beading tools quality

tdelewis

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Oct 10, 2010
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Volant, PA 60 miles north of Pittsburgh
In all things there is good quality and poor quality. My beading tools don't hold up. They came from GRS. Yet, I have seen stainless Rugers with beaded background. Ruger stainless is just to hard for my beading tools. There must be some good quality and harder beading tools out there. Where can I get them??
 

JJ Roberts

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Nov 10, 2006
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tdelewis,I buy my beading from Engraver Ray makes the best for beaded background on guns. J.J.
 

mitch

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Jul 23, 2007
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i've been extremely pleased with the ones from Otto Frei!
 

Bama

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Dec 6, 2006
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Alabama
If a beading tool is not to be used on steel then what is used to make beaded looking background on guns? Do you use a hardened punch to do this work?
 

Big-Un

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Nov 10, 2006
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1,370
Location
Eden, NC
Like Brian said, the NgravR brand by Ray Phillips is the one to use for harder metal (guns!). I've had mine for almost thirty years and have occasionally sharpened them when they get worn, but I don't engrave 20-30 guns a year like those engraving for a living do. I haven't tried those from Otto Frei. When a novice, I tried using the jewelry dot punches and immediately ruined them, so those left are still in the box in the back of my tool chest.
 

Mike Frakes

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Joined
Dec 29, 2006
Messages
67
Location
Oklahoma City
I make my own using a beading punch block and drill Rod. There easy to make and you can make them as hard or soft as you need to. The block is sold by Gesswien and the Drill Rod can be purchased from Brownells. Brownells also has the instrustructions on heat treating the finished punch using a propane torch and vessel of 8% salt water.
 

Dave London

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Nov 12, 2006
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Location
Colorado
MTC I use the beading tools for jewelry for most work,in a air hammer. Ngraver tool work fine if you can hold a tool for long time in a pinch grip. Me I can't do that any longer more pain than gain. Yep some times the tool will shatter or chip, I have had that happen with Rays tool and the jewelry type. Some guns are Ok and some are hard. YMMV, what ever works
 

mitch

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Jul 23, 2007
Messages
2,635
btw- i was using the ones from Otto Frei on stainless (fairly soft knife frames & bolsters). they held up beautifully. i bought 5 of pretty much every size they sell, expecting to go thru them quickly. still using the first one in most cases...
 

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