Guitar engraving

Has anyone done any engraving on resonator guitars or dobros as they're commonly called? I'm an amateur player (amateur engraver,signwriter, amateur most things I do) and I was running around a resonator guitar forum and I'm getting real interested in engraving some resonator plates, that's the hubcap looking thing in the middle of the guitar body.I'd welcome any information on design, holding devices and general experiences engraving these things. I've also seen engraved metal guitar bodies and wondered how one goes about tackling a monster like that. They seem to be done alot with wrigglers but I'm sure a guitar won't fit in my vice.Thanks, Dave

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I can't help you a lot but.....You're right about the wriggling. I have seen some vids on youtube of people engraving horns and it looked to me like it is all done with wrigglers. Also the guys seemed to be just holding the horns and engraving, no vice or anything, pretty wild!
Also you might do a search for banjo engraving, a lot of them are extensively engraved.
Check out Sullivan Banjos in Louisville, also the Stewart McDonald (the luthier supply house,) they may have some examples of engraving in stringed instruments you can look at. I'm a picker too so I know what you're looking for but don't exactly know where you can see any nicely engraved resophonics.
Good luck!
Bill

If it's plated like the LIBERTY I have, I don't think it will work. The plating will chip. The fancy ones you see are plated after they are engraved.

Dave, that's a nice idea and I don't know if this would work with a Dobro style Guitar or not but if you look here: http://steampunkworkshop.com/steampunk-strat.shtml they use acid etching on a brass pick guard for a Gibson Stratocaster. If nothing else it's a cool article.

Kevin

I did a google search of this subject last night and out of jillions of hits I saw a link to this site ,posted yesterday, on the first page.Is it a small world or a big brother?

Hi Dave,

I have done engraving on instruments, guitar guards, banjo parts, and drobo guitars. Vibration with the pneumatic tools and hammer and chisel will give you fits unless you can stabilize and support the metal. I did them by hand and had to hold some pieces on my lap. Of course the parts I could get in the vise, I did often times making a jig that could be held in the vise.

It is definately a challenge to do this type of work, and making jigs becomes a necessary part of the engraving. You have to be pretty rescourcefull.

Not the easiest of work, but if you get a reputation for doing this type of thing, it will help keep you busy. I had a reputation for doing things other engravers wouldn't try. I got quite a bit of traffic because of it. It worked well for me and helped keep a full work schedule.

I could use a hammer and chisel some, but vibration is a factor and that is why they are done with a wriggle style mostly, but combination cuts make for some nice designs. I designed each one seperately, so I didn't have any specific designs for them.

Added up, I did a lot of instrument work over the years.

Hope this helps you get a handle on what is required.

Ron S

Ron,

For the parts off of the instrument, would filling the back with something like ThermoLoc help with the vibration issue? Even if you wound up having to hold it on your lap / on a sandbag I'd think a mass of something 'dead' like ThermoLoc would help. For some things you'd be able to add a 'fin' to stick into your vise. Kind of like using Bondo to stick it to a block of wood without the block of wood.

But since I'm completely ignorant in this area I'm just guessing.

Steve,

Sorry for the belated answer. Yes, thermolock would work for certain back-up material. Sometimes you must make wooden block or platforms, and jigs, depending on shapes, sizes of articles, and such.

Yes, a "fin" will work too. Sometimes you have to be real imaginative to make a jig for strange shapes, but you can do it. It just adds to the cost of the engraving for you will spend considerable amount of time making the jig, and sometimes the customer needs to know what is envolved, so he can be aware and make a educated choice unless price is no object. That usually isn't the case, however.

Ron S

Well, you reached Ron S. If there is anyone around who knows he's the man.

On banjoes there reneesbanjos.com ( I think) or just google renee's banjoes. Might help.
Kevin P.

While I am on this thread, I would like to add something I should have touched on. Wriggle cut engraving is used for the very reason that it eliminates or minimises slipping and scratching an often lacquered surface. Talk about a headache.

If you put a scratch, on a lacquered surface, you had better really be good at camoflauge and the scratches never go the direction that works very good either. If you are a good designier, sometimes you can come up with something that will get you out of a lot of trouble.

The alternative is having the laxquer stripped, the scratch burnished and sanded out, and then polished out again and lacquered. Whew! you don't want to have to do that, I'll tell you. If the scratch is across some of your other design, of course you have to put that back and the polishing will take the crispness off of the original engraving. This is not so bad however, if the customer doesn't see the original engraving. And of course the original engraving is cut through lacquer and will end up tarnishing. That isn't a bad thing, but lacquered over engraving will not tarnish which could be a good thing. Some of the cheaper instruments are plated and that is even worse. You have to know how to plate and/or repair plating, or have a plater around that can put the plating back after you get everything smoothed back out.

Wriggle cutting is the "safe" method and the reason that is the style you see most of the time on instruments, and I would do this style on my lap if I couldn't hold it in my vise or sand bag. Hammer and chisel and pneumatic is what puts up a vibration and will effect your cuts and control, and also the creation of your holding devises.

Clearance of parts and areas, like on trumpets or horns, now that is another problem. You must plan your designs accordingly so you can get your hands into places where your design goes and you must avoid some places altogether.

Now, are you sure you want to do this? HaHa

You can't get experience without doing it however, so I say jump on and good luck. Just think your way through it carefully.

Screw up your nerves a notch or two before begining. HaHa

Good luck!

Ron S

And if you try to engrave through chrome, I will come and visit you in the rubber room.

No,No,No,No No Heehee

Ron S