiled with graver lube. I have a habit of dippi tool
in this frequently to lube and to clean the tool point. It seems
to help produce better cuts and make the point last longer. Hello to all,i have tsudied under Michael Dubber I have
just finishe my web siteand would appr,any comments
www.ceraswaxes.com great site i realli enjoy the info I keep a small bowl (really small) with a cotton ball or
some tissue in it and i keep it saturated with very fine oil. I
do not always use it, but if I am working with really hard metals
I do as it does seem to help me to keep my tips from breaking. Does everyone, anyone, no one, use graver lube? Hi Ron...about time! See you soon. HI RON..Glad to see you made it finally online..send me
your e-mail address. See you soon in Reno I don't have any questions about engraving, but I sure
would like to know how to use this darned computer. Hi guys! I
see a lot of my old friends out there. I don't know what I am
doing but it looks like you guys do. Regards, Ron Smith My g/g grandfather was in a group during the Civil
War...the first ones to be awarded the Congressional Medal of
Honor. I have a blank medal (star-shaped) on which I would like
to have his name, company and regiment engraved. I can forward a
photo of how the original medal was engraved. If you are
interested in this please contact me. Thank you... Clyde. I do know that GRS has a TV hooked up to their demo
microscope at our meeting in Reno. This allows everyone to see
whats being engraved while the engraving takes place.There might
be a good place to check it out and see if it would work for you.
Martin, I think that it is cool, so don't get me worng. I
too have used a turntable under a ball vise. I was only
responding to the question as to what is thought of the
possitioning vise. Basically, from the way my Dad raised me, I am
a strong supporter of "What ever works, use it!" As to
having to work in differant possitions, hmmmm well I have had to
work arround lower back problems since about 1973. (I have a
disability relating to my back) This is (in part) why I asked
about useing the CCTV (closed circut television) as I have seen
some of these that do seem to be able to magnify to a large
degree. Due to my own back prooblems, I am considering going over
to the cctv as a means of gaining some relief for MY back (lol). Clyde... Using the drillpress turntable actually makes your
standard ball vise act just like a positioning vice. It's very
easy to re-position your work by just sliding it with your hand
as you engrave. I still am not used to using a microscope and do
feel alot more freedom using my optivisor. But after back surgery
I have to position myslef a little different when I engrave. This
solution that Bob Jiantonio made up for me is just a inexpensive,
very workable alternative. Just a Quick reply about the "Possitioning
Vises". I was fortunate enough to get ahold of the GRS
Possitioning Vise and have also used a turntable. Of the two, I
will take the possitioning vise. I really like the convienance of
being able to set it and leave it. There are two levers on the
side of the vise, you only have to use one lever to release the
vise to move. It took some time to get used to it but I would be
lost without it now. I do almost all of my engraving under a
microscope so the possitioning feature is VERY nice to have.
Also, the possitioning vise is 'HEAVY'. It weighs in at close to
fifty pounds and this is another plus when it comes to heavier
engraving as well. Hope this helps. Just a quick question for
anyone else, has anyone tried useing CCTV as a replacement for
thier scopes? I have been giving this a lot of though of late due
to their light weight and ease of manuverability. Scott......yours is nothing like mine.. Mine is simpler and
can be made from yard sale drill presses that have bad motors.
The colum mounts to the bottom of your workbench and can be swung
out of the way when you don't need it. Read the article in the
ENGRAVER. I describe it pretty well and it was designed by guild
member Bob Jiantonio. Marty, this sounds like a good idea, can I get a bood
b&W pic for the book? it sounds very similar to something
i've used for over15 years, heres pic
http://groups.msn.com/HandEngravers/scottpilkington.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=74
there is some further discussion on microscopes and vises over on
the MSN forum, which seems to be dying now that this place has
gotten revitalized
http://groups.msn.com/HandEngravers/_messageboard.msnw Gee Tom, I always thought I was "normal"AND cool,
especially driving down the road in my '55 Studebaker! Sam The best setup i have found for working under a microscope
is the turntable stand made up from an old drillpress stand as
was described in an article i wrote in a recent issue of the
ENGRAVER newsletter. Set your ballvice on the rotating table and
center the part you are engraving under the microscope. Then you
just rotate the drillpress table as you engrave. It's very easy
to slide the ballvice to reposition as you engrave. You also have
the advantage of adjusting for height on the table. It's a
simple, inexpensive and very sturdy solution to this problem. I'm getting frustrated with two problems in trying to
engrave under the microscope (Meiji). The scope is fine, but an
old Vigor ball vise on a homemade turntable gives too much
wobble, and also the working angle changes with rotation, if the
workpiece is not parallel with the turntable base. Are the "positioning" vises a good way to go? Any other
suggestions out there as to how to deal with these problems?
thanks Eric Hi guys. Just a note to let you know I sent in my
membership form the other day, along with my check. Also ordered
some others stuff off of the site. Looking forward to being part
of your community. Chris, Thanks for the info! It is funny how what we have is
always "normal", and what the other guy has is
"cool". Thanks again, Tom Wanted:Used gravermiester and magnablock.Thank you. Tom I only saw people there using the normal size ten power
loupes. I think you can find larger sizes in the combo lenses,
where there are two to three lenses that fold over each other
letting you obtain five ten or fifteen power. Any of the larger
that is over eighteen mm, are usually lower in power. You could
try buying two five power lenses that are larger and then taping
them together, but Im not sure if your field of veiw would be
fuzzy around the edges. As far as the vise goes, I have one, I
bought it in Italy. This is the traditional vise they use for
engraving, although some are switching to the ball vise. Its
funny I think there style of vise is cool, and they all thought
that my ball vise was cool, they said it was so modern. They are
availiable over there, but I dont have an adress for you, I will
see if I can get one for you, so you can order one if you want.
It would be nice if we could get someone to make a vise using the
traditional vise jaws, combined with a ball vise. I am looking for a tool so I can Do my work. I am looking
for a Grinding Stone Wheel for Sharpening Knives, you know, the
kind that is around, one and half-to two inches thick, about
8" to 10" in diameter, in say, fine grade maybe med and
course? Somebody's got sell these STONE WHEELS, Can anybody help
me, it would be greatly appreciated. THANK YOU P.S. Any e-mail
addresses, addresses, phone numbers......thanks again! Sam Chris, Do you know any sources for the larger lenses the
Italians use? I have never come across any like that in the
catalogs I have. I sometimes do work in front of the public in
19th century costume at a museum, and stuff like that would
really help. Also, I have a client who requests that I only use
traditional tools on the work I do for him. Besides that, do you
know of a source for thoses vises you see sometimes in Double Gun
Journal in their shops, where the jaws are over the center of
rotation? I have never seen any thing like that available either.
