hello

[slipped]

hi every one i am new it all looks great
i am a silversmith with no graving exp at all!
i am setting up some practice plates of brass. should the brass be hard
or soft my gravers are the boxed set from rio grande efb gravers with
the funky handles .
any one use them?

[Tom McArdle]

Welcome! I went the opposite route, I was an engraver first, the became a bit of a silversmith for a little while...

I believe you will find copper to be much more similar to silver as far as how it cuts. You may have some problems with the brass sticking to the graver after you cut a while, and this will make your cutting more difficult. This can happen with gold also, especially when using carbon steel tools. I saw a tip in Rio Grande's catalog years ago that recommended carbide tools for precious metal engraving, as the carbide resisted the gold's tendency to stick to the tool better than the carbon steel tools did.

It is important to have a way to view your tool points at a high level of magnification, so a microscope or a powerful loupe will help a lot. defects in the point of a tool that you can't see with the naked eye will often cause you much trouble when trying to engrave, and this may cause unnecessary frustration as you try to learn. Always check the tool, when you have any difficulty in cutting...

The only drawback with the carbide tools is that you need diamond stones to sharpen them. If you can afford it, an investment in Steve's tool sharpening templates and stones will be a great help as you get started. It is challenging enough without extra tool problems due to sharpening issues.

take care,

Tom

[carl bleile]

Welcome, the first and most important thing to do is learn how to sharpen your tools, I have never seen a set of tools that have been presharpened correctly, and being new to engraving you will dull or break the points frequently. For a look at what tools should be ground like go over to Lindsays tool site he has pictures of tools and their uses.
Carl Bleile
southwest,Ohio