Help, please: New to engraving

Hello everyone,

I am new to engraving. I have only been doing it a couple of days. I have a gravermax g8 with a #901 hand piece. The engraver is set at 19psi and 2400 spm. My issue is that when I try to engrave lines, my graver either wants to dive into the metal, or just cut a very shallow line. I mostly use the grs qc square graver sharpened with a 45 degree face and 45 degree heel with my tp angle set at 15 as Sam Alfano shows in his engraver sharpening video. Does anyone know why it either dives or cut shallow? I've tried cutting in brass, copper, and Sterling. Any advise is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

You will want your heel sharpened at 15 degrees and make sure it is about 1/4 mm in length (very small). When I initially experienced this problem, it was explained to me that there are two things that cause diving; the first is an incorrect heel on the graver and the second is a lacking of technique (your hand holding the graver must remain at a constant degree from the work surface). Just keep practicing lines and keep changing things up till it begins to work, eliminate one variable at a time by changing only one thing at a time. If that one change doesn't fix it then move onto the next variable. Also do not apply a ton of pressure on the handpiece, your hand is there to guide it while the pneumatic does all the hard pushing for you. Keep researching stuff on here and youtube and other sites and don't be afraid to ask questions, I have certainly asked my fair share at this point. Also, here are three links on the graver heel to help give you a better visual:

1) http://www.engraversstudio.com/apps/vblog/Video/View.aspx?id=86c8304ed0

2) http://www.engraversstudio.com/apps/vblog/Video/View.aspx?id=eaa7deda9e

3) http://www.engraversstudio.com/apps/vblog/Video/View.aspx?id=449ec0f928

Thank you so much!

this problem is about universal to a beginner. first-- stick with the current geometry you have. changing geometry, is not good initially. i say this as the 'feel" the graver imparts to your hand is about the only control input you have for the graver. achieving the "feel" for a given geometry is needed to get a consistent, uniform width and depth to the cut line. each geometry will have adifferent feel to it, and will require a slightly different holding angle of the wrist. once experience is gained. one all but automatically & instantly will adjust the wrist at the beginning of the cut.
when the graver takes a dive, slowly lower your wrist as the cut progresses. conversely, if the cut is a bit shallow, simply raise the wrist a bit till the cut line is the way you want it. if a line is too shallow, one can always go over the line a second or even third time to make it right. you will also notice that the heel or lack of it will affect the required hold to cut.
practice short, parallel straight cuts, as well as short curves. several hundred will be needed to get comfy doing this. good luck.