Announcement: Hand push demonstration video by Sam

Sam

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I’ve completed a short video demonstration of hand-push engraving for those interested. This is not an instructional or how-to video. It’s simply a demonstration but you can certainly learn from it.

The Cafe gets a fair amount of members who are looking for an inexpensive way to start engraving, and this was the main reason for the video. For a relatively small investment you can get a sharpening fixture, a graver or two, a graver handle, and a bench stone, and start cutting. If you prefer to hand sharpen then it’s even less costly.

For my graver I used the GRS EasyGraver fixture to produce the face and 2-3mm heel or lift angle on a 1.8mm carbide graver blank. The fixture makes it a no-brainer as there’s nothing to adjust and it’s extremely accurate. If you use a 3/32” square graver blank then the heel/lift angle can extend quite a bit farther back because the graver is thicker. If you prefer to hand sharpen without the aid of a fixture or use an adjustable fixture that’s fine too. Whatever floats your boat. Just keep in mind that hand sharpening requires considerable practice.

Many people have started with a practice plate attached to a wooden block with is rotated with the fingers or turning on a sandbag. This works, but an engraver’s vise or block is really hard to beat, and that’s what I use in the video.

Ask 50 engravers an engraving related question and you’ll likely get 50 different answers. There is no best geometry or best method for every engraver. What I show is simply what works for me. Your mileage may vary, and no doubt some of you will get better results than I have.

I’d also like to stress that I use a handpiece for 99% of my engraving and I’m pretty rusty with hand pushing of this nature. Back in the day I would have cut this design with hammer & chisel and used a push graver for the shading, but not the main cuts.

[video=youtube;FhKSjzwdsdA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhKSjzwdsdA&feature=youtu.be[/video]
 

Dimas

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This perfect Sam, thanks for showing,
me too I like to teach basic tools and all over the world can access record form economic.
Best regards.
 

Arnaud Van Tilburgh

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Thanks Sam, hand push engraving works best without a heel but extra lift angle. I think most engravers agree on that. :biggrin:

arnaud
 

Sam

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Thanks Sam, hand push engraving works best without a heel but extra lift angle. I think most engravers agree on that. :biggrin:

arnaud

Yes, I agree, and I remember one thing that surprised me when I saw Fracassi working on a gun back in 1984. Of course he does 98% dots, but on this gun he was cutting some lines in the grasses and there was obvious heel drag. He would then very lightly sand the surface to remove the bur. I was still very much a newbie engraver and I wondered why he didn't use a short heeled graver. Of course the answer is that the short heel is not very good for hand pushing and his European style graver is. Even jewelry engravers in New Orleans use that style of graver and I have one from 30+ years ago an engraver gave me.
 

Dani Girl

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Can you buy gravers like that already sharpened ready to go? Or more detail on how to shape and sharpen one? What does Arnaud mean by lift angle. Sorry to be a pain, I am very new to sharpening gravers, ... been engraving for a whole year with one Lindsay template and haven't used anything else. (which of course needs to change).

Thanks for sharing this with us Sam and Arnaud.

Danae
 

John P. Anderson

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Wow, great video. Sam has far more control than I. I can't run a line that long or clean. I tend to dig in and wiggle my main lines for control. I clean them up with another pass or two.

I suspect my hand sharpening is leaving something to desire. Might be time to upgrade my sharpening and a few other things which fit into my winter learning goals.

Thanks Sam for the motivation and an awesome demonstration in graver control.

John

P.S. I finally joined FEGA today as a New Years present to myself.
 

monk

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cheers for this. even if you learn very little, i enjoy simply seeing how others do their thing.
 

RDP

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This is not an instructional or how-to video. It’s simply a demonstration but you can certainly learn from it

Thanks Sam for taking the time to show this, I have certainly learned from it, :thumbsup:
much appreciated.

Richard
 

Sam

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Can you buy gravers like that already sharpened ready to go? Or more detail on how to shape and sharpen one? What does Arnaud mean by lift angle. Sorry to be a pain, I am very new to sharpening gravers, ... been engraving for a whole year with one Lindsay template and haven't used anything else. (which of course needs to change).

Thanks for sharing this with us Sam and Arnaud.

Danae

Danae: I don't know of a source for gravers of this type which are already sharpened. Obviously it's in your best interest to sharpen them yourself. You might try with your template and see if it produces a good push graver. On the EasyGraver I just ground it back 2-3 mm on each side instead of my usual 1/4mm. Might work with yours as well.