Thanks for any help! Tom Optiloop Users If you take the lens off your optiloop, use
1" or longer screws and some brass tubing you can set the
lens farther out from the front of the visor. This will change
the focal length and you have more room to work between engraving
and your eyes. Experiment to find your best focal length, then
trim tubing and bolt to fit. An 8/32 bolt and nut works well. JR
Hoot Christian, Sam, JC, and all, thanks for the info. Not sure
what route I'll take in the long run, but for now, especially
during the learning phase, I'll go with the Optivisor w/10x, plus
I'm going to go with the 30 free trail with the Zeiss loupes,
can't hurt a thing. Seems as though I better lighten up on all my
posts also. It won't be very long though that I'll have another
question that I can't find the answer to in the books and
archives. Right now I'm studying all of the ways to transfer
imiages to metal, but I'll do my homework on that one, lots of
info out there on that. Robert Robert, I use a meiji scope. I find it works well, good
optics, I talked to a person who sells scopes for medical use, he
told me that the zeiss would be a little better than the meiji,
but the price difference it a lot. I also saw a zeiss scope in
italy at a show , wasnt very good, I think it was a lower quality
in there line, it wass made of all plastic. Make sure if you are
going to spend the money on a zeiss, buy the best quality. You
will find that one of these will last you the rest of your life.
The other option you have is to do your cutting with an optivisor
or one of the other head sets, and do all of your shading using a
ten power loupe, this is how they do it in italy, holding the
loupe in one hand and your graver in the other, you must get in a
position that you must hold steady while shading, This is how
they do all of there bulino work as well as shading of the
scroll. Here to you want to get a high quality loupe with a
corrected lens and as large a diameter lens as they make. good
luck which ever way you choose. J.C., what did you find the final costs to be? I use the zeiss loupe in 4x very good optics. Long focal
length allowing you to keep your head at comfortable angel. find
them usefull for really curved or large objects that dont lend
themselves to working under microscope. Also great for drawing if
you have "old eyes". Suggest getting the head band set
up rather than "glasses" set up. at that power any
slight wiggle makes them hard to use. People at zeiss really
profesional will help you decide what you require for your needs. Been quite a while since I checked out the Forum and I am
really impressed with the changes. The GRS quick fit sharpening
fixture makes it real easy to put facets on single point tools
for background stippling. Here is wishing every one a happy
turkey day Yes, I think the Zeiss surgical loupes go to 8x. They are
selling direct to the public now, and have a 30-day free trail
(if you give them your credit card number of course). They'll
also send several different magnification options, and if you
elect to keep the loupes, you send back what you don't want.
Price is about $1,300 I think. I learned all of this off of Steve
Lindsays site, he has a link to the Zeiss site under the "microscopes" heading(he uses an Ziess scope). I use a #10 optiviser but am trying to learn to use a
microscope. It's outstanding for detail work but drives me nuts
for other reasons. I have switched to a .3 diopter lens. This
increases my working distance about 5-6 inches and cuts down on
the magnification increasing my field of vision. A 15x top lens
will bring the magnification back up if a fellow thinks he needs
more. I suspect I have added to the confusion. Robert,The #10 optivisor is 3.5x, if I am remembering that
right. The Zeiss surgical loupes go up to 8X , I think. They also
have a good focal length. I haven't tried them yet, but want to,
as i find that there are some limitations with the scope,
especially on curved or large surfaces, as Sam mentioned. Before
i got my scope, i would sometimes use the optiloupe on my #10
optivisors to get 7 or 8 x on one eye. Not the easiest way to
work, but did help on some fine work.I really like the scope,
though, and some sort of positioning device is really helpful.
Take care, Tom Robert, the main reason I like the optivisor is the freedom
of movement. Helps with cutting scroll...at least for me it does.
One thing you might check on is if your lighting is good enough.
I use a 3 bulb 4 foot flourescent fixture above my ball vise. Sam Hi Sam. I haven't tried a 10X Optivisor yet, maybe I
should. I've been talking with Steve Lindsay (nice guy!) about
various things, and we discussed Zeiss surgical eyeloupes. Seems
that you may need a "headrest" when using them, or the
focal point will wander. My 7X Optivisor works fine, but I can't
see well enough with them. I should try the 10X.
Robert, my 60 year old eyes seem to do just fine with the
#10 Optivisor. Maybe I am just lucky. My opthomologist is also
one of my engraving customers so maybae I get special treatment.
I do have a microscope, an American Optical scope I bought
secondhand some years ago but seldom use it except for detail
work on inlays and lettering. What ever you get I think you will
want a variable power scope of about 7 to 30 power and maybe the
.5 diopter lens that cuts that in half and gives more working
room. That would cover most anything you want to do...except make
a W. Churchill out of you. Sam I'm starting to see some results now with the background
work. Thanks for the help. Would the GRS Meiji be a good way to
go as far as a scope? My 52 year old eyes need something more
than an Optimiser. Looks like the GRS positioning block would be
very useful also (currently using a homemade block I made out of
Mesquite wood in the mid 80's). I have heard that some of you
guys use eyeloupes also. Robert The methods that Sam gave you are the mo9st common.
I would add this to what he already said. When cutting the lines
for the background, make sure that you cut them horiziontaly to
the direction that the work will be viewed, you will find that
these lines cut this way will give you the blackest background.
