Practice plates !?!

diandwill

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I just opened a jewelry shop, and one of my focuses is engraving. I came across these plates, at a Lowes Hardware store, as a way to display engraving styles, without having to slide practice plates in front of them. There are more to come, including a double light switch by the front door. I intend to do a game 'scene' with scroll around it, maybe oak leaf ala 'Meeks. Any ideas are appreciated.

The light switch is an old plate, and was much harder metal. The two outlet plates cut like butter.

Thanks for looking, Will
 

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MICHAEL

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Very cool. I have a house built in 1891. You just gave me a great idea for my next practice plate. Thanks!
 

rod

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Good idea,

And nice way to put practicing to good use! Your cutting control is good. You asked for comments ....

You appear to be half way between western bright cut and 'gun scroll' engraving with background relief.

I would jump fully into western bright for a bit as it should work well with these items. So no background relief. Also I might suggest going for a full quarter turn on your scroll bright cut elements, and have them start a little in from the main back bone scroll, but let the eye feel they are peeling off tangentially from the main backbone. Yours tend to leave the backbone at an sharpish angle? Lots of good stuff can be done with the western bright flower cuts. Look for previous postings by Cowboy Greg, Brian H, and Jeramiah. Diane Scalese has a nice illustrated article, that breaks it all down, on the FEGA web.

http://www.fega.com/NL/BrightCut1.asp

Your skills are clearly there, so you could be on top of this in no time. Of course, anything goes that pleases the eye and has graceful form including hybrid cutting, but speaking for myself, I get a lot of value by carefully working along the lines of the above cutters and then breaking off into my own thing.

Thanks for posting this good idea!

best

Rod
 
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Marrinan

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outside Albany in SW GA
I bought brass door kick plates at home depot and cut them into various projects. they do have laquare on them which I do not remove until after cutting. protects the surface from scraches and comes off with acetone-Fred
 

pilkguns

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in the land of Scrolls,
I use to use these in my classes when I taught at GRS for the student project. We tried to work a little on it each day, with each new skill that we learned, so that at the end of the week it was finished.
 

diandwill

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Eastern, Washington State
Thanks for youe replies!!

Rod. The switch plate is western bright cut. My wife doesn't like wriggle cuts, so I do things both ways. I took a course from Diane 2 years ago, and lately have done most of my cutting in the western, bright cut style. It produces a lot of coverage in less time, and here in WA state, we have our share of cowboys (and girls) so is a good seller that way too.

With the shop opening, I have moved all my tools to work, so my actual time for cutting has been reduced. With the remodelling, painting etc., all done by myself, producing a mailer, starting on a website etc., I have had little time to cut, scrolls especially. Looking at the pieces, I think you are right. My leaves are too far from the spine, and reach out at too much angle. They looked good in ink, but thats why these are practice plates. I will put these in the office where fewer folks will see them, and do some more. I can always put them in at the house too.

Again, thanks for looking and the critique.

Will
 

monk

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hey: if you shop around you can get these buggers in copper, brass, & our fave-- ss.
do some bright stuff in copper-- wow ! i think rio grande sells them for enamelling.
 

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