The "lift angle" is the faceting on the bottom of the graver.
 

Sam

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Wow, great video. Sam has far more control than I. I can't run a line that long or clean. I tend to dig in and wiggle my main lines for control. I clean them up with another pass or two.

I suspect my hand sharpening is leaving something to desire. Might be time to upgrade my sharpening and a few other things which fit into my winter learning goals.

Thanks Sam for the motivation and an awesome demonstration in graver control.

John

P.S. I finally joined FEGA today as a New Years present to myself.

You're welcome, John. I enjoyed making it :)
If you can't run a long like I suspect it's because of sharpening.
 

Southern Custom

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You are a braver man than I am Sam! It's been so long since I did any hand pushed work, outside of lettering or English scroll, that I'm scared of what I'd see. I hadn't thought about traditional heels for a long time but I think now I may sharpen a few of my old gravers to have on hand if only for nostalgias sake.
Speaking of Fine English. I was kind of thinking that the style may be a good one to try for the budding engravers out there. It's not terribly difficult to cut. Many of the cuts involved help develop good graver control. And as long as you are working in some mild steel, it can be done without assist. The size is right for hand work. As Sam mentioned, it's the long main lines that are so tough to do by hand even by an experienced engraver.
Layne
 

Kevin Scott

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On long straight lines I try to lift my wrist up a bit as I go along. And also when using flat gravers in a straight line, even when the line is not that long. Keeps me from slipping, and does not make the graver cut deeper. I don't know why this works for me. Can't explain it with science or geometry. Could be I am doing something wrong, and this compensates for it.

I notice on Sam's video on long curved cuts, he often stops, backs up a bit, then continues the cut. I wonder if this accomplishes the same as what I do on straight cuts? Or is it to reposition his fingers and graver to push the graver through his guiding fingers? I am going to give way a try.

Agreed, sharp and also properly formed gravers is essential for hand pushing. Unless the gravers are properly formed, it can be like trying to drive a car that is way out of alignment. That is why sharpening jigs or templates are so important, in addition to giving you a sharp graver. And why hand sharpening can be frustrating.
 

Darren

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Are you using any lube at all Sam? I use Tap Magic. it makes life allot easier when using hand gravers.
 
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Sam

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Are you using any lube at all Sam? I use Tap Magic. it makes life allot easier when using hand gravers.

I occasionally touch the graver tip a sponge containing household oil. Tap Magic is excellent as well.
 

mtgraver

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Thanks Sam, I shared this with my one and only serious student. Being able to see in detail helps to understand the terminology and what is happening as the graver moves through metal. She has been quite diligent to learn and yes I started her on push, then a little H/C and now some air assist. A month of cutting and I believe she is bit with the bug now so I'll help to fine tune which direction is best for her.
Mark
 

Sam

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Thanks for sharing the video with your student, Mark :) Hopefully she'll join us here in the Cafe.
 

Sam

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I notice on Sam's video on long curved cuts, he often stops, backs up a bit, then continues the cut. I wonder if this accomplishes the same as what I do on straight cuts? Or is it to reposition his fingers and graver to push the graver through his guiding fingers? I am going to give way a try.

Kevin: I'm not sure why I do this. It's something I'm not really aware of unless I see myself do it on a video or a student brings it to my attention. I guess it's to minimize the stop/start place in a line I'm cutting. It could also be a bad habit! :confused:
 

quickcut07

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Sam excellent tutorial you have a good steady and strong hand for this. I also like that the sound is there to hear the chips pop at the end of your cuts. When trying to explain this to someone starting out they don't always catch the fact that the popping of the chip in the final phase of the cut is important. Cutting your way out at the end of a cut can lead to disaster at times. Thanks for taking the time.

Eric
 

Sam

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Sam excellent tutorial you have a good steady and strong hand for this. I also like that the sound is there to hear the chips pop at the end of your cuts. When trying to explain this to someone starting out they don't always catch the fact that the popping of the chip in the final phase of the cut is important. Cutting your way out at the end of a cut can lead to disaster at times. Thanks for taking the time.

Eric

Eric: Snapping the graver out at the end of the cut to release the chip is something that many find very difficult at first. After awhile it comes naturally after building a lot of muscle memory. Depending on the metal it can be really hard on graver points and it often leads to an overrun for someone still in the chip-popping learning curve. :fastgraver: :chip:
 

aalv2003

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Great lesson!

Thank you very much professor. With each lesson I am most indebted to coals and grill.
 

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