Best graver for script and a heel question?

Eric, I am glad you like my setup. A clarification, I call this a jeweler's bench because of the layout, not because I am jeweler believe me.
And I agree, practice is a major part of what I need to get better.

Speedy6, I would love to go slower but it is really hard with the pedal, very little difference in pressure between going slow and too fast. No idea it is just my lack of experience or if the machine itself has something to do with it.
As far as magnification, this is obviously not an engraving scope and I only have 2 settings, one of which is way too strong.
As for the layout, I am using the confuser and printing on the laser printer. So when I cut one side it sometimes removes the ink and I loose my reference on the other side. But more often than not I think that it is magnification like you said that doesn't help.

Gcleaker, the scope stand works great and fits in my pin vise so it is easy to remove. The vise base is made with a grinder base and the up/down is from an old camera stand from the 60s or 70s. I made the turntable myself too. Works good but it is not rock hard solid, there is still a little wobble to it. I am still looking for a drill base to use instead.

Steve, Orfebre means Goldsmith, his name is Sebastian Lopez, he is from Argentina, I think he is a member of this forum, that's diamond powder he uses on a well pressed leather pad to polish his graver. if you look at all his videos,
I don't think he uses any other graver geometry.

OH Dear! When my brother in law's wife ( who is Spanish) learns of this I will be in for some teasing. Thanks for the additional clarification re diamond dust Richard. I Agree with Speedy....I take regular calligraphy classes and am always struck by how slowly and carefully our instructors draw their letters

Took a picture of some cuts with the flat graver to show you guys how they come out. Almost like Sam in the video right?



Is this just because of the sharpening or stroke speed?

And the bigger magnification is actually not that bad. Only drawback is the 0.5" field of view.

A little update:

Making some (slow) progress on the script for the name but I need more depth in some of the cuts as was suggested.



And I also need to engrave USMC on the other side of that guard. Another lettering script that is hard to get right.



I tried another simpler font on the premise that a simple font well engraved may be better than a more complicated one poorly engraved. But my wife says it looks like it was drawn by a 5 year old.



Thanks for looking and again for all your help.

Learning is never too late ...
http://www.zanerian.com/BairdLessons.html

atexascowboy2011 graciously offered advice but for some reason his post didn't show, just in my email. I will post it, I hope it is ok.

"Reference and metering lines would alleviate the chaos in your lettering.
Your base line is nonexistent causing your letters to be tilted every which way. With a ruler edge lightly scribe a base line .
Next working off of your base line lightly scribe your case lines as your letter heights are various heights.
And lastly you need to scribe in your metering lines for spacing and the length of each letter bringing everything together."

My letters are not drawn but a computer transfer. (laser printer with the lighter fluid & shellac trick)
I could figure out a way to add lines but I fear my ability to accurately cut the design is more at fault. Still I will add the lines I can and give it a try, maybe with the higher magnification too.

I just ordered 3 books on drawing script and start learning. But I still have to do this for a knife that has to be done in a month at most so I will also try to do the best I can with the transfer method.

Thanks for your help.

BES said:

Learning is never too late ...
http://www.zanerian.com/BairdLessons.html

Click to expand...

Wow, that's great Eric, thanks. I would have tried that before ordering the books if I had known. My Google skills are not very good lately.

Patrice
Keep cutting you will get it just lots of practice. MTC make up a bunch of practice plates with the alphabet, caps and lower case. And use the meter lines that Tex mentioned. Good luck

Patrice
You wrote that the knife needs to finish before the end of the month.
Admit to yourself honestly:
for a month you will not be able to make a breakthrough in engraving inscriptions.
So it seems to me that:
— if you don't want to ruin the knife
— you need to find your nearest engraver,
who knows how to do high quality engraving script lettering;
— ask him to cause the engraving script lettering

But then, knowing the real situation in your work to engage in education and practice.

Do not be ashamed to ask for help from their colleagues
It's a shame to give the customer a bad product

Thanks Dave. Practice practice and more practice, I know you are right. But of course I want it to go as fast as I can so trying to see how if I can troubleshoot things I can do better so that the only thing I need is more experience. If that makes any sense. For example, I just realized while practicing that my base, as solid as I thought it was, it still not solid enough, not for work under a scope. I do get shake and it is hindering my ability to see what I am cutting. There are many small things like that that I am trying to put either in the "you are doing something or the setup/tools are wrong" or in the "only practice will fix it" category. Here are a few for exemple.:

1) Sometime when I cut, the chip curls up and hides the tip of my graver preventing me to see where I cut.
2) If I go any faster than the absolute minimum pressure I can put on the pedal to cut I actually have to pull back on the graver while I am cutting like it wants to get away from me and cut too fast. Again, not sure my poor English let's me explain that properly.
3) Thought I'd remove some meat off the graver (116 degree sharpened with Lyndsay jig). Well no idea what I did wrong but I made it so that it plunged right into the metal as soon as I angled it down even a tiny bit. Had to re-grind the face a good bit to fix it.

Like I said, all things I need to figure out how to fix or if experience is the only way to fix them.

Eric, this knife is for a friend and he will be happy with the best I can do at this point. But you made me realize that I need to simplify things. I had planned on some more engraving beside the USMC and his name but will have to settle on just those two.

Thanks again for your help gentlemen. I can't tell you how grateful I am.