Stippling on handles?

[S.Alexander]

I have a couple of hidden tang knives in the works right now. I wanted to try my hand at some stippling on the handles. My plan is to use my dremel with a small carbide burr to create the stippling effect. Obviously I will practice it on some scrap pieces before trying it on the handle.

My question is, what are some ways to create the border around my pattern? A small chisel? The dremel and a steady hand? Any advice or experiences are welcomed.

Here's an example of what I mean:

 

[Bill DeShivs]

I think you will have much better results if you use a $15 electric engraving pencil. Once you are used to it, you can use it for the border also.

 

[S.Alexander]

I think you will have much better results if you use a $15 electric engraving pencil. Once you are used to it, you can use it for the border also.

Awesome, thanks Bill. They are $20 at Canadian Tire. I will have to pick one up. They look much smaller and easier to control than a dremel.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

You'll be amazed at what you can do with one. You can even engrave glass-but wear a respirator if you try glass.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

The use of a single groove "Guideline" checkering file is the best way to do a border. Draw the perimeter on the handle and slowly file it in. They come in left and right cut to allow filing both directions as needed. Deepen as you go around. A regular single groove checkering file will also work. Go slow, several passes around the border is far cleaner looking than one deep cut.

Next, decide if you want holes or bumps as the fill pattern. For holes, use a small carbide ball burr and stipple the surface evenly. Start from the sides, going around the border and slowly filling toward the middle. For bumps, us a cup burr to make little round bumps in the same way as the holes. Hole stippling is easier to learn. Bumps take higher skills.
With holes, you can sand the final patterned area lightly to clean it up. Bumps must be very carefully sanded or the bumps get flat tops. Steel wool is a good finishing material for both methods. After any sanding, brush out well with a stiff bristle brush and burnish with a soft cloth. Staining the background dark, and then buffing hard with a soft cloth to lighten the high spots is a standard finishing method.

Burrs come in fine, medium, and coarse cut. For finish detailing like handle and gun stippling and patterns, use the fine cut. The harder the wood the better the finish cut. Brush off the burrs and keep them clean so they continue to cut clean markings.

I find "engraver marker pens" and other vibrating electric markers leave a horrible pattern on any surface. They are fine to write an ID number or name on a metal or plastic item to prevent theft, but the marks are a jumble of uncontrolled shallow dots. On a handle they would be a terrible choice.

A hammer graver handpiece will work fine on annealed steel and other metals with diamond or carbide, pave' or stylus point, but they just break the grain on wood and make an unattractive pattern of tiny splits and dents. These don't look anything like the ones created by removing wood with rotary tools ( holes and bumps).

So, there will have to be some sort of wood removal to get a good pattern.

 

[Idlewild]

The Foredom Rotary tool, available with multple options, does a terrific job with this type of work. It's a very effective tool and delivers excellent results

 

[S.Alexander]

Thanks for the info everyone. Stacy that was a very detailed explanation and is immensely helpful! I hope this turns out nicely.

 

[Mob]

That looks amazing!

 

[stezann]

I subscribe all Stacy said!
If you don't have access to the singular groove checkering tool (best option), you could build one simple graver for the borders.

 

[NickBoyle]

I had a conversation with Ed Caffrey about this once. He told me a Dremel doesn't spin fast enough. That it doesn't really "carve" or "engrave" but it rips the wood. He uses a high speed rotary tool. http://www.grstools.com/rotary-systems/ultra-850-rotary-system.html
These puppies spin at 300,000-400,000 rpm! Yes you read that right! Check them out. Pretty neat things.

 

[Matt Rochester]

Update with pics. I'm interested in trying this. Good luck!

 

[JG Custom Metal Works]

Hey Stacy, would it be possible to make a single groove checkering file out of a hacksaw blade?

 

[Bill DeShivs]

Like any other tool, electric engraving pencils require experience and experimentation to provide good results.

 

[S.Alexander]

I got an engraving pencil to try out. I practiced on some scrap, and found I wasn't totally happy with it. The one I got is pretty underpowered.

I will have to keep an eye out for a reasonably priced checkering set. That is something I have wanted to try anyways, and I could use it for the border on a stippled handle too.

 

[fishface5]

If you use checkering files stop just before you get to the border and finish with the graver bc it is terribly easy to go past the border with the checkering file, as I have learned. Also use the checkering file to about 80% done on the rest and finish with a small triangle file for best results, it is slow work but gives a better final product.

 

[stezann]

Go and see the Culver's tutorial on making the fluted handle mastersmith dagger. Look the tool he made for the treads next the flutes.
A similar concept tool can be built to carve the borders

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Hey Stacy, would it be possible to make a single groove checkering file out of a hacksaw blade?

I don't see why not.

 

[Hengelo_77]

Here I used small self made chisels to mark the lines and small gouges to remove aterial.
The back ground I textured by hammering (tapping) a nail with a rounded tip

 

[S.Alexander]

Here I used small self made chisels to mark the lines and small gouges to remove aterial.
The back ground I textured by hammering (tapping) a nail with a rounded tip

Very nice. You don't have a picture of your tools do you?

 

[Hengelo_77]

I made some quickies, I hope they are clear enough
If I remember well i used the narrow round tipped nail fitst and then the wider one to "blend" the texture

(do the pics show? Google changed stuff and it didn't work afterwards anymore. Something about fixing a working thing)