Also when you stipple make your fine point and then facet the
point with three or four facets, but make sure that it comes to a
point like a prymid. this will really rough up the background and
give a very black color. If you stipple again in horiziontal
direction you will obtain the blackest background possible. Hope
this helps , please let us know how it works for you. Jim, The Turbo-Carver is a good tool. If you are looking to
give it a try, they work fine. The GRS tools are much more
industrial quality and will last forever. And then there are some
that sell you a bill of goods with a tool for big bucks. Go with
either the TurboCarver, GRS or Ngraver. Thanks Sam! I'll go practice with each method. Robert Robert, after the background material is removed it is
usually darkened by either fine cross-hatching with a narrow
graver or stippled to a matt finish with a single point tool. I
do the stippling using a sharp pointed punch held upright in the
pneumatic handle. This makes for a very "black" background. Sam I have a question about background shading. I'm just
starting out, and have done a few practice plates, nothing fancy,
bust the basic scrolls and leaves. I'v removed some of the
background with a chisel (I have a Gravermax), but would like to "darken" this area. I notice that onmany engravings the
background seems to have been painted, dyed, or maybe blued. What
are some of hte procedures? Thanks for a great site! I did not make it clear, sorry. Most of my work in in wood,
Corian or acrylics for pens. Engraving may not be the right term
either. I am trying to "carve or scrimshaw?" and then
fill them with either ink or stone. You can see what I meen at:
http://www.jdscrafts.com/page9.html I have looked at air driven
turbine engravers and carvers at prices from $207.00 for the
turbocarver up to $1700.00. Is there really that much difference
in these tools? Jim, it is not clear to me what type of material you want
to engrave. Metal or wood? FORUM UPDATE: For those of you that have followed the
forum, you may notice that many posts have been removed. Due to
unanimous vote of persons involved, we have elected to remove
these posts. This is not the place for airing of "dirty
laundry". Some post removed may not have referred to this,
but were related to a previous post and without them, were hard
to understand. We welcome comments and constructive criticism,
but please, no name-calling or dirty laundry. And of course,
questions and how-to’s are always welcome. Congrats to the FEGA and Shannon for the lovely new
Engravers Profiles booklet! All FEGA members should be proud of
this accomplishment and I'm sure it will be treasured in the
future. It is a great resourse for both engravers and their
clients. Having them published every other year is a wonderful
idea and one of the surest ways to garner public awareness for
the Guild! Hi Jim. The hi speed rotary tool wont give you a engraved
look .. if you are looking for vine and leaf effect you must use
a chisel. i would suggest that you pratice on some scrap before
doing it on the good pens.. G.R.S has a very good rotary tool
check them out . i am sure that there are other engravers on this
forum that can give you some more ideas . ron p. nott NEED HELP! I am a wood worker and do a lot of work with the
lathe. I have made a number of pens I would like to engrave. Been
looking at air driven turbo carver and get more confused each
day. Does anyone here use them? Is there much difference in the
manufactures? Who mught have the best prices on them? Any help,
information or suggestions willbe very appreciated! Thank you in
advance, Jim D Lee When I do this type of work what I do is to remove the
background in stages and get it really deep,then I doe some
sculpting with flat graver, but dont over do it, you want to
remove as little metal as possible. Then what I do is make
several size hammer points for my handpiece. I use them to do
most of the shaping and smoothing. You will be surprized how much
you can shape and smooth the steel this way, the hammer points
should have a very slight convex shape and be polished, but not
so much of a convex shape that you get deep dimples like peening
with a ball peen hammer. after you can do some hand burnishing or
get some diamond paste and a brush and rub it to make it very
smooth, be carefull though to much abrasion with the diamond
paste and you will lose your crisp edges. anothe thing you can do
is after you have cut your pattern and removed all the
bachground, you can take a flat graver and using it as a chisel
under cut your patterns, thus raising them up a little more and
giving it the apperance of even more depth..Not necessarily high
tech but it works great for me, hope this is some help. Lee I sometimes use old dental burrs I get from my dentist
to do some relief work in a high-speed rotary handpiece. These
burrs are quite expensive for my dentist but i get them for free
as he will be throwing them out. They get just a little top dull
to use on patients but since steel doesn't scream much they work
out just fine. He saves them for me and I get them by the
handfull in all sizes and styles. Ask your dentist. He will most
likely save some for you. The gun I am currently working on is deep relief both
srcoll and animals. I'm open to suggestions on sculpting the
animals. Any new high tech ideas to speed up the old scrape and
burnish methods? I got this from Kim Pember the General Manager at
GRS___________________________________________ I am writing to
advise you that Don has been admitted to the KU Medical Center in
KC (I don’t have an address yet, but will forward one as
soon as I get it). He is fine, but is scheduled to undergo
surgery tomorrow morning at 9:00 am for a heart valve
replacement. Don has known for several years that this was
inevitable, he just didn’t know when. But ‘when’
has arrived. I will attempt to relate the events leading to this,
but please forgive me if I get some of the details turned
around.___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Don went in Wednesday morning to do a treadmill test for his
routine flight physical requirement. The treadmill test went
fine, but apparently during his ‘recovery’ from this,
his heart quit beating. The attending nurses and physicians had
to use the de-fib treatment to get him going again. It was
immediately decided he needed to be seen by a specialist and was
subsequently sent by ‘Lifewatch’ to KC. I talked with
DJ today. He said Don had undergone a series of tests today to
make sure he was in shape for surgery and to determine whether
there might be any other problems that might arise. There were
not. Don went through the tests in flying colors and is otherwise
in very good health. So, surgery will take place as I mentioned
earlier and we will know more about that in the late a.m.
tomorrow. Don is expected to remain in the hospital 5-7 days.
____________________________________________________________________
Don is well known and respected in his local community and I am
sure will get lots of cards and flowers from there. I am sure
that those of from the engravers community would like to express
our wishes as well.
_________________________________________________________________________________What
I suggest, is that rather than us spending money on flowers and
cards, that instead we donate that money in Don’s honor, to
and organization he is quite fond of, namely FEGA. Why don’t
we all send a one our business cards with some hand written
greetings on the back, along with a check for $20 (or larger if
so inclined) to dear old Rex, and he can forward the total # of
cards to Don, and the checks onward to FEGA’s treasurer.
______________________________________________________________________________________
And in the meanwhile, maybe someone who has copy of FEGA’s
by-laws, can see what needs to be done amend the rules to allow
compensation of officers. It can’t be too complicated,
probably just a vote of the quorum. Thanks for the updated information Chris. YES...proper lead
time to prepare is important for a successful seminar. Marty two years ago Sam Welch asked me if I would be
willing to a seminar on bulino, and I said that I would be glad
to do so. I never heard anything more. I would still be willing
to do so. As for doing it this year no problem, but I need some
lead time to prepare, so if you want me to just let me know asap.
Chris Chris..thanks for the pointers on banknote/bulino style
engraving.Perhaps you would care to volunteer to present a
seminar on this at the annual meeting in reno. Most FEGA members
do stay for the monday seminars and it is a moneymaker for the
guild as we sell the tapes to people like me who because of job
commitments unfortunately cannot stay the extra day.I know that
Eric is always looking for qualified presenters and interesting
subjects that can be shared with our members. I am not (yet) a guild member so in some ways I still feel
like an outsider here. But I would like to thank a lot of the
members thaqt have posted over the last year as I have learned
lot on this site and have enjoyed the communications that I have
had with certain members. I would like to add my ouwn two cents
worth about the current thread. This is regarding the award, IS
there any reason why one of you can not make the plaque? I mean
there are som really fantastic engravers here and though placques
are not what are normally done by most (self included) it is not
that hard to do one. And also, in my humble opinion, I would feel
a lot more honored if one of my fellow engravers actually MADE
the award that I recieved. Not to mention that you will not find
too many hand cut engraved award plaques out there. Just a
thought Guys. I am looking for information on the gun engraver--Arnold
Griebel. If anyone knows about his works, please contact me.
Thanks Lee......I only use the black sharpie while I am engraving
and whenI am done I do remove it. To blacken in the finished
engraving i do use "antique black" from Ngravr which
sometimes is a little harsh on fine bulino. I also use and
artists oil base etching ink to blacken in my animals if a more
subtle effect is desired. This dries permanentin a few days and
can be removed with mineral spirits if the need arises. As for
you comments on awards i think you know how i stand on these.
being instrumental in setting up most of the awards we now have
and have had I feel the more the merrier which is why I have
tried to get as much variety in these awards as possible in order
to get the most exhibiting member participation at our show.
