Graver organization

wowilson

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I had been trying to figure out a good way to identify the different geometries of my gravers. Yesterday I think I found it. I used heatshrink tubing cut in thin strips (less that 1/8") and slid them over the shank of the tool. Heatshrink comes in different colors and there is even a white variety that can be written on. Just thought I'd pass that on in case some of you needed something similar.
 

mrthe

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This is what i use . Hama Beads Medium size a bag of assorted colours of 1000 in 48 differents colours cost around 2$

image.jpg image.jpg
 

Ste82

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I use the same as Mrthe..one color for each geometry and one to three beads depending to the heel length or punch diameter, it is a pretty fast way to identify the graver ;)
 

jerrywh

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That looks like a good idea. I have mine in those circular organizers like yours but Mine organizers are marked. I label them by width and heel angle. For example a #5 might be .020 wide and have a heal angle of 25° so it would be marked 5-25. A .040 wide with a 20° heal would be marked 3-20 and so forth. My mind could never keep track of the colors. I guess I'm too old.
 

BrianPowley

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I wish I could churn out some quality advice but I guess after 35 years, I can just about look at one and figure it out.
Point geometery was never rocket science to me especially after I spent some time with "Creative Art" and Phillippe Grifnee.
They just go over to a stone and sharpen by hand in just a few minutes and go back to work. It's hard to argue over their results.
I only use a handful of different ones anyway.
 
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Southern Custom

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Baton Rouge
I'm with you Brian. I separate 96deg from 116 and so forth but that's it. Otherwise I just quickly sharpen as I go.
Layne
 

don hicks

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I settled on perler beads ( same as Hama beads)of different colors.I'm using Lindsay templates so all I currently deal with is the angle, so only a handful of colors to deal with. I have clear plastic tubes with caps on the ends that are labeled with the angle ( 105, 120 etc) with the correct colored bead inside. Gravers are stored in a piece of walnut drilled to correct size 3/32".
Cheers
Don
 

KCSteve

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I've gone to a way of numbering my gravers. I use model paint - tiny dots put on with the end of a toothpick.

Here's my writeup on it:
Coding is based on the standard Resistor color coding:
0 – Black 1 – Brown 2 – Red 3 – Orange
4 – Yellow 5 – Green 6 – Blue 7 – Purple
8 – Grev 9 – White

Codes read from the base of the graver toward the tip. Codes are painted on the 'up' side of the graver (for Lindsay, the side that goes with the notch in the sharpener, for GRS the peg in the QC holder).

Codes that do not start with a 0 are 'regular' gravers and give the angle. For example, a 90 degree square graver would be coded White / Black. A Lindsay Universal 116 would be Brown / Brown / Blue.
It's up to the engraver to figure out the difference between a Lindsay style point and a simple point which is actually pretty easy to see.

Other gravers get a code. Codes always start with a 0 (Black). If a graver is a specialized angle graver then the code for the angle follows the code for the graver type.

The following is the current list of graver codes:

01 – Flat
1.Round Heel
2.Todd Daniels Double Dovetail
02 – Round
1.Punch
03 – Bulino
1.70 Degree
2.Phil Coggan
3.Dario Cortino
04 – Specialized
1.Onglette
2.Spitzer
1.V Heel
2.Round Heel
3.Stippler
1.Round
2.Square
3.Hex
4.Large Hex
4 Roaland Baptise Inlay
05 – Mr. The
1.50 Degree V
2.Rounded Corner Flat
3.Flat
4.Sculpting Punch
5.Stippling Point
06 – Ray Cover
1.Standard V
2.Standard Bulino
3.Flat
4.Bright Cut Flat
07 – Carl Bliele
1.Scraper
2.Deepline
3.Banknote
4.Sculpting
5.Relief
 

Andrew Biggs

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Good grief, how do you remember all that????? :)

I have two gravers that cut 99% of everything. 105 and 120, both parallel heel. The 105 is round top and the 120 is square top. I also have 90 and 120 in the regular heel. I also have them in Glensteel and C-Max which you can tell just by looking at which are which.

For the flats I just eyeball them as I basically only use two. Small and tiny.

All the other gravers tend to sit around and gather dust. But they do look good on the bench :)

Cheers
Andrew
 

Brian Marshall

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Stockton, California & Taxco, Guerrero, Mexico
I keep all my old hand push gravers right in front of me...

Dust 'em every week and think about the times we had.


With turned wooden handles it was easy to read the numbers engraved into the butt end.

Once did a lot of restoration of old engraved items - mostly from England and Europe. I had to match the original engraving exactly.

Over the years that added up a LOT of liners. Probably 40 of 'em? From 6/3 to 32/12 if I remember right. And then the flats and "V"s...


Brian
 

tim halloran

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Brian: I'm with you, i use either 105 or 120 degree gravers for all my work, excluding background. I have the Easy Graver sharpeners and use them infrequently . There is no substitute for simplicity. The old adage is KISS, keep it simple stupid. If i have to explain you would not understand.
 

oiseau metal arts

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Jan 18, 2012
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TN
ive also got a confusing set up.

a holder of 105s, my primary go to graver.
another of flats,
another of punches/stippling points/burnishers,
1 bulino graver
a couple 120s
and about a dozen extra tiny ones

I look at it and know what it is. home made ones look like home made... c-max looks like c-max..... and so on.
 

mrthe

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Reading all the comments seem like i make something wrong ,but for my work usually i need around 12/15 different points and i shoul use all of them in each carving i do.
A bad Habit?
 

Gemsetterchris

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Mar 24, 2009
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Finland
There's not that much difference in pointed shape gravers to need many, maybe a couple of different size faces.
I think I have 4 different shapes & 2 of each ( small & smaller ).

If you were forced to only use two shapes, you'd make them work somehow.
Same with burrs, you don't need em all but it would be nice to look at them :)
 

BrianPowley

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Hey...there's nothing wrong with being organized and knowing everything is properly identified. It happens to me about once every........Oh, never mind!
We're all a bit different in our ways and means. There's nothing wrong with having/using up to a squillion gravers on a project.
Throw 'em in a heap or take up "Graver Organizing" as a hobby.
In the end, the results are what matter most.
 

mrthe

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Spain
Ok thank you Brian, my doubt is just because like i'm self tought and never had an opportunity to take classes in the past or have a contact in person with other engravers during my first two years of apprentice maybe i'm a "green dog" ( a strange person here in Spain) all the way good to know what people use and how, ever we csn learn something.
 

atexascowboy2011

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Confessions of an EX tool junkie.

For years I too felt the need to search for, and collect, numerous tools of various sizes and configuations.
Now I am down to Steve's 'universal' as my only point.
As I've said before, Frank Hendricks also searched for the Holy Grail of points and kept coming back to his basic 2.
It's just human nature to search for the perfect tool to make the job just a little easier/quicker.
But as Frank proved you can create beautiful work with just a few simple tools.
Weldon, one of our resident masters, as well as our other 'old school' masters, as was said ' KIS'.
 

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