Critique Request Any helpful tips for improvement?

Dani Girl

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Hey all.

First picture engraving on blade of a kitchen knife, next picture CC engraved on the bolster of that knife, last picture 38 x 24mm plate for medal.

I just made this little plate to stick in the back of a medal my mate won for cycling. It's the most caringly ornamented $8 medal in history probably but he was happy.

I haven't done much script. I was fairly happy with this, it's all cut with a 120 just because i have better control with that so far.

Any and all tips or critiques are most welcome. Thank everyone.
 

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Sam

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I enjoy watching your progress and you can obviously cut really well. The formation of the letters is your weak area. I would suggest learning to draw engraver's script perfectly and you'll see a huge jump in the quality of your lettering. You're really close and with a bit of study you'll nail it in no time. The page in Meek's book on lettering is an excellent example, as are the examples in the Bergling books (available for free on Google books..forget which one).

One of the biggest drawbacks of using computer font transfers is the engraving looking like a computer font transfer.
 

Dani Girl

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computer transfer

Yeah, I work in an office where we have a machine engraver and a laser engraver. To me to do a computer print transfer for lettering... you might as well be doing it on a machine(apart from the fact a machine can't cut as nicely).

I do see benefit in using it to get proportions right and then spice things up afterwards maybe.

Can anyone give details on how to find Bergling's books free online. I think I tried once and couldn't get something working
 

Dani Girl

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Oh, and might as well be honest while I am at it. The CC is a computer font transferred on... the rest was drawn on with a felt tip pen
 

Dani Girl

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I wanted to use the computer transfer for the layout on the brass knife because it would make the finished product that much more perfect... and because I could email the customer a picture of that and he could see really clearly what I was going to do. It's a good way to do it if you're confident in what they want but just want them to see it first anyway
 

KCSteve

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Dani, make sure the felt tip you're using is a chisel point - you need something that will let you do 'proper' lettering for your layout. And, as Sam said, practice drawing the Meek's letters.

I posted a thread recently about my new layout trick using either a bit of bamboo or a flexible nib.

I do my lettering with a flat - for some reason that works better for me. I need to work more with the 120 because you get better hairlines with it than the corner of the flat.
 

Tim Wells

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When you make the beauty cuts, concentrate on keeping them consistent in their width from one letter to the next. If one is deeper or wider than the adjacent letter or say, the legs of a lower case "m" the thicker one will have more power. That is to say, more power to pull your eye to it as a focal point which you don't want. Your mind will think "I see a letter" rather than a word. Does that make sense?

These things are kind of rhythmic I guess and like everything take practicing the right things in a correct manner. You'll do fine and drawing that letter set that Sam mentioned will automatically show you all the little details to pay attention to just through repetition, they'll jump out at you in the process.
 

LVVP

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I enjoy watching your progress and you can obviously cut really well. The formation of the letters is your weak area. I would suggest learning to draw engraver's script perfectly and you'll see a huge jump in the quality of your lettering. You're really close and with a bit of study you'll nail it in no time. The page in Meek's book on lettering is an excellent example, as are the examples in the Bergling books (available for free on Google books..forget which one).

One of the biggest drawbacks of using computer font transfers is the engraving looking like a computer font transfer.

Thank you very much for your comments, it is a very useful notes for find my own mistakes.
 

Dani Girl

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Drawing appraisal?

Hey everyone.

Does anyone have any comments or ideas on how I can get my scroll framework looking better?

Mr Biggs noted some flaws in the fully engraved folder of overstretched scrolls and straight curves...

Mum suggested it would be better if I started from the pivot screw, which I like better.
 

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Sam

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I like the scroll idea starting at the pivot, but small cluster of scrolls at the bottom below the pivot seem unbalanced to me. Everything else is very much engravable.

The finished knife at the bottom is beautifully done!
 

Andrew Biggs

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What's with the Mr. Biggs??.......the only time anyone calls me that is when I'm in trouble :)

Screw holes etc can be a curse and a blessing. They can provide good starting points as you have done or they can be a pain in the bum. Basically you have two choices. Ignore them or work with them. There's right or wrong. My own personal preference is to work with them where possible. But that's just me.

I've attached something to think about.......There are a few problem areas that would be difficult to fill with leaves. The trick is to try and foresee them in advance. By adjusting your scrolls slightly you can avoid this.

The usual disclaimer is that this is just my own way of thinking and others will think differently :)

Cheers
Andrew
 

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Dani Girl

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Thanks Mr. Biggs.

Thankyou Mr Biggs. (My folks tried to bring me up to respect my elders... and I figured there'd be less confusion on who I was talking to with Biggs than Andrew.)

I'm not angry with anyone:happyvise:

I've just cut the border and a couple of the scrolls into it. I might do some more tomorrow night. I like some of the changes you made, I'm definately adapting my design to some degree. It's interesting cutting... hard anodized aluminium. Slippery starting a cut. fun though
 

davidshe

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Hi Dani,
For what it's worth, here are a couple pics of some engraving I recently did on the same Code 4 knife. I have done quite a few of those and once you get the hang of cutting through the anodized coating they are pretty cool! My design work is not as elegant as yours but thought you might like to see it anyway. ~David


http://dsengraver.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/IMG_3039.jpg
 

Dani Girl

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Nice knife

Thanks David for sharing that, cool design you came up with. I have trouble not over-doing everything I touch. I like your minimalist approach to it.

Regards

Danae.
 

Dani Girl

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Thanks for the design help Andrew

I tried to take Mr. Bigg's... alright, Andrew's advice on getting all the scrolls/elements to touch the border... there's a few bits where they don't due to poor cutting but it helps.

Was hoping to leave that awesome hard anodized finish on it but found I couldn't fine line shade my engraving... so it just had to go... pity... took ages to sand it off... it's a real good quality finish they put on that... after ten minutes hard at it on the best coarse sandpaper... it still looked like new!
 

Dani Girl

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Has anyone ever taken an aluminium knife like this at this point and gotten it bead blasted to take the shine off?
 
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