Unfortunately corporations and their representatives aren't
always as solvent as we would like them to be and we have lost
some over the years. Some have been picked up by other sponsors
fortunately. We are always looking for more awards either new
ones or renewed old ones. As a retired "Lord" of the
guild I think the best way to approach this would be at our
annual meeting for a membership vote as to if we should sponsor
additional awards ourselves. One problem i see is judging them.
it's nice when someone other then guild members do the judging
and logistically makes it alot easier on saturday morning. You
have seen how hectic it gets for our own engravers choice awards
with all members voting. But i'm certain our officers would be
open to rational sugestions. Marty, I guess I'm not smart enough to go your high-tech
route. It sounds like a good idea. I ocassionally rub dirty oil
on it. When you are done do you leave the sharpie on? Sharpies
are used by some of the knife engravers or so I've been told. It
seems that coloring is widely accepted and expected in the knife
trade but not so clear with the guns. Is there an accepted
protocol? I've had clients express themselves both ways. My
thoughts are in concert with Chris on the awards. There are
several areas including the two he mentioned that justify an
award and have the historical precedence to back it up. If we are
looking for a sponsor, it is sometimes easier if the award is
already established and we can go to a potential sponsor with a
neat package and say this award is being given and we would like
to give you the opportunity to have your name on it and it will
cost you so much money. I would be in favor of the guild
sponsoring some until a sponsor is found. I wonder whether that
wouldn't pique more interest in displaying and competing. With all the banter of recent postings about engraving
titles, I seem to have missed some helpful information on
banknote engraving by Francis Huese that he posted. He did
mention one thing that i think gets overlooked while we explain
what we are attempting to do with our cuts. That is to blacken in
our engraving while we work so we can see what we are doing
easier. He mentions lamp petrol which I assume is lamp black. I
have been using a "sharpie" type of marking pen to
darken mine in while I work. It's quick easy and not messy at
all. Just wet the area you're engraving with the pen and wipe it
off quickly before it dries with a paper towel. Not dark enough ,
do it again. Too dark, use a little solvent and it comes right
off. What are some of the other gun engravers using for this? Wanted: a local custom engraver to perhaps engrave figures
on to a bracelet. Who has the talent to do this? Please contact
me. Thank you, Dave Sanfilippo 408-295-1195 Hi Clyde, One of many ways to engrave a bear. First find
the exact pictures of the bear you want to engrave. Take a large
picture with good details. Reduce the picture to the size that
fit on the surface you have to engrave. Keep the large picture
near your bench as a reference. Reproduce the main lines of the
animal, eyes, nose, lips, teeth, ears, body and head with a
scriber lightly, do not draw it by hand, use a pantograph, or
other technics to reproduce the animal. With a chisel and a light
hammer engrave only the nose, the lips and the eyes, and all the
parts that have definit lines. Do not engrave the contours that
have fur. With a hand graver make the hairs in the same direction
that they are on the animal. If you insist on one spot it will
get darker, then play with dark and clear spots. Use lamp petrol
to see your engraving better. You can also use a mirror polished
steel tip to rub the dark hairs, so you'll make white lines in
the dark fur. Hope it will be HAPPYof some use for you. Francis
Marty Rabeno's post on Oct. 17 gives some good instruction
on a good tool for dot style bulino. When I do hairy animals such
as a bear or some types of dogs, I usually cut lines and do it in
the same direction that the hair lies on the animal. The shorter
the hair the shorter the lines. Lee R. Griffiths Am interested in taking on the "next step"per
se`. Is there anyone who would feel comfortable in trying to give
some instruction in fine line type bulino? I have manages a
couple of attempts in this area but am wholey unsatisfied with my
attempts. I also have some questions about this type of
engraving. I am not interested in becoming a "master" of any of the bulino but some general ability enough to say put a
decent bird scene or dog, elk, bears ect..... on a rifle or
shotgun would be invaluable. Unfortunately, I am not in a
possition to travel to study. So my one option is the internet. I
have been asked to do a bear scene on a sterling silver lighter
case and some help/advise would be apreciated. Thanks guys! Hi, my name is Francis Heuse, I'm 34, and I'm living in
Belgium. I've learnt engraving in the Armory School of Liège. I
was in school between 1984 and 1988. My teachers were René
Delcour and Philippe Grifnée. I'm not a professional engraver,
but I keep practicing since I left school. I like deep engraving,
carving and I inlay gold, I work with hammer and chisels. If
someone wants to learn these technics I'll be happy to help. I
love to travell and meet people interested with art. I could
cross the ocean with my tools to show what I've learnt from my
teachers, this is not a question of money. For sale: Magna-Graver II impact hand engraving tool,
includes case and 4 collets to hold different size gravers.
Like-new condition. $150.00. Ngraver retails this model for
$265.00. Driven from a flexshaft tool (not included). This is not
a Vari-Pact model, but Ngraver will upgrade it to vari-pact for
$65. If it doesn't sell here, I'll put it on Ebay in a couple of
weeks. cheers Eric hola soy colombiano y estoy buscando un set de gravadores
para cobre o plata hago artesanias neocoloniales y hago escudos
de apellidos sobre cobre o plata, pero no he encontrado la
direccion correcta para comprar los gravadores !!! HAND
ENGRAVER!!! "NEED HELP!" Hi everyone, I am new to this
forum.I engraved an old world map(original from 1804).It is quite
large copper engraving. I used ordinary tools.I am interested in
banknote-engraving and this map was very good way for me to
practice and test my skills.It is truly hand made.I made only
test prints and I can say that they look even better than the
original print, which I used for the engraving.Do you have
anybody of you any idea how can I sell this original graphic
copy? Collectors and map dealers want only old items.This map is
some kind of presentation for me, that is why I will not to try
to sell this engraving as a 200years old thing.I am at the
beginning of my career and I would be extremely grateful for any
kind of advice or comments on this matter. Please, for more
details visit my site www.engraving.wz.cz. Thank you very much
for your time.Lucie Looking for a GRS positioning vise and/or a GRS low profile
vise in good condition. Please e-mail price and condition. FEGA Professional Members.. You can go to FEGA.COM and go
to members section to get a list. How about posting a list of the Professional Engravers with
their addresses? Hello, I'm new to the forum. It was recommended that I post
here that I have a very fine copy of "Master French
Gunsmiths Design" (561/1000) for sale. The price is $300,
firm. This book is in excellent condition and if there is no
interest within FEGA, I will place it on e-bay. Please let me
know. I could probably arrange some digital photos if necessary.
Would have to figure out the road map to that though. Thanks for
the consideration. For banknote type dots I use a fine onglette with a 50
degree face and NO HEEL so it digs straight in. I hold and use it
like a pencil resting on my thumb while I poke in a linear
pattern. I use any direction of engraving that seems to work and
I do mix them up to make a smoother texture when I want to.
Straight patterns, curved patterns, use them all. I usually dont
worry about any burrs that raise up and even use them as part of
the highlights In banknote/pictorial style engraving what is the most
traditional and widely used technique for making the rows of fine
dot pattern lines such as are typically used to create shadow. I
have found using a square graver and proceeding backwards down
the line of dots to seem the easiest. However I still have some
problem eliminating the spurs caused by making such short cuts as
are dots. I have been shaving the spurs off with a flat graver
after cutting them with a square. Any advice (except telling me
to take a class or go back to school) from an expert on the
subject would be greatly appreciated. Hi, i am looking for some advice as to what angles/ tool
shape i should use to cut thin, deep lines used in fine english
scroll Any engravers near the NYC area? Someone contacted me last
week from that area looking for a hand engraver. Anyone
interested, please e-mail, and I will pass on the contact info.
