Annual Pilgramage to GRS Training Center 2013

[take-down]

Thanks all for the replies & photo's on the finger walking point
A very guilty one here, now I have learnt a valuable lesson I will start working on correcting the problem
A big thanks to all & please keep the thread going
Cheers Graham

 

[dlilazteca]

Bravo Amigo muy bien!

Carlos De La O III

 

[leo]

I think he just took us threw the hall class and showed us some new technique for us newbies great work thank you I just got one request since we are all exited now about the class you have to show us your first job when you make it

 

[Lee]

I was thinking about the walking fingers. Gerry, Mike, and Sam all agree on a very important technique for a smooth line. I join their club and have two additional thoughts. In bright cutting sometimes you end the wrist rotation just short of the cut and I find it very difficult to stop and start without a line in the bright cut so occasionally I will let my fingers do the walking. If the line needs to be a bit longer than gentle limited finger walking it's probably best to reset and do your best to pick up the cut. Mike, Sam, and others with much more experience in jewelry than I may have a differing opinion and I defer to them and hope to learn as well. The thing that will help most to ward off the finger-walking disease is to think before the cut and position the wrist for maximum rotation. We often get in a hurry and grab the vise in a very comfortable but less than optimum spot for seeing the full capabilities of that wonderful joint called the wrist. Stopping and starting on guns and knives is not a problem but jewelry and bright cutting is a different animal.

 

[Sam]

Good points about brightcutting, Lee. Stopping in the middle of a brightcut and resuming without that telltale stop-start spot is really difficult. As you pointed out, a good starting position of the wrist allows for maximum vise rotation before you're forced to stop.

The bottom line: If an engraver can walk the fingers and get good results then there's no reason not to do it. For me, I don't have smooth control when I do it so I don't (or rarely) walk my fingers, and have always discouraged my students from doing it.

One more thing I think benefits me is that I keep the knurled aluminum handle in my vise at all times and rotate my vise using it as a handle or extension, and I feel like I get a bit more rotation.

I'm really glad this subject is in discussion as I think it's an important one.

 

[JJ Roberts]

I have a 45lb. LeTourneau engrvers vice not easy to get my hand around that monster unless I had hands like Kong. Have'nt had any problems when engraving with the vice it turn so easy. J.J.