New Member

[John Connell]

Hi Everyone,

My name is John Connell and I am new to the Engraving Forum. I am a Lithographic Artist Designer by trade (now retired). To fill in the days, I do Drypoint & Line Engraving using a variety of drypoint needles and burins (gravers) on Copper and Zinc plates. I produce all my own prints from my plates & do all my own framing.
The burin's (gravers) I use are the old handpush style of graver with either a square or lozenge point.
The square point gravers (#3, #6 & #12) have a 45 degree tapered point with no undercut bevel on the shanks.
The lozenge point gravers (#2, #4 & #6) have a 30 degree tapered point "with" a small long tapering bevel (approx' 65mm long) on the bottom of the "V" along the bottom of the shank. I use the lozenge burins for my fine detail work. I would like to know if it is viable for me to transfer over the Palm Control Unit and what the advantages will be. Is there any 45 & 30 degree templates available for these points described as above.

Cheers: John

[Daniel Houwer]

Hi John,

Welcome here

Your introduction screems for pictures both of your work and your tools.
For the 45 and 30 degree templates, not as yet although some of the bulino points and the flat/knife combo are pretty steep. And one of Ray Covers templates looks like it could be 45 degree.
http://airgraver.com/sharpening.htm
As for viability to change to a Lindsay airgraver, always
You being a push graver might have to adjust a bit from years of pushing to trying hardly not to push.
Here in Holland there are two fulltime hand engravers that changed to an airgraver. They both love the tool but have had to change their ways just a bit wich as I learned was harder for them as for people who started engraving with little or just a bit experience (like me).

The advantages are that you have way more control over your graver so less slippedge. And with the stroke length cullet you can adjust the airgraver from very light work to heavy duty work in stainless.
Never tried zinc before but in copper I can engrave letters smaller than half a mm with no problem.

I know there are some airgravers down under. Maybe there is one close to you that you can try. You could come to my shop and try one but that would be a bit of a walkabout

Greetings,

Daniel

[John Connell]

Hi Daniel,

Thanks for dropping in. I will have to organize some photos of the work I have done and some pics of the tools I use. Overtime, I found that I prefer the Copper plate over the Zinc to do my work somehow it just seems an easier metal to work with.
Quite a few of my plates are 100mm x 125mm in size and these plates take around the 30 hours to complete unless I have to rework some of the lines - I am a fanatic for detail. Some of the other plates are 125mm x 200mm and these plaes take me around 80 odd hours to complete depending on the detail. I have ne plate in progress (A4 in size) which has taken me nearly 300 hours so far, including the reworking of the background.
The conversion from the handpush burin (graver) to the PalmControl air graver shouldn't be a real dramatic change as both processes are basically the same principle.
It is nice to know that there are other people out there that have already travelled the same road as I am about to travel. Your comments regarding less slippedge sounds good to me and from what I have read so far on the forum the PalmControl air engraver and some of the small videos I have looked at, it appears the PalmControl air engraver sounds the way to go for me. I probably only needed someone else to give me that little bit of assurance that in changing over from handpush to PalmControl is the better way to go.
I will have to try and find some of the downunder boys to consult with as going walkabout to Holland is a little out of the question at the moment.

Thanks for your help

John

[Daniel Houwer]

You are welcome John.

Now I am really curious about your work

Your comments regarding less slippedge sounds good to me

Less slippedge is a bit of an understatment. You only slip when you are being careless
If you place a question on the main forum I am sure some county men of yours wil read and answer.

Good luck!

Daniel

[rodstan]

Hi John,
I have a classic foot control.The most brilliant tool for fine engraving.The palm control is probably a big step up for me as I like foot controls for what I do.Whichever way you go--it makes life so much easier.I still use hand gravers and hammer and chisel on some items ( I do weird stuff!) but for the vast majority I use the Lindsay.
If your near Adelaide do drop in.
Roger B is a fellow Adelaidean who also has a Lindsay.Probably a few guys over your way as well
Regards
Rod

[JRon]

Welcome John! It's good to see another Lithigrapher in the forum. I was also an artist lithographer in the 60's (worked on stone and metal.) Worked with a Belgian engraver.
JR

[John Connell]

Hi rodstan,

Well I'm in the process of purchasing a new PalmControl so I'll see how I go when it arrives. I started etching way back in the late 70's then stopped for many years, it's only been since I have retired that I have got back into the engraving. I don't do the etching any more as I don't like the chemicals, so I turned to Drypoint & Engraving instead.
Well Adelaide isn't that far away (6+1/2 hours from me) maybe the next time I'm over that way I might take you up on that offer as long as you drink coffee.


John

[John Connell]

Hi JRon,
Started as a Lithographic Artist straight from secondary school late 60's. I did all the Artwork, negative & positive preparation ready for camera (all handwork back then and no scanners).


John

[John Connell]

Hi Daniel,

Here are some of those pics I promised


John

[Daniel Houwer]

That is amazing work Mr. Connel
Thanks for showing. You have some way to get caracter in faces.
I hope you get you Palm Control soon. You will love it.

Greetings,

Daniel