My first practise plate

hybridfiat · Mar 19, 2010

Ive been chewing away diligently for several weeks now and finally found a way of getting a drawing onto the steel. So with all it's faults wobbly lines and criss crosses I post my first ever attempt at a scroll. The plate (galvanised washer) is superglued to a block of wood that is superglued to a revolving plate. The graving tool is a GRS System 3 (not the best but cheap) run off a BA set I can cart around. The gravers are Steve Lindsay's carbault 120 degree jobbies and Ive his sharpening system too (very good!). I have a stereo mic coming soon 5x-60x.
Im having a little difficulty at the end of the cut as it sweeps into the point of another, the angle and flick out I cant seem to master. Any hints?
I hope you dont feel Im wasting my/your time because Im keen to improve and I think in a year maybe Ill have a go at a (cheap) rifle. Ive 3 martini cadets with nice flat sides waiting patiently in the safe.
Im an RN on a remote mine in the interior of Western Australia (the outback) and need a portable hobby. Despite having 750 people to fix occasionally it still gets boring. I also make tsuba and amplifiers. A bit eclectic but this place leads to madness of a sort

Cheers
Steve

leroytwohawks · Mar 19, 2010

I'm a newbie myself, but your never wasting your time if your willing to learn. And trust me no one here will feel your wasting theirs ether. Not bad for a first try but I'll let others with more skill critique your scroll.

Just keep at it,
Kevin

P.S. If you have some nice opals from that mine you want to send this way just let me know!!!:big grin:

hybridfiat · Mar 19, 2010

Not even gold here

Nickel and cobalt only Im afraid. Lots of sulphuric acid and H2S gas too :shock:

. Opals are found on the other side of the country a mere 2000kms away.

John B. · Mar 19, 2010

Steve,
I would say a very nice try considering it's your first plate.
Just keep going and every thing will start to fall into place.
At this early stage do some study of scroll from the books and castings that are available at reasonable prices.
You're well on the road with some nice sweeping lines.
Best.

KCSteve · Mar 19, 2010

Yeah - not too bad! :thumbs up:

One of the keys for your intersections is figuring out which line comes first and which way you want to be cutting when you get to the intersection. In a lot of cases you'll need to cut toward both ends of the line - that means you need to start somewhere out in the middle and cut toward one end, then make a nice, clean job of taking the cut back the other way.

Generally when I have to continue a cut (whether it's in the same direction or the opposite one) I start a little before the end (before the cut starts to shallow out) so I can match the rest of the cut. Get it matched and then just keep cutting on past where it ended.

For 'points' I often start the line there so I can make use of that pointy beginning.

hybridfiat · Mar 19, 2010

Thanks all, advise duly recieved and will be acted upon tonight.

monk · Mar 21, 2010

i see some of your tight curves are very well executed. some of your longer ones are very uniform in width, depth, & are quite graceful. you do have the "eye" for a good clean and graceful flow. your only sin will be cured with a bit more practice. for a newbie, i'm awarding an "a" on your report card. very well done. keep on posting. that's what this place is for. i honestly believe everyone here, learns at least a little bit, from every participant.

hybridfiat · Mar 21, 2010

Thanks, Im having some difficulty with shading but I think a microscope will help there as at the moment I cant quite see where the point is accurately enough to get the lines even.
Im getting increasingly more frustrated with the rather industrial nature of the tool I have. Tends to be an all or nothin start regardless of the pressure. Still if I can turn in a respectable result with this Ill have more justification for buying a better tool soon. Tools have a very low WAR (Woman Approval Rating). Higher than the nihonto I collect but way lower than such fripperies like clothes or food.

BES · Mar 21, 2010

The good has Begun!

Hi Steve!

The good has Begun!
It seems to me that when you will cover all surface of a plate with an Ornament, it will be even better to Look, than that with which you have begun!

Good to you of Works!
BES
Eric S. Brezhitsky

joseph engraver · Mar 21, 2010

I suggest that you cut a double parallel border around the outside edge.Then do the same to the center.Make the center into a flower,then reverse your first design and place it in balance then cut it.
Next time you will be better if you think of the entire surface to be engraved and design accordingly.

Good work for a beginner. Have a great day.

hybridfiat · Mar 21, 2010

This [place is great! Thanks for the feedback Ill get to work on a border and marking out a flower.

monk · Mar 22, 2010

hybrid: maybe one problem you have is your tool face angles. they may be too steep. try reducing them a bit to maybe 45 degrees. and also you can grind the top portion of the tool down & back a bit. this may be a visual distraction to you as well. coat the top portion of the tool with flat black magic marker or paint. that can cut down on distracting glare. if your practice plate is too shiney, redirect the angle of your light, and dab some plastlicene clay on the surface. this will help cut the glare a bit.

hybridfiat · Mar 23, 2010

Thanks "monk", when you say tool face angle what do you mean? Im using the Steve Lindsay 120 degree sharpening template. Do you think it too much for a beginner?
I can make a 90 degree template with a bit of playing around. The heel angles are a little fiddly to get right as they cannot follow the same included angle as the V on the face or they over sharpen the point.
Ill get to and do the top of the gravers tonight.

My first practise plate

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