Vise embellishment with leaf script

Brian Hochstrat · May 12, 2008

This is one of the few things I have ever engraved for myself. I have been working on a very demanding knife project and my attitude was beginning to become negative. So I stopped and asked myself, Self when was the last time you engraved something just for fun? It has been quite a while. So I unclamped the knife and decided to fill the hole where the GRS emblem used to be in my vise. Now before you get all impressed with the gold inlay, its not gold its brass, I am to cheap to waste perfectly good gold on myself. However, I was quite suprised at how maulable the brass was, about the same as pink gold. The bead punch background was an experiment, I think it looks to busy, it takes away from the leaf letter, but it was worth trying. Anyway, the sides of the hole are already undercut so all you have to do is raise some teeth and pound in some material. After flushing the brass I took it out and sanded the top lightly with my orbital sander with 150 grit paper to dull the finish back to gray. Not the finish I would recommend for a knife but it worked well for this. So now you have to ask yourself what are you going to do on your own vise?

-Brian

cowboy_silversmith · May 12, 2008

Brian~ Very nicely done! You're one heck of a hand! What are you going to treat yourself to next?

Best regards,
Greg Pauline

rhenrichs · May 12, 2008

Brian,
Very nice! Not sure my 75 year old Victor is worth it.

Roger

Roger Bleile · May 12, 2008

Brian,

Great idea! Your design and execution is beautiful. Now I'm motivated to do something on one of my vises. My Vigor and Muhlmatt are both plated, at least the parts where it hasn't flaked off over the years but I might try the RLT monster vise. I doub't that mine will be as nice as yours though. Did you cut yours using a microscope?

Roger

michaelp · May 12, 2008

Brian looks great,very creative

Peter E · May 12, 2008

VERY nice. I especially like the scroll around the brass.

Peter

joseph engraver · May 12, 2008

A true craftsman always falls in love with his tools;for they are part of the joy of creating something beautiful.

vanknife · May 13, 2008

Brian,
This is a beautiful touch to a true companion, my grandfather was a blacksmith and he use to say although it is the hammer in his hand that strikes the anvil now and then there still is a very tight bond between him and the anvil. What a lesson that was for a young man. Love your tools for they are making it easier to put bread on the table.

Cheers

"VAN"

BrianPowley · May 13, 2008

Brian...Nice job! I never thought about engraving my working vise.
Brilliant idea!

Sam · May 13, 2008

drop-dead gorgeous!

jlseymour · May 13, 2008

Brian your work just keeps getting better...
You have a great set of eyes and steady hand to put things so precise...
Look foward to seeing what you bring to Reno...
Good Luck...
Jerry

Brian Hochstrat · May 13, 2008

Greg I doubt I will be doing anything for myself for a while, no time, I am sure you know the feeling. But, I needed to get my mind off my knife project and just have some fun with engraving, with no pressure. It worked, I got up the next day looking forward to getting back onto the knife.

Roger, I do everything under the scope, even my western bright cut, I do not really like using an optivisor I just can't see, like I can through the scope.

Jerry, Are you going to Blade? If so, be sure to stop by the table and visit.

Anyway, thanks for the all the kind words, when you decide to cut your own vise, be sure to post some pics, maybe we can get an engraved vise photo collection going. After all, we spend so much time with our vises they may as well be pretty. Brian

CJ Allan · May 13, 2008

Looks "GREAT...!!"

Wish my magna-block was worth more than just using it for an anchor, on the canoe trip we're gonna do down at Scotts in a couple weeks..........but it ain't

Possibly when I get a new Ray LeTourneau block, I'll play around with some embelishment on it...

Ron Smith · May 13, 2008

Beautiful job Brian, but I agree with you about the punch-dot background. It would blast you off the page if it were background removed instead, but that is irrelivant. It is still first class.
Ron S

Christopher Malouf · May 13, 2008

Agreed ... incredibly nice. You know that's gonna catch your eye everytime you clamp something in and you're gonna forget why you clamped something in. Beautiful stuff does that.

Hey CJ ... regarding that "anchor" .... priceless!!

castagnos&s · May 13, 2008

Brian,
The block is superb. I was wondering what kind of a microscope your using and where the best place to get one would be.
Thanks, Mike

Andrew Biggs · May 13, 2008

Hi Brian

Now you've created a great big focal point on your vise!!!!!!!!!!

Looks fantastic and a really cool way to personalise your tools..............plus give you some stress relief!!!

That brass must have been as soft as anything to inlay like that.

Cheers
Andrew

Brian Hochstrat · May 13, 2008

Ron, your mini vise is first class, this is just working class.

Mike, I use a Meiji, but there are several good scope brands available, watch ebay.

Andrew, most material is easy to move if you use a big enough hammer, that is all part of the stress relief

ddushane · May 14, 2008

Everyone has already said it but this is outstanding Brian! Beautiful job! Dwayne

Vise embellishment with leaf script

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