I am restoring a custom hunting rifle inherited from my grandfather, who originally built the rifle in 1950. As part of the project, I made a grip cap out of mild steel. I had a local jeweler engrave my grandfather's initials on the cap. After sanding off the bead and rust bluing, the script is very shallow and just barely legible. See below:
I am seeking advice on the best way to make the script more visible. The letters are just over 1/4" tall. I have 3 basic ideas:
1. Use a carbide scribe to scrape out the bluing from the engraved lines, exposing bare metal.
2. Use a hammer and chisel to deepen the script, then fill with gold leaf paint.
3. Fully engrave the lettering and inlay with gold wire.
I have never engraved before, and have no tools. Obviously #3 would be the most challenging, but I find myself thinking how awesome it would look. Are the letters too small for that?
Any and all advice welcome and appreciated. Thanks in advance.
I am seeking advice on the best way to make the script more visible. The letters are just over 1/4" tall. I have 3 basic ideas:
1. Use a carbide scribe to scrape out the bluing from the engraved lines, exposing bare metal.
2. Use a hammer and chisel to deepen the script, then fill with gold leaf paint.
3. Fully engrave the lettering and inlay with gold wire.
I have never engraved before, and have no tools. Obviously #3 would be the most challenging, but I find myself thinking how awesome it would look. Are the letters too small for that?
Any and all advice welcome and appreciated. Thanks in advance.