depth of cutting

as i said im just getting started and im wondering . the depth of the cut between the scroll work and the design ? How deep? also the cutting after you cut the depth out is to be recut to clean up the outside lines? im useing a flat graver for the depth and a 120 for a recut . Is there a better way? thanks mark c

Hi Mark,
I think what you are calling depth is the background area inside the scroll and between the leaf elements.
A good way to set a normal depth for this is to make a few cuts across these spaces with the same graver and at the same depth as you used to cut the scroll and leaves.
Then you can use the flat to remove the rest of the material down to the same level as the bottom of these control cuts.
You might read and/or download a list of engraving terminology that Roger Bleile has compiled. You will find this a great help in understanding when you ask or are given engraving help.
Brian Marshall gave you some good advice about your profile in another post. There are some excellent engravers in Florida that might be willing to help if they have a little more information about you.
Best of luck on your journey into the engraving world and welcome to the Cafe forum.

Hi Mark

And welcome to the forum.

One of the best things that you could do at the beginning of your engraving career is buy some resin castings of actual engravings.

You can buy them on the www.fega.com web site or http://www.rcoverengraving.com/ You will find that these castings will give you an excellent insight into depth and width of the cuts and backgrounds etc. Photos can only go so far but they are only two dimensional whereas the castings are three dimensional.

Cheers
Andrew

mark c said:

im just getting started and im wondering . the depth of the cut between the scroll work and the design ? How deep?

Click to expand...

I run about a three to one ratio between my narrowest stem width and the depth of the relief. This usually looks about right for me.
My leaves are a lot bigger and I dont include them in the "figuring".
If an average narrow stem is .015 wide, I relieve everything about .005
I don't actually even figure it, it just seems to work out that way when I measured.