Today's work

DM1975

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Well, I made a fine liner and some chisels. I decided to try a bit harder today and came up with this. Total stab wounds to my left hand, one chisel and one rasp across the knuckles shaping push handles.

final.jpg
 

DM1975

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Thanks. I'm going to start challenging myself more on design and detail. This one was really fun and my understanding of tip geometry is getting better as well. I'm making my own gravers and have used punches and a broken impact stew driver bit and using wooden drawer knobs to make my handles with. Here are the ones I'm experimenting with right now.

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monk

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those home brewed gravers are just too cool. is that thermo-loc used in the transition? also curious as to how you get your geometry so nice.
 

DM1975

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those home brewed gravers are just too cool. is that thermo-loc used in the transition? also curious as to how you get your geometry so nice.

Thanks, I just used steel putty the drawer knobs are only $2.50 a pair so I'm not worried with recovering them once I wear the graver out. As for the geometry, I didn't know I was getting it right at all. I looked at some pictures on line and then I tried to replicate it as best I could with my stationary belt sander. I'd just grind, polish, and see how it cut. I'm still not getting my heel right on one of them and I need to start making different sized chisels and whatnot. Here is a picture of my gravers, the putty, and some of my work I've done in the last few weeks, only two of them had any Dremel work, the rest are pushed.

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DM1975

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Oddly enough the one on the right that I made from a broken Phillips head bit is my easiest to use. I got tired of trying to make an omelette or oglette or whatever it's called and just thought what shape I'd like to be if I were a graver. I just made it int a spear point and cut it at an angle I thought would be a good one. I may have polished it with an emery board but that's about it.

I can run that in a coin like I was writing a letter, which is fitting since it's in the shape of a pencil anyways. Maybe that's how push graving works, I don't know. I've only been doing this for three weeks now I think it is. All I know is I can't afford to be "not smart" with this. I got customers and need to learn as much as I can. I tried reading all those "40° this and 120° that" that everyone talks about but my numbers don't work too good anymore. Head injury broke that for me. Heck I could barely tell you how many fingers I have without having to look first.

Anyways I used it tonight for the main outlines in this. I freehanded all of this. After I'm done I'll go back and make another with better lines but I think this will come out nice when finished.

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Sam

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If I were attempting what you're doing without power assist, I would use hammer & chisel as opposed to hand pushing (by the way, it's engraving and not graving). I would have 10x the control with a chisel, so give that a try if you haven't already.
 

DM1975

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If I were attempting what you're doing without power assist, I would use hammer & chisel as opposed to hand pushing (by the way, it's engraving and not graving). I would have 10x the control with a chisel, so give that a try if you haven't already.

So the tools are not gravers? They are engravers? I know the action itself in engraving but I thought the tools were gravers.

I've tried hammer and chisel and like it for a few things, but I really enjoy push graving. I'll try some hammer and chisel work too. Are these not up to snuff? I figured I was doing rather well for a beginner.

Here is the spiderman one all finished up.

final.jpg
 

DM1975

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So I decided to go at it again with a chasing hammer. It was ok for some bulk removal but I ended up going back to pushing. Maybe I'm not doing it right. Anyways here is the second one. I still have to turn it into a pick.

IMG_0388.jpg
 

Roger Bleile

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DM1975

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