Tom I have a print engraved by HT Hreenhead of a painting by
George Moreland entitled The Happy Cottager. Its approx.
20"x30". Can anyone tell me anything about it in terms
or rarity or value? By transfering my FFL I am saying that I moved about four
miles into a new township and the BATF requires a transfer. This
is not a new FFL. It has been harder to do this then then when I
first applied By transfering my FFL I am saying that I moved about four
miles into a new township and the BATF requires a transfer. This
is not a new FFL. It has been harder to do this then then when I
first applied Stephen, what do you mean by "transfer" your FFL? > Comments_Questions: I am a member and engraver who
could use the > support of the guild. Our township is giving
me some dificulity in letting me transfer my FFL. I could realy
use a short letter from members explaining why we need such a
licsence and that it in critical to my business. > A responce
is need be this weekend as the township informed me today >
that i go before the townships meeting on Monday. Call at
610-637-3589 or E-Mail steichman@starband.net > > Thank for
the help > Stephen Teichman > > Name: stephen Teichman
> > Address: P.O. Box 748 > > City: unionville >
> State: pa > > Zip: 19375 > > Phone: 610-486-6565
> > Fax: 610-486-0729 > > Email:
steichman@starband.net >
NEED INSTRUCTIONS FOR PRINCETON POWERSAW. We just purchased
a used one, and were just wondering if anyone has any
paperwork/instructions for one of these units that they would be
willing to share (photocopy or scan). Our main use for the saw
will be cutting silver. Any personal experiences with the unit or
hints on using it would also be appreciated. Thanks! Lori
xpranch@pldi.net FOR SALE: GLENDO Corp. engraving equipment consisting of 1)
GraverMax 0-4,000 impacts/min.; 2) Gravers, small & large; 3)
Thomas T-30 oilless air compressor, 4.8 cfm @ 125 psi; 4)
Positioning vise with stand used with or without magnifying
glass; 5) Power hone with dual angle sharpening fixture, 2 -
5” dia. diamond wheels and 1 – 5” dia. polishing
wheel; 6) NSK rotary tool. Ideal for stippling, scrimshawing and
egg carving; 7) Wood carving gravers, large and small; 8) Tool
carousel; 9) Magnifier with light; 10) Stencil sheets; 11)
2” X 4” steel practice plates; 12) Book: The “Art
of Engraving” by James Meek; 13) Three video tapes, 6 hours
+/-, showing tool sharpening, engraving, stone setting, & inlaying; 14) Miscellaneous items: new gravers, liners, chasing
hammer, work bench, and chair. Ideal for gun and jewelry
engraving, wood and plastic gun stock carving, stone setting, and
gold and silver inlaying. Call for any additional info or
pictures. Used less than 150 hours, approx. three years old.
Original cost: $4,800. All for $3,500 plus shipping. I need a lighter line engraved for a pesent for my wife. It
is a sterling silver zippo and I wish to have her face line
engraved. I can supply a picture when she was 14, we are retired
now. It is to replace one I gave her that was stolen last month.
She has carried it since she was 14 and is very sad. I am looking for a plater,someone experienced in engraved
single actions.Would appreciate any help. I am an engraver on the
east coast.(Massachusetts)----HELP!!! I am desperately looking for an engraver living in Toronto,
Canada, who can hand engrave an Arabic inscription on to a silver
ring for me. If there is anybody out there capable, please
contact me as soon as possible. Thank you for all your help in
advance, sincerely, Stacey Glass My children's father was a jeweler and hand engraver for 24
years. He recently passed away unexpectly in June of this year. I
need help with saleing off his engraving and some jeweler's
equipment. He did contract repairs and engraving for local
stores. He was very talented. I have a gravermeister, motorized
rolling mills and other miscellanous items. If anyone is
interested please email me or call in the evenings at
225-665-5012. Buyers will have to pay shipping and handling also.
You have a wonderful site. I wished their father could have
visited it.God Bless you all. LB hi sam ... yes you should give these new chisels a try i
think they are great they last longer than anything i ever tried
and they cut like carbide with out the problems of carbide go to
steve lindsays web site to see more on they ron Hi Ron...sounds like something I should give a try. See you
in Reno. Thanks, Sam stephen ... you should try steve lindsays new
colbolt/carbide chisels they last a long time and hold up very
good .. i do alot of engraving on colts and i can cut the hammer
with out breaking the chisel or having it dull out check out his
web page ....ron Stephen, I haven't found anything better for hard gun steel
than the carbide squares the Ray Phillips at Ngraver sells. Sam Is there anything new out there for tool steel? I have been
using Fagersta WKE 45 for a long time but something has happened
to the quality (in my opinion). I did use super mo max and I am
about to re-order but would rather get Rex 1/8 square or anything
else some of you may have found to cut well. Any suggestions?--
Stephen I am looking for an experienced handgun engraver in the
S.F. bay area. Does anyone have any recommendations? I can be
contacted at raulgonzalez@earthlink.net I would like to purchase castings of script and other
alphabets. Dafydd: The frist thing you will need is a book "The
Art of Engraving" By James B. Meek. This is a MustHave for
all begaining engravers. As far as graver types, this will depend
on the type of engraving you think you would like to persue. But
basicly your going to need a squar graver and a flat graver. I
believe all begaining engraver should start out with push
gravers. This will give you a good foundation to persue any or
all the areas of Hand engraving. I hope this helps you a little. Anyone ever try those DMT diamond sharpening stones? Is
their claim that the stone won't get uneven true? I'm very interested in beginning to engrave, and I was
wondering what the basic tools I should have are.... besides
gravers, good handles (any recommendations on these?), an
engraver's vise and an optivisor type glasses, what do I need? I am selling my PARAGRAVE sandblasting/engraving set.
Currently you can see the "AD" by looking at this
"LINK":
http://www.craigslist.org/sfo/nby/for/5229961.html After this
expires on the 26th/27th, you can still find the next-newest
"AD" to follow by doing the following
"SEARCH": paragrave in the "general for sale"
area on: http://www.craigslist.org I also will be selling a
"PARAGRAVE" air-drill with many extra carbide and
diamond bits beyond the standard PARAGRAVE allotment.
Thanks........... Norm I'm looking for information about a gun engraver named P.L.
Quigley? His name is listed on a beautiful 2nd gen. colt SAA I
own. If anybody knows anything about his work, address, etc.
