Stones vs Sanding

pmace

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Nov 18, 2010
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Arizona City, AZ
I want to reach in and touch up the lettering I'm doing prior to inlaying without sanding the whole piece. Artco has a bunch of different stones to choose from. I'm thinking you get a stone somewhat smaller in cross section than the engraving and hold it vertically while taking off the burs. Any suggestions on hard vs soft stones, grits, etc? I only have a small hard arkansas sharpening stone to play with right now and the results are not good. Thanks.
 

Ron Spokovich

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The Gesswein company has a bunch of stones in various sizes, shapes, and grits that should satisfy your needs and the holders for such. Check out their site!
 

Brian Marshall

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Stockton, California & Taxco, Guerrero, Mexico
For small or hard to reach areas there are also "rubberized abrasives" of all kinds and shapes. Rods, long relatively thin square bars and the 2"x3"x1" blocks that silversmiths use. All can be easily reshaped to reach into crevices, concaves, "ditches" and between high walls or on convex surfaces.

Some of these will also fit into the die makers stone holders.

Much "kinder" to the surface, less aggressive than harder stones. Also available in various grits so that you can almost return to a polished surface.

"Cratex" was one of the brand names I used to use, dunno if they are still in business?

We got 'em from Gesswein and one of the knifemakers suppliers.


You can use boxwood slips that watchmakers used to use - impregnated with tripoli, then Zam and then rouge depending on the finish polish you might be after. Those we used to get from Otto Frei.


Brian
 

John B.

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The Ngraver Company makes rubberized fine and medium (called Coarse) abrasive blocks and come as a pair.
They are sold under the name of "Engravers Erasers" and can be easily cut to shape with an Xacto knife.
Tooth picks or cut tongue depressors or pop sticks with oil and abrasive powder or paste also work well in micro areas.
 
Last edited:

pmace

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Joined
Nov 18, 2010
Messages
230
Location
Arizona City, AZ
Thanks guys. I just ordered some 5/32" square stones from Artco (600 grit) from their "Special Stone" line. I'll give the Cratex product a look and see what they have. I'm hoping that as I get better grinding heel relief on my flats that I raise less of a burr that has to be dressed off.

On the bright side I can now make square corners and acute angles with my flat. Undercutting for inlay with a flat/knife works pretty well but getting the width right to fit the sidewall is a bear. Too wide and you tear up everything, too thin and you do nothing but break tips. With 26 ga copper wire if you stand back and close one eye my little 3/8" single line old English doesn't look too bad.

Next step, multiple wires on a burr field!
 

Sandy

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Nov 13, 2006
Messages
683
Location
Kansas
www.cratex.com
They have some really nice round 1/8 and 3/16 inch abrasive sticks that work really nice in the electric
Artists eraser (battery operated).
Sandy
 

monk

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washington, pa
For small or hard to reach areas there are also "rubberized abrasives" of all kinds and shapes. Rods, long relatively thin square bars and the 2"x3"x1" blocks that silversmiths use. All can be easily reshaped to reach into crevices, concaves, "ditches" and between high walls or on convex surfaces.

Some of these will also fit into the die makers stone holders.

Much "kinder" to the surface, less aggressive than harder stones. Also available in various grits so that you can almost return to a polished surface.

"Cratex" was one of the brand names I used to use, dunno if they are still in business?

We got 'em from Gesswein and one of the knifemakers suppliers.


You can use boxwood slips that watchmakers used to use - impregnated with tripoli, then Zam and then rouge depending on the finish polish you might be after. Those we used to get from Otto Frei.


Brian
they are still in bizz. i talked with one of the reps just a few days ago
 

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