Engraving How Too's Where do I begin?

John R. Fraps said:
.....I know a couple of folks who use a graver and a chasing hammer who also do beautiful work.
Click to expand...

Not to mention the English and Italian styles that are done entirely in "push"-style with just a palm graver.

At it's simplest, one could carefully grind broken drill bits or harden ground drill rod and set the "graver" in a small block of wood and create some wonderful art. Add a pitchbowl on a sack of rice for a vise and you're good to go.
 
Tar (pitch) in a bowl, used for setting work pieces in. You heat it up until softened, then put the workpiece in enough to hold. It solidifies and holds things pretty snug. For use with a knife, I'd probably either try to set a piece of saranwrap on first, or I'd use a thermoset compound like "Thermolok" from GRS.

Put in a shallow bowl that's shaped like part of a sphere and set in a ring, it can be turned/slid.

Sorta like a forerunner of a modern engraving vise. Jewlers use them and it's used often for repousse' chasing.

Here's a link to a foto I just found on Ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Pitch-Bowl-w-Ru...1342897QQihZ018QQcategoryZ10026QQcmdZViewItem
Edited to add: for those interested in the jewelry/engraving/metal stuff arts, a wonderful investment is to call Rio Grande jewelers' supply and pay the few bucks it cost for a catalog. Specify "Tool and Equipment" Very many tools that make a knifemaker go "Ooh, ooh"
 
There was a point made about simple engraving a simple line here or there to highlight a knife. That was a very good point, often its the simplistic that makes something stand out.
 
Photo of my pitch bowl and push engraver. someone said in an earlier post that you could be banned from an engraver's forum if you asked about the differences and use of Lindsey versus GRS engraving systems.........if so,those forums are worthless to those people who already engrave and those wanting to learn and do a diservice to everyone.

pitchbowl.jpg
 
If you look in the new Jantz catalog thetre is an engraving vise that seems easy to make. This may sound funny if you dont look at the picture. It is basicly a metal frame with a bike chain wrapped around the top and bottom. On the inside of the chain is a rubber sleeve and on the outside is tightening screws. You place the object in the middle and tightening the screws push the bike chain against the outside of the rubber. I makes for a very cool contour vise. They sell for $80.00 I think but you could build one easy. Check it out, I would link it but you have to go to jantz website and use adobe reader or something simmilar to view the catalog.

Reading this it sounds complicated but its not, just check the one in the catalog and all my mumbo jumbo will make more sense.
 
Here's a link to the holder Jim speaks of:

http://jantzsupply.com/cartease/item-detail.cfm?ID=GRS3622

It's actually an attachment manufactured by GRS for their "ball" vises. Pretty neat device.

Some "moves" in power-assist engraving use the same principle as using a jeweler's saw: rather than moving the graver through real tight curves, the workpiece is moved into the graver, which stays "semi-stationary". This resulted in a very massive little vise based roughly on a concept pictured by bolting a drillpress vise to a lopped-off bowling ball and setting it into a slippery ring. That way, one hand works the vise and the other manipulates the graver. It's really quite cool to do, but takes utter concentration, excellent vision, and sheer control. It's real easy to "get confused" and try and turn the graver around a curve; then, the "aw crap" instant comes as the tool bites it's way skittering across the work. :( Heres a link to the GRS vise: http://www.grstools.com/ballvises.html#magnablock
 
Thanks fitzo, I didnt know they had it on an actual webpage or I woulda linked it. I thought it was a great idea, nothing like good ol ingenuity. That GRS vise shure is a neat concept.
 
Mike,
That is a good tool.I have one and it does work.
For any who are interested, I have an extra LARGE ball vise made for engraving guns. From the late 1800's,over 100 years old.It weighs 30-40 pounds and is 9" across.It has the base ring,too. I have two and would sell the extra one. They are great for wire inlay and for engraving on larger objects than an engravers ball will hold.The jaw opens to 6".
Stacy
 
I have been engraving for about 15 years, it took me two years of practice doing it over and over to get it down...now it seems easy. Still work by hand and yes the Meek book is good, only don't start at the first of the book, you will get bored before you even start. Go to chapter four or five, I forget which. The hardest thing is to get the tools right and learn the hammer, I find that most of the hammers you can buy are too heavy, and I made my own. Tools, most of the stock you can get from jewlers supply houses, then rework to work for you, also there may still be copys of Linton Mackensy's out there, five VHS's, mighy now be on DVD...worth a look, good on starting out, and real good on tools, and sharpening.
 
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