Please send me an e-mail. Thank you. WANTED; ENGRAVER TO ENGRAVE IRISH PHRASE IN WEDDING RINGS I
am looking to have two platinum rings engraved with the phrase: a
Grá a Stóirín mo Chroí. Small/Upper case and accents are key
to the translation. The rings are comfort fit in 10 mm and 8mm
width. Thanks for your time. Joe O'Connor I have paragrave kit that has extra burrs 30 or so,a sample
burr display, videos ,stencils extra turbo for the hand peice,a
carrying case fully insulated,Basically the full kit package.
that was around 4000. I really have no use for it and will take a
reasonable offer for the lot I dont want to price it, I just
could use the money rather than let this stay packed away. It is
in excellent shape and used literally 3 times for around twenty
minutes. Thanks for reading this...David. I am selling my PARAGRAVE sandblasting/engraving set.
E-mail me or look at the "AD" on "CRAIGSLIST"
by doing a "SEARCH" for: paragrave in the "general
for sale" area. http://www.craigslist.org I also will be
selling a "PARAGRAVE" air-drill with many extra carbide
and diamond bits beyond the standard PARAGRAVE allotment.
Thanks........... Norm
-====================================================== I'm looking for a supplier for a sandblasting product
called black magna, any suggestions!!! For rope edging, gold overlay wire work better than brass.
Cut a length of wire put one end thru an eyebolt, double the wire
and put the loose ends in a vise. Put the eyebolt into a hand
drill, put tension on the wire and turn the drill until you can't
tighten anymore. I would like some information about western style belt
buckles. I have been engraving for 4 years and was wondering
about the metal used for the rope border around the buckle. Is it
brass? Or bronze? Also, I would like to know if there is a
supplier. Any information is greatly appreciated. Great forum. kpaddock , I am not sure what belt buckle is shown there,
but a buckle made be Appleby is pictured on page 214 in the book
British Gun Engraving by Douglas Tate My Father used to live in
Tryon, NC and I used to visit the Southern Highlands Craft Center
about once a year; they always had interesting exhibits. Dennis
Potter Just placed a GRS-Meiji Stereo Zoom with GRS Stand on eBay
for auction. Both scope and stand are in 98% condition and are
priced at 60% of new. eBay item # is 1750067037 Thanks. looking for original reference material for Malcolm Appleby "riverhorse" design (trouser buckle ..... part of
exhibition on Scottish crafts @ Southern Highland Craft Guild). Gee Cynthia, you're such a sweetheart. Not! Greetings to you and your guests. Love what you’ve
done with your site. As an educator I can say you have great
communication skills. none. MarkH: I would suggest you take one of Engraver John
Barraclough's classes in beginning engraving. He teaches at
Trinidad State Junior College in Trinidad CO, and Lassen College
in Susanville CA. Having taken one of John's classes, I know you
will be satisfied, and all work is started with hammer and
chisel, so cost is minimal. John is an excellent instructor and
has instructed about 800 students over 21 years. I am selling my PARAGRAVE sandblasting/engraving set.
E-mail me or look at this listing:
http://www.craigslist.org/cgi-bin/smp/4501760/bjk2f
Thanks........... Norm I am interested in learning hand engraving, and in
particular using the GRS or similar machines. GRS classes are
filled for the year. I have no background in engraving and would
like to take a course where the equipment is furnished so I do
not have to lay out a lot of money and then find I do not like
the craft. Any suggestions? Bob, I normally remove background with the same tool I use
to cut the scroll. I do this by starting in a corner of the area
to be removed and fan out across the area with overlapping cuts.
This leaves a usable background but I normally mat this with a
single point tool to make it as "black" and even as
possible. For larger areas I use the method Tom mentioned; cut
parallel lines not overlapping but fairly close to each other and
at a uniform depth then remove the remainder of the metal with a
narrow flat chisel. The reason I cut most of the background out
with the same tool I cut the scroll with is it gives me better
control so as not to damage the edge of the scroll. I find it
very easy to let the edge of a flat chisel overrun the edge of
the scroll which is near to impossible to repair. Sam I am looking to hire an experienced engraver, I engrave
myself but do not have much experience, I would like to hire
someone to engrave certain items for me. I deal with a lot
customers and I have been unable to engrave this certain item.
please help. For background removal I pretty much just use a flat graver
to hammer out the area to be removed. I start going around the
edge with the grave held on an angle to sort of cut a bevel into
the background away from the scroll. The i use the flat once
again to just remove the remaining area down. While i try to get
the area sort of flat i find it doesn't pay to get too crazy with
it as the matting punch will even this up for you to a certain
degree. i like using a #1 beading punch from Ngravr for this and
i just work the area over and overlap punches untill i am
satisfied with the way it looks. I also recut my scroll to clean
up the edges against the background and make it look neater and
deeper. No matter how you look at it or do it.. background work
is a pain in the butt. Bob, Get the 2nd Lynton McKenzie engraving video, the
intermediate one. It covers the subject pretty well. One way is
to go around your scroll work with a square graver, then cut
parallel lines into tyhe background, and then remove the ridges
with a flat. Not as easy as it sounds, and somewhat of an over
simplification. Some folks use high speed rotary tools (300,000 +
rpm or so)to remove the back ground. After you get everything
level, you stipple it with as fine dots as you have patience for.
Take care,Tom Wanted: used engraving equipment, Please contact me if you
have a gravermax, gravermeister or GRS sharpening system.
rjillie@earthlink.net or Call me at (802) 533-2194 or (802) 533-
7173 -Thank--s! I've been studying the book about scroll design from the
NgraveR company as I was recommended, and I've found it very
useful. One question: the book refers to removing the background
and matting as the most time consuming treatment for the
background (followed by lining, punch-dotting, and no treatment
at all). I understand how to line and punch dot the background,
but what is the best method to remove and matt the background? Do
I just take a flat graver (or some kind of chisel?) and a hammer
and work at it? What kind of tools do you recommend? thanks in
advance, Bob Shaw Hand Tools I noticed several people asking questions about
getting started in engraving. About 15 yrs ago I started learning
the hard way. I have designed several tools for a beginner that
you can make at your shop. A sharpner to get the angles correct
was the turning point. I am retired and will pass on the info on
making your own tools. If any one is interested, I am trying to build a new
powered engraver that I have designed. I need a small hobby type
lathe and a small mill. The least expensive I have found come
from Australia and would run about $175.00 and $275.00 pluss
shipping. Anyone interested in helping out please e-mail me. INFORMATION NEEDED ABOUT A "TRY GUN" Does anyone
know what is involved in purchasing or having built a "try
gun?" Is this the type of project a member of the guild
would take on? Are there commercial companies that build try
guns? Any information would be helpful. Thanks Doug, I am also just learning the techniques of engraving,
so I'm going to throw my 2 cents in, I just finished the online
class that Tom teaches through Montgomery Community College. I
found the course and Tom''s help, very helpful and I highly
recomend it. It is very inexpensive compared to any other classes
I had checked into. But make no mistake, it is a lot of work. I
was using a gravermax for the course. But now I am experimenting
with hammer and chisel. I drilled a 1/4" hole in 1/2" rerod which allowed me to use the grs quick changegraver holder .
