Thread: Been practicing my engraving

The first type is Very expensive and the second type is not capible of engraving. It will however etch glass but then a dremel will do that. Also I love the old tools. Just like shaving with a straight instead of an electric.

I'm thinking there must be variations of the second type of engraver I linked to that work well for engraving metals. Pneumatic engravers that have RPMs of 50k-100k?

Chris L

Rotary tools are very hard to control as many here can tell you. Using them to clean up a razor is dangerous as they tend to grab and skid. I have never seen anyone on the gun engraving sites use one and they all say you can not do even decent work with one. I have used one for carving and find them almost impossible to control for anything eccept clean up.

Originally Posted by mackie

Rotary tools are very hard to control as many here can tell you. Using them to clean up a razor is dangerous as they tend to grab and skid. I have never seen anyone on the gun engraving sites use one and they all say you can not do even decent work with one. I have used one for carving and find them almost impossible to control for anything eccept clean up.

+1
When doing any type of fine hand engraving you *do not* want a rotary type tool. It's just dang near impossible to get a straight line with the burr spinning 90 degrees to the line of travel.
The Lindsay air graver is a *very* fine tool for hand engraving. It's also probably out of the relm of the adverage guys pocketbook.
pneumatic hand engraving systems aren't measured in rpm's. They are measured in spm's (strokes per minute). The compressor puts out a little puff of air and inside the handpiece there is a small spring and piston set up. This allows the piston in the handpiece to deliver a small measured strike to the end of the graver inserted into the handpiece.

As Mac says, hammer and chisel is the grand-daddy of them all. Some of the finest examples of engraving were done this way, and almost all of the high caliber engravers started off learning it.

Beautiful work Mac!! Keep it comming!

Fantastic work! I really enjoy seeing the work of folks that are coming up with new stuff, but it still has a classic vintage look to it.

Keep them coming!

Thank you Shutterbug for clairifying that. I was not sure how to describe the difference. I am not in your league for sure. You do the kind of work I am aiming for. That Lindsey tool is incredible but out of my range financially. I am a member of the FEGA, ( Firearms Engravers Guils of America ) and I know several of the masters and they are like the people on here. Very helpful and generous. Ron Smith gave me one of his books on drawing scrolls.

Very nice work. It must take an incredible amount of patience and a very steady hand.

Originally Posted by ChrisL

Very nice!

I wonder if you'll be bit by the bug enough to lust after the type of equipment found HERE

Or, THIS TYPE

You could make a living custom engraving razors!

Chis L

My teeth hurt just looking at that second one...

Fred

Really nice work. It goes well with that razor.