GRS C-Max onglette and round blanks

[Sam]

This is GREAT stuff, and cheap too! I just received a dozen C-Max 1.8mm round blanks and a dozen special QC holders for them. I also sharpen them in the EasyGraver 105° and 120° fixtures. They're small, comfortable, and I'm doing nearly all of my engraving with them.

You definitely want to order the special QC holders to go with them, as they are made to securely hold these small diameter gravers dead center in the holder. This will make your sharpening life easier, especially if you use the EasyGraver fixtures.

C-Max 1.8mm gravers

 

[fegarex]

A dozen?? That is a lifetime supply the way these things last!!
Seriously... I haven't found anything tougher than C-Max and need to get some of the small ones. I see they also just came out with a few ongletes as well.

 

[Sam]

Yeah, that's more than most people need, but I keep a set for travel and teaching in addition to my home gravers.

I hope they make some flats as well!

 

[Doc Mark]

Sam, have you see any propensity for these thin rods to vibrate when using them for deeper cutting?

 

[Sam]

Sam, have you see any propensity for these thin rods to vibrate when using them for deeper cutting?

Good question, but I've not noticed anything like that in my work, Mark. I've cut steel and stainless steel without anything unusual.

 

[tdelewis]

I know that you can't make c-max gravers dead sharp. I just purchased some but havent used them yet. How do you suggest the heel be sharpened. I took a glensteel graver and made one swipe on a ceramic wheel to see what it would look like. I thought that it took too much off the point. What do you do to make sure these are not dead sharp?

 

[Sam]

I'm not sure what you mean when you say "dead sharp".

Sometimes carbide is tricky to sharpen and needs a bit of lube on the ceramic lap to prevent the edge from getting microscope chipping. I sharpen my carbide and C-Max gravers on both a ceramic lap and a cast iron lap treated with diamond spray, and I get them extremely sharp. The cast iron lap produces the best results of anything I've ever seen or tried.

For high speed steel gravers I use the ceramic lap dry and without diamond spray.

 

[fegarex]

The grain structure of the C-Max is very fine so they actually get much sharper than other gravers. When this happens the point becomes so fine it is brittle.
(I assume this is what you mean?) I put a small micro radius on the bottom of the point which still makes it very sharp but increases the strength 10 fold. For a "hogging" graver I put a bit more than a shading one. To put the radius on I just set the graver at 15 degrees and rotate it to make a small radius on the bottom of the heel. Once I did this to the gravers I find that the point will last darn near forever. On normal gun steel I can engrave many days before I break a point compared to hours with HSS.
Also.. They do need to be polished well when sharpening. This improves the life as well.