One could also just tap a thread in the side to hold a square
graver. I find it works very well. Good luck ToDoug Anderson: If You Want To Start Hammer&Chisel
Engraving and don't want to spend a lot of money, go to
Brownells, Inc. in Montezuma, Iowa, and buy their engraving
starter kit that was put together by Bruce Meek. You can probably
get started with the right basic tools for under $200. Any
questions, be glad to help. Either email me or call me anytime
after 3 PM CST--Daylight savings. Thanks much, Tom. That gives me enough confidence to go
forward. I'll put together an order of hand tools on the NgraveR
site after I see what I need according to Meek and mr. mckenzie.
I'm looking forward to learning this art. Doug, You will be fine with only hand tools. The learning
process may not progress as quickly, but you may be better of in
the long run beginning this way. If you can find a copy of the
january 2002 field and streem, you will see some fantastic
pictures of work by Winston Churchill, who, as far as i know,
only uses traditional tools in his engraving. best of success!
Tom ps. NGraveR supply will have everything you need. I have a paragraphics hand held high speed paragraver
w/stand and accessories for sale. Included are about 30 assorted
carbide & diamond burs, 100 pk 8x10 stencil sheets, 2hp
craftsman oilfree 125hp compressor with regulator and a quietbox
cabinet (noise reduction cabinet for inside engraving) Contact
Robbie @ rhankins16@comcast.net if interested Thank You! Robbie
Hankins EQUIPMENT ADVICE REQUESTED Folks: I'm about to order Meek's
book Art of Engraving from Brownell's, L. McKenzie's class videos
as well. My intent is to learn enough to do some simple work,
lettering, scrolls, and maybe, just maybe a banknote on some
custom rifles I'm building as gifts for my kids, when they reach
hunting age. In future, maybe also for other family members; no
plans to turn a $ at this. I've been able to learn and do quality
stock finishing and checkering, and I'd love to learn to engrave
some as well. So, my question is, although I'd love to have some
of the fine tools I've found at Lindsay's web site or the tools
such as gravermeister/max mentioned in this forum, I probably
can't justify the expense, given my current intentions. Will it
be possible to do what I'm trying to do via hand tools, and if
so, which manufacturers would you recommend? Let me know if you
think I'm all wet on this idea, since I'm starting at the
absolute beginning. Bob, Drawing and understanding scroll design by Ron Smith,
available from NGraver supply co.No other book I know of is in
that class. John, It will be hard on your hands at times, unless
you select one of the powered tools mentioned in previous posts.
It will be hard to learn from books only, but motivation and
desire will overcome all obstacles. If it was easy, everyone
could do it! Tom hi, I'm new to the engraving scroll design world and need
some help locating books... specifically, I'm looking for a book
that details how to 'shade' scroll designs attractively. Not just
using line tools, as that seems to be limiting, but also
complicated shading with 'seceondary perpendicular' shade lines
(hopefully you know what i'm talking about...). any help? how do i get started? is it really possible to teach
yourshelf with books ect. Hw hard is it on you hands? i ask this
because of my slight arthrits For Sale: American Optical microscope for hand engraving
work, on boom stand, fully adjustable. I have used this
microscope to set diamonds for the last 15 years and recently
purchased a new meiji. GRS Powerhone, no laps. $400 for both
items. Call Mr. Matthews @ 915-675-6847 or email jjmat@aol.com
Thanks!! J. Matthews " WANTED" I would like to purchase used engraving
equipment. If you are looking to upgrade or are no longer using
your old equipment, please give me a thought. Brian I am trying to find out more about early (1950's) Weatherby
engraving. My interest relates to a rifle I own which is
extensively engraved, which is good but not up to the high
standards of today's master engravers. According to a gunsmith I
spoke with this morning who worked at Weatherby back in the
1960's, most of their work was done by a local man but some was
sent to Germany. Can anyone add to what little I have been able
to find out? Thanks! Hi. I am new here but looking back over the many posts, I
wondered why nobody has mentioned Steve Lindsays engrsaving
tools. IU have used GRS machines since the early 80's but now use
Steves Classic and his ACG tools as I find them to have the best
possible control and the smoothest running of any tool I have
ever tried. They are very close to the size of the old homemade
push gravers so the feel is perfect. The range of speeds and
sensitivity are many times superior to the new GRS 901 as I have
trie 2 different 901 handpieces and found both to be slightly
jerky in starting up. Steves tools increase speed of tapping as
the footpedal is pressed down which at first i dint think would
make a difference but have come too see that it does work better
than a constant speed. This is kind of hard to explain. This is
not an ad for Steve's tools just my opinion on having used the
gravermeister when I started engraving, then the gravermax that I
have used for probalby 10 years and now the Lindsay tools. So
please dont delete this as an ad, I just feel that to
professional engravers these tools are a real advantage. The
small ACG model feels to almost cut the superfine banknote lines
by itself while you simply watch. James, You had asked about info on the GRS and Lindsay
tools. I don't know why it should be considered a touchy subject.
I have seen several different companies advertise in the guild
magazine, so a reasonable discussion about different types of
tools ought to be considered beneficial to the art, and not a
problem. If you are still searching, here is my input on the
Lindsay tools. I haven't used GRS engraving tools since i was in
school. I have been using their vises and other accesory items,
and they are very useful and well made, as I am sure their
handpieces are.There has been no particular reason for not using
their tools, other than I just wasn't interested in power tools
until I realised a year or two ago the quality of work that was
capable with them. When i first saw the quality of Steve
Lindsay's engraving, and then found out that he was using a tool
of his own make, i became very interested! I have owned a Lindsay
tool for over a year, and recently acquired one of his new
ultimate series Omega tools.before i go into my experiences with
these tools, I will list some of the published data on the two
tool companies products that you mentioned. I will add here that
Ray Phillips of NGraveR supply makes a wonderful handpiece as
well, although it works on different principles. I have bought
many of my tools from him over the years, and he is a great
person to deal with. depending on your needs, you may want to
consider his products as well. The GRS tools advertise a stroke
per minute range of 1,600-2,400 for the gravermeister, and
400-4,000 for the graver max. The Lindsay tools are listed at a
spm range of 2,000-31,200. The GRS tools are less expensive,
depending on the model. The Lindsay tools are all made by Mr.
Lindsay himself, and are constructed entirely of stainless steel,
except for the handle material. His tools have no springs in
them. The GRS tools, at least some of them, use return springs,
and have some components , as I understand, that are aluminum
alloy.Both companies offer a quick change feature. The Lindsay
tools have an external length of stroke adjustment. I don't know
which, if any, of the GRS tools have a stroke length adjustment
feature. These are just the facts. Now, for the subjective part.
Again, i will limit my comments to the Lindsay tools here, as I
don't have any relevant experience with the GRS tools in the last
several years. My original Air Chasing Graver can cut lines finer
than I can see with the naked eye. It will also cut very deep
bright cuts in steel, let alone silver and gold. Mr. Lindsay's
third generation tool is even easier to use, as it has the
external stroke length adjustment feature. I did have an
opportunity to try his middle sized third generation tool for a
few days. It is the most versatile of the three he offers, and
will cut the full range of cuts most of us will ever need to cut.
