try agian

JLA.jr

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Aug 13, 2009
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37
Location
Estancia NM
well i will try this again with the instructions..... hope it works. I still could you some help with my other problems if any one has any suggestions. Thanks
 

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Andrew Biggs

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Nov 10, 2006
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Hi JLA and welcome to the forum

A very nice practice plate that you have engraved. You have missed a few spots with the background but other than that it looks pretty good. Just keep at it.

You can demagnetize your gravers with a cheap demagnetizer that you should be able to buy from an electronics store. What actually magnetize's them I have no idea but it can be a real pain.

Breaking gravers..............

Faulty graver..........which I doubt very much.

Hard metal will causes gravers to break quicker than softer metals.

Your technique, which is probably about 99% of the problem. You have to keep the graver tip going straight into the cut. Any deviation will cause stress on the tip and you will break it. A way to get around this is to lock your arm and wrist at the most comfortable position............apply slight forward pressure and rotate the work into your tool. After some practice this will come naturally and you won't feel like you are in a straight jacket and will relax a bit more!!

The way you hold the tool can also help. You may also be holding your graver in a death grip......just relax a little.I pinch the base of the graver close to where it is in the handle. Some people have their index finger on top of the tool. Others with their thumb down the side. The only problem with the thumb down the side is that you can start adding sideways pressure if you aren't completely relaxed with it. You will eventually hold the tool in all these ways and then some to get access to the work.

Give it time as you are still finding your way around the tools. It takes a while for you to get used to them.........and them to you :)

Cheers
Andrew
 

JLA.jr

Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2009
Messages
37
Location
Estancia NM
Andrew thanks, I have always used the on Ngraver system when i was doing western bright cut engraving and these new gravers with the gravermax g8 is still a little new to me. I will keep working on my form as I am sure that I am doing about all of the things you say I might be doing! I also appreciate your advice on my work as this is a new world to me. I think it may be time to go back to another class as i did not get to use it much after i went to Sams class in Emporia about 4 or 5 years ago. Kevin thanks for the advise i will look for one on ebay if i cannot find one around here pretty soon. Thanks again
 

Andrew Biggs

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Joined
Nov 10, 2006
Messages
5,034
Location
Christchurch, New Zealand
Other things that can help.......

Use a wider graver.105, 110, 115, 120, the wider it is, the stronger the point. The drawback is the wider you go the harder it is to control (but you do get used to it pretty quickly) Also the wider it is, the more you can flare the cuts if you so desire but then it is easy to over flare them as well. There can be pros and cons for just about everything you do.

Polish your heel which can add life to the tip especially if it's one of the carbide type gravers.

Round your point slightly by hand............and I mean really slightly. Just enough to knock that ultra sharp point off. But!!!! that has its drawbacks especially when it comes to shading.

Vibration can also kill graver points fast. Make sure your work is not "springy" It's easy to recognise sideways movement and clamping something in the vise will get rid of that. But up and down movement, no matter how slight can cause a trampoline effect on the graver tip and destroy points quickly. This is partictulary true of air/pneumatic tools. I personally always glue ot thermolock, or something all plates to a solid surface, preferably steel, aluminium or hard wood. Fill cavities with thermolock or whatever on the back of floor plates etc.

Cheers
Andrew
 

Sam

Chief Administrator & Benevolent Dictator
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Nov 6, 2006
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10,490
Location
Covington, Louisiana
A very respectable practice plate, JLA. :thumbs up:

If you have an electric soldering gun handy, plug it in, pull the trigger, and pass your magnetized graver over the TOP of the BODY of the gun lengthwise, as if it were a bullet leaving the barrel. You'll feel a 'pull' as it passes through the magnetic field. Do a couple of very slow passes and your graver will demagnetize. That will buy you some time until you get a real demagnetizer which you will want to have.
 
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