Gold Inlay Tool Survey

[Marcus Hunt]

I use a scorper which is a flat made from a square graver. Because the sides are ground in a "reverse" fashion (which means whatever size flat you decide on remains parallel) they give any remaining metal somewhere to flow to and give a neater cut than a standard flat graver. It's a very old fashioned tool but sometimes the old ways are hard to beat.

[Andrew Biggs]

Hi Marcus

You've talked of the scorpers before. Is there any chance you could post a photo or a drawing of one please. I just can't picture your description.

Cheers
Andrew

[Joe Mason]

I make the same tool as Scott, but it has a 120 degree point on it. Keep the heal very short and it turns curves very well

Joe

[Tira]

Joe, Do you have a parallel heel on the 120 degree bottom, or a traditional heel? If you get deep do the sides throw up a burr? I've been trying an onglette and the sides seem to be throwing up a burr.

Marcus, I'm with Andrew - please show us the scorper.

Thanks to everyone for participating.

[Joe Mason]

Tira, I use a traditional heal. I make the tool out of flats that are close to the size needed. I keep the heal very small to help with the burr problem on very tight curves and there is always a burr on those real tiny loops. On large curves the cuts are clean in 416. On the softer materials using more cuts to get the depth helps. I use a 25 degree heal on these and that also helps.

I don't think you could have a parallel heal. It is too small. After the tool is cut to the width you just put a heal on it. The heal go all the way to the edge of the tool. The heal is the only shaping of the point needed.

joe

[Kevin P.]

A scorper from "Engraving on Precious Metals":

[Marcus Hunt]

Sorry guys, I've been a bit busy the past few days to photograph one of my scorpers. Thanks for postin that Kevin. What I use is basically the same thing.

If you want to try one out the geometry for a sharpening fixture is 60º for the heel with a 15º lift/post. Then the flat is put on at 15º lift also. The 60º sides make the flat parallel whatever the width. Get this wrong and you'll get a tapered flat which won't work or rather, it will to a certain degree but the first time you resharpen you'll get a different sized flat.

[sam]

I've always cut a V-channel with a square and then flatten the bottom with a flat graver. I don't claim it's the best method but it's worked for me. I think I'll try some of the various gravers suggested in this excellent thread! :thumbs up:

[Ray Cover]

I use a square graver ground to the width of the line I want to inlay.

Marcus, I make all my flats up on one corner like that. I never knew there was a real name for that.
I use a flat made that way except with sides vertical to relieve background. I usually put a 55 degree face on it and about a 30 degree heel. Gives great clearance to dig out a hole.

Ray

[Kevin P.]

Marcus, "the geometry for a sharpening fixture is 60º for the heel with a 15º lift/post" and "The 60º sides make the flat parallel whatever the width." It seems counter-intuitive that this would produce parallel sides. I'm missing something here.

If one starts with a square blank at 0° do you rotate to 60° with the post at 15° and then mirror that? I would think that one would rotate the head to 90° to get parallel sides?
Could you clarify?
Kevin P.