Critique Request Any helpful tips for improvement?

Haraga.com

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Today I received a couple knives that Dani Girl sold me. They look fantastic. What really stands out with her work is she actually took the time to remove plenty of background material instead of relying on the smoke and mirror look that so many engravers are doing today. These knives will be given away to two people that employ me regularly. I can't wait to see their faces.
 

Dani Girl

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Sorry it's off the topic of the thread but has anyone used the Lindsay Palm control with the light pistons... there's a nylon tipped one and just a lighter one. Has anyone used them, maybe have a sample of what you can do with them finer than the standard piston?

Thanks
 

KCSteve

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I haven't used the light pistons but they should be like using the heavy (tungsten) one. They don't necessarily let you do anything different, they just make it easier to do the work. Like with the different GRS handpieces, the different pistons take part of the power range of the regular piston and stretch it out across your control range.

So if you're doing fine shading, instead of using just 15% of the control range you can use the whole range of the foot pedal or palm push. Kind of like how you can see smaller errors when you zoom in closer.
 

Dave London

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Dani
I have the lightweight piston with the nylon insert, usually run about 10 to 30 psi. Mostly shading in gold, silver. Very light touch
 

Dani Girl

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I guess it would make more sense to go for the nylon ended one so that I have a complete range of softest possible to jackhammer.
 

tsterling

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I have the light piston with nylon tip. Like Dave said, works very well for really fine cuts, especially in gold, silver, copper, etc.
 

Dani Girl

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Looking forward to a critique on this one? :)

Is there anyone who thinks that shading is better without crosshatching, without crosshatching everything, or is the public opinion if it isn't crosshatched it isn't finished?

Please pick it apart as brutally as you can, I learn quicker that way.

Thanks all
 

Dani Girl

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Sorry, this one's sold already, but I've got more coming really soon Leonard. Want me to put one aside for you?
 

KCSteve

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Is there anyone who thinks that shading is better without crosshatching, without crosshatching everything, or is the public opinion if it isn't crosshatched it isn't finished?

I think the answer is a definite "Yes". :rolleyes:

To me it depends on the design overall, and also on the design of the shading. There are some designs that just don't loo right at all without at least some cross hatch. And there are others where the cross hatching just does not work.

I think the rule is the same here as it is pretty much everywhere else in engraving (and so many other things): "It depends."
 

Dani Girl

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Thanks Steve. That's the most easily understood non answer in history :) lol

I agree this one could use some. Can you think of any examples of something that definitely doesn't want to be crosshatched?

Thanks heaps

Danae.
 

Haraga.com

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No hurry Dani. For those of you that don't know, this will be the forth knife from Dani. I give them away as gifts. The first three were big hits. The third knife she incorporated a picture of it in her book that came with the knife. It's the best idea I have seen yet.
 

McAhron

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Couldn't you drop your air pressure to achieve a lighter touch?
 

Dani Girl

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I might be wrong but I'd say you can only drop your air pressure so far and it won't be enough to get the piston to idle... you need the piston type/pressure ratio within 20psi of some number to get it to work well. The light weight piston did someone say 30psi? Normal one 35-45 is great. Heavy one is more like 50-60psi i think.

I haven't done a lot of work in precious metals... but i even find it a headache trying to fine line shade 416 stainless which is buttery and soft. Anyway, it's THE tool I use so it's not a big investment to get the full range out of it. Thanks everyone for the replies.
 

Dani Girl

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What kind of silver wire would folk use for inlaying? fine 999 or 925 sterling? What guage should one order? How do draw plates work? Do you scrape off metal every pass or does it squish and stretch the wire? Carbide ones are worth the price so I hear?

Thanks
 

tsterling

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Hi Dani,

I use this drawplate: http://www.riogrande.com/Product/Tun...e/113561?Pos=1 It works fine, but you will also need a good set of pliers without serrated teeth. The other drawplate you ask about (3 gauge to 11 gauge) is way too large for engraving use. To answer one of your questions, you don't lose any metal using a drawplate.

I order 28 gauge 24 karat gold and .999 Fine silver for wire inlays, and that size works for most of what I do. I wouldn't bother with sterling. The drawplate mentioned only goes down to 29 gauge, which I occasionally use for fine lines, but I would really like something small than 30 gauge and I haven't found one in carbide.

For most small area inlays, I usually inlay a sequence of parallel wires. I find inlaying sheet is more involved, and I don't bother for small areas. For inlay I think I would start with 22 gauge .999 fine silver sheet. If you need it thinner, maybe you know a jeweler who has a rolling mill?

For overlay (I've not tried it yet) I suspect you will need thinner sheet than 22 gauge. If I recall correctly, Sam Alfano has an overlay tutorial in the Tips section? Maybe he has answered that question...

For using the drawplate, Thierry Duguet has a good video showing how best to do it.

Best of luck!

Tom
 
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