I chose the Omega myself, since I do, on occasion, make some very
heavy cuts in gold and silver, and the extra power is handy. In
all honesty though, I have yet to use the full 60 psi available ,
other than in practice cutting. Since i already owned an older
tool that cuts very fine cuts, it made sense for me to get the
most top end power available. The stroke length adjustment
feature is very handy, and the regulator/idling set up works very
well. To go from very light to very heavy cutting only requires a
few twists on the external ring to adjust the stroke, and a turn
of the regulator to increase the air pressure, and your are ready
to go. I have found that getting used to these tools, and using
them, has improved my ability with the hand powered tools. I am
sure the GRS tools would offer similar benfits in this regard.
When you see the work being done today, there is no question that
either one of these companies offers tools that can be used by
world class engravers to great effect.It depends on what you are
looking for. Mr. Lindsay's tools are more expensive, but they are
works of art in my opinion.Just to see the fine hand cut
lettering on each tool is an education for a less skilled
engraver such as myself. His tools feel great in the hand, look
great, and produce great results. They are backed by very
personal customer service, as well. I have had good customer
service experiences with GRS and NGraveR too. I hope this helps
you, James, and others who will be considering tool purchases in
the future. For more info, visit Mr. Lindsay's site,
http://www.lindsayengraving.com For a comprehensive review, and a
set of glossaries that should benefit almost any engraver, see
Adone Pozzobon's site, http://www.engravingarts.com What you see
and read will advance your abailty to practice this art. Thanks
for your patience with the Long winded post! take care, Tom Great WEB site! Wish I would have discovered it sooner. I
am a machinist and engraver. 16 years experience as an engraver.
Extensive experience aluminum, cast/billet and rolled sheet. I
also engrave firearms, custom knives, pewter, jewelry, ect. I am
also familiar with gold and silver inlay. Also, inlay silver wire
into knife handles. Would be willing to work for or with anyone
in USA or Canada. Also, have knowledge of heat treating and
machinability ratings for metal, lubricants, etc. Also have
knowledge of steel chemistry as it relates to stainless and
non-stainless steels. Dennis, I believe the loupe you refer to is one that
attaches to eyeglass frames, which would be a small diameter,
However B &L also made a larger lens they called an engravers
lens that mounted to a stand to permit adjustment. It seems to me
these were about 2" in dia. Wanted: used engraving equipment. I want to get started
engraving and have no equipment. Please contact me if you have a
gravermax, gravermeister or GRS sharpening system. Can anyone tell me anything about the B&L engraves
loupe? I was under the impression it had about a 1 1/2 in dia
lens, but the catelog I looked in lists it at 15.9mm, which is
about 5/8 inch. Anyone have such a lens available? Just was looking over the website, I wish I had more
artistic flair....I think that I will have to stay to my very
crude silverwork and hope one day to be ready to step up tp
scrollwork and inlay. Keep up the craft.... Judy, What you need is a "chuck" key. I don't
know what handpiece you have, but a chuck key that you could buy
at a harware store might work. Or you could check with a company
that sells foredom tools, like rio grande. Take care, Tom HELP!! Someone gave me a high speed jewelers tool made by
Foreman Electric im Conn. It didn't have a chock key and nobody
seems to know what I am talking about. anyone out there that can
help? I'm in the process of learning how to engrave musical
instruments,specificaly brass band instruments.I would be
intrested to hear from anyone that has experence or any
historical information on the art.It seems to be a truly dieing
art and, to this point I have only found 3 engravers that
specilize in this form of engraving. Shannon, The last issue of the journal was outstanding.
Keep up the good work Hi! Am looking for any of the Gem City Alumni from the
early 80's. SURELY, some of you guys & gals are still hand
engraving!! I STILL am engraving and mostly on antiques and
jewelry- I started to also include pantograph engraving in my
business, because too many people did not want to spend the money
for my artistic style. (their loss!) Money is Money! I have one
New Hermes machine for sale, but it does cost alot to ship, so if
anyone is interested-let me know. Diane In addition to Nimschke, "Steel Canvas" by R.L.
Wilson has great photos of many period engravers, including
Gustav Young. Would be wonderful source material for authentic
cowboy engraving styles. Tom Hi Tim and Darren I think you're both correct on the Cowboy
Engraving definition...It would be interesting to hear from the
future instructor what style(s) will be taught in this class so
that people can sign up for it. Hi Tim And Marty: The first thing that came to my mind when "Cowboy Engraving" was mentioned is the bright cut
western tyle engraving that is be used on such things as Belt
buckles, spurs, saddle tack ect....anyway that was my take on it
"Cowboy Engraving" Darren Hi Marty, I'll bite on the question of "Cowboy
Engraving"? From what I have gathered through conversations
with several persons associated with the cowboy action shooting
sport, cowboy engraving would be better termed, "In the
Period Style" engraving. That is to say that each
"Cowboy" has his own personna or
re-enactment/competition shooting role dedicated to a particular
time in western history and their "outfit" and
decorative elements are meticulously chosen to portray a
character of that period. Most engraving styles sought after are
Nimschke-like in appearance or early Colt type work. These guys
are looking for extreme authenticity much like the hard-core
buckskinner. That's my take on it. If anyone can add to this I
would appreciate the education as well. Tim Adlam To whom it may concern: In the past, I have been able to
purchase baby cups in either stirling or silver plate......in
which the inside of the cup was done in either pink or blue
porceline. I need pink. This effect of lining the inside of
silver service items was quite popular in Europe where I was
introduced to it after WWII. Needless to say the items
manufactured in this way were very fine. Reed & Barton used
to do it. Could you either find me baby cups made in this way or
put me on to a manufacturer of such items? Thanks much, Steve
Aucker WHAT IS COWBOY ENGRAVING?? Cowboy Engraving School. Would like to know if their is
much interest for a class.If people are interested they can write
to me at Zachar06@hotmail.com "FOR SALE" Bulino Handpiece for GRS GraverMax.
This is not the quick change, but the older style. Good
condition. $80.00 plus shipping. E-mail or call for other
details. For sale-- Cronite zero tracing pantograph.New diamond
drag. very good condition.wood table. super good for firearms
engraving. Email jerryh@web-ster.com for photos. or see at
[www.web-ster.com/jerryh/pantograph.jpg] and [
www.web-ster.com/jerryh/pantograph2.jpg] $1000.00 or make offer.
503 981 8077 or 503 871 5874. GRS System 3 For Sale - handpiece,foot control, regulator
$275.00 + shipping OBO I am interested in purchasing highspeed engraving
handpieces and accessories. Email me at the above address or
dlwags1@msn.com. gooday. lam reading firearm engraving as decorative art by
fredric a harris who said g youngs gold work on colts were some
type of gold enamel paint. page 135 could this be true or was it
damacsene. thank for any imfo regards chris australia |