first scroll work

[chantal]

this is my first attempt for scrolls. but I found out its very hard to get nice and smouth curves with a pushgraver and a sandbag.
But I don't give up and keep on trying.
My practice plate is copper.

Chantal
feeling such a fool comparasing to you all

[Daniel Houwer]

Hi Chantal, I think the work you are doing is Great and appreciate your posting it very much.
You could lend one of my engraving vise’s to see how it works for you. I am pretty sure you will like it.
Keep on doing the stuff at the pointed end

[KDavid]

Looks good for just starting, we've all been there whether we want to admit it or not

[chantal]

in mean time I lent the vise from Daniel and I liked it a lot the scrolls can be made much smoother with a vise,
Thanks Daniel!
Chantal

[paulsph]

Hi Daniël, can I ask you for a good tip? I 'm planning to buy a ball vise for engraving too. I understand that the price of such a vise is (very) different in many countries. I 'd like to buy one at a supplier in Europe. Can you tell me where is best? I 'm not looking for the smallest size but rather some kind of a Magna block (sized) one. Thanks a lot in advance, greetz, Paulsph

[Gert]

Hi Paulsph,

I bought my GRS engraving block in Antwerpen by Swiss axe. I already regret I did.. It costs a lot too and for a few more Euros I should have bought one of Steves...
Also if you plan to work under a scope later on, the low profile vises are the thing to have.
Since a good good vise is one of your most important tools try to get the best you can afford. Roland Baptiste just got his Goliath vise and it looks very nice.
Maybe ask his how much it was.
http://airgraver.com/Engraving_Blocks.htm


Gert

Chantal: Effe doorbijten meid, ge komt er wel! (en let goed op netjes geslepen hoeken van je burin)

[chantal]

Thanks!

hoi Gert, kan je mij uitleggen wat je precies bedoelt met de netjes geslepen hoeken?
alvast bedankt

[Gert]

Wat voor mij belangrijk bleek was dat je "heel" mooi symetrisch dient geslepen te zijn, op deze wijze snij je makkelijker door het koper, Als je het slijpsysteem van Lindsay nog niet hebt dan kan ik je dat ten stelligste aanraden.

[chantal]

maar daar kan je een gewone steker toch niet mee slijpen (heb geen lindsay maar een pushgraver)
Moeten we niet in het engels verder?
Chantal

[Gert]

Just use a wooden handle with clamping mechanism and you can put in a graver blank
http://www.goldschmiedebedarf.de/pro...oducts_id=7820
Works perfect!

[paulsph]

Thanks a lot for the tip, Gert !! The Lindsay Goliath vise looks like an ideal & very professional alternative ! I need to check out the shipping & handling rates on the weight. Me too I 'm using the Lindsay 'sharpening templates' set at home, and...that works best with the Lindsay graver blanks, the thickness of my (handpush)gravers from 'Buko'-Kortrijk is different, I had to grind of a little from the square blanks to get them in the Lindsaytool & sharpen them, the flat & knife blanks from 'Glardon-Vallorbe' are impossible to sharpen with the Lindsay set. Lucky enough I bought some extra Lindsay graver blanks with the templates-set! Groetjes uit Zuidoost-Vlaanderen, Paulsph

[Damien Connolly]

Hi Chantal.... good to see what you're doing. I hope you keep at it.

If you're doing all of your cutting with a push graver, then your efforts are all the more creditable, but I'd encourage you to try using a hammer and chisel.

Just put one of your gravers in a longer wooden handle, maybe 120 - 140mm long and use a little more lift (angle) on the heel and you will have the cutting power to lean the chisel over and get nice bright cuts of varying widths. The wooden handle tends to reduce the visibility of hammer blows in the cut.

Always use a lighter hammer and tap more rapidly, rather than heavy hammer/slow tapping. I have 4 hammers, between 15gm and 70 gm, but mainly use the 35 gm one, with the big one reserved for large "Nimske" type scroll, and deep relief engraving. The smaller ones are mainly for fine matting and stippling. Slim the handle down on your hammer until its got a good amount of spring in it, you won't break it, and its much nicer to use.

Get your work up high, almost shoulder level, and keep the elbow of your chisel arm well up. Is it possible for you to arrange a sturdy post for you to put your work on? You can walk around it as you cut, and its very convenient. I think you'll be suprised at how quickly you start to get some control and the satisfaction of removing large amounts of metal by hand.

Good luck....Damien.