Critique Request Ruger New Vaquero's

MICHAEL · Nov 7, 2015

Here's the first of a set of Ruger New Vaquero's I started on my vacation. Just started on the second one. I hope I'm improving. I still see a lot of bad but I also see some improvement. Any helpful advice or critique is always welcome. :thumbsup:

GTJC460 · Nov 7, 2015

The biggest critique I'd say is the scroll looks flat. Really try to put more beveling into your outline cuts. Remember to roll the graver to the inside of the leaf elements. Beveling doesn't mean deeper. It's rolling the graver left and right (forehand/backhand)

You've done a very respectable job at cutting the design. If you focus on that beveling it'll increase the visual appeal 10x's. Moreover you'll find it takes less shading to bring life to the engraving.

GTJC460 · Nov 7, 2015

If that's stainless, I'd also suggest leaving the flat graver alone. It's extremely difficult to get a good wriggle in stainless. It usually ends up looking too faint or you stab yourself.

MICHAEL · Nov 7, 2015

Thx Bert! It's not stainless but still the hardest material I've ever cut, especially the loading gate. Learned a lot about sharpening and dubbing by the time I did the barrel. Ground down alot of carbide. The barrel I did last and only lost my point 1 or 2 times. I did try to bevel my cuts on the barrel since I was't breaking points. Does it look like I'm doing bevel right on barrel? Also wondered what you thought about the design on the barrel since there was no address? I really like what you're doing on single actions, especially your punch dot. :tiphat:

Any suggestions you make will be much appreciated. :thumbsup:

monk · Nov 7, 2015

no critique offered here. i will say i like the overall appearance of your gun. the bbl is nice. i like the punch dot in the background. not a critique, but i don't like the scroll you did on the bottom of the backstrap. just doesn't harmonize well with the rest of what you did. just an opinion. thanks for showing. what carbide did you use for this job ?

MICHAEL · Nov 7, 2015

Monk, are you talking about the 2nd scroll? I agree, designing on the fly doesn't always work.

. I used c-max mostly but I did the barrel with Ngraver carbide. Got to were I had no problem with either carbide once I figured out how Much to dub point. I hate engraving hard stuff because it never looks as good as softer steels but I really believe it's helping me to become a better engraver. That's what these firearms are all about. :tiphat:

davidshe · Nov 7, 2015

Michael, congrats, seems to me you are making great progress and your designs and cutting is really looking clean! I am hoping to eventually do some gun engraving and I know that it must bring a lot of new challenges.

GTJC460 · Nov 7, 2015

What geometry are you using?

I think it would help you immensely if you bought some castings from FEGA. Then do wax transfers and practice cutting the design. Try to make it look as close to what you see.

monk · Nov 7, 2015

MICHAEL said:
Monk, are you talking about the 2nd scroll? I agree, designing on the fly doesn't always work.. I used c-max mostly but I did the barrel with Ngraver carbide. Got to were I had no problem with either carbide once I figured out how Much to dub point. I hate engraving hard stuff because it never looks as good as softer steels but I really believe it's helping me to become a better engraver. That's what these firearms are all about.

do you primarily use transfers ? if so, designing on the fly can be a bit of a bugger. i became such a fan of ss i'll never do work on it again. that is unless it's the lower, softer grade. i could never get the hang of applying a transfer to the recoil shield or the gate. a lot quicker to smear on the wax and draw. if bad, rewax and draw again. when good, i would lightly scribe the design and cut away.

MICHAEL · Nov 8, 2015

GTJC460 said:
What geometry are you using?

I think it would help you immensely if you bought some castings from FEGA. Then do wax transfers and practice cutting the design. Try to make it look as close to what you see.

Bert, I'm using 90 degree square graver carbide. 45 degree face to 600 grit on the diamond wheel. 20 degree heel (since I started using a microscope), Same wheel light kiss for 1 second, then dub point and heel on fine India stone. Scott Pilkington gave me some of the castings that are on the fega site and I bought some from Ray cover at the engrave in at Scott's. I'll study them. I really studied your SAA in gold and zeroed in on the blackstrap. Particularly the leaf below the flower in the middle of the blackstrap. Beveling the cut to the inside of the leaf really does make it pop. I was just arbitrarily rolling the graver to any which side randomly. I will start doing bevel to the inside like you have done. When I started cutting on the Ruger I was just trying to cut the design well without constantly fracturing the graver (and losing graver control) I was having to grind down a 1/4 inch each time I sharpened. Beveling cuts made it fracture worse and more often. By the time I got to the barrel, I was finally dubbing better and was able to start beveling. Just doing it wrong.

Thank you very much for taking the time to help me. :thumbsup:

MICHAEL · Nov 8, 2015

monk said:
do you primarily use transfers ? if so, designing on the fly can be a bit of a bugger. i became such a fan of ss i'll never do work on it again. that is unless it's the lower, softer grade. i could never get the hang of applying a transfer to the recoil shield or the gate. a lot quicker to smear on the wax and draw. if bad, rewax and draw again. when good, i would lightly scribe the design and cut away.

No Monk, I draw everything onto Chinese white with a pencil and cut it. I have even found it quicker to draw than doing a wax transfer. :drawing:

tim halloran · Nov 8, 2015

Michael: I use a 105 and a 120 degree C-Max on Rugers. They will cut through stainless gun metal more easily than a 90 degree. I also dub the tip and use a lubricant, which will cut down on galling the stainless to the face and heels of the tool. I also polish the face and heels on a ceramic wheel and then put a final polish on the face with a cast iron lap. I'll tell you from personal experience, that you won't believe how sharp that cast iron lap can make a carbide graver. You'll see how much easier even stainless steel is to cut if you have a really sharp tool. Try it , what have you got to loose.

GTJC460 · Nov 8, 2015

Learn to use a 120. It'll make your engraving much more interesting visually. There are parts of a SAA, where you have to use a more narrow geometry, but for the most part a 120 will do nice. I try to not use a square as much as possible. I keep 90, 110, and 120' ready to go. The 90 is a last resort choice or for cutting deeper single line borders.

michaandra · Nov 8, 2015

Looks great, don't be so hard on your self or your work, very nice work. Even Sam has mistakes with his work an could improve on his engraving, thank you Michael.

Critique Request Ruger New Vaquero's

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