Hey Tira, is that a power dot punch???

[dave gibson]

I was looking at some photos of the Martin guitar engraved by Tira Mitchell, just beautiful. One thing that caught my eye from the start was the precision dot punched background. My thought was " that had to take longer than cutting all the linework". Then I watched the accompanying video and that background wasn't hammered in like I thought (was it?) It appeared to be mechanically powered. I've never seen anything like that in my limited experience. Was it something as simple as a dot punch fit to a power graver system and where can I get some for my system?

 

[mdengraver]

Dave with a last name like yours you should have a Gibson guitar, not a Martin. What gives?

 

[dave gibson]

OK, I got Gibson,Epiphone, National, 2 Fenders,Dobro, Johnson, and a Sho-Bud and my middle name is Martin..... but what I don't get is 123 people on this forum read my question and nobody has an answer.

 

[mdengraver]

Dave I answered you the best I could!

 

[dave gibson]

Oh Yeah, thanks mdengraver

 

[GTJC460]

I don't know the specific video you mention, but a dot punch background is a fairly common background treatment in the gun and jewelry engraving business. it's fairly easy to do.

Just buy some jewelers beading tools. These are steel rods that have a cone shaped end. The tip has a recessed dimple. They are used to form the setting beads in bead and bright cut gem setting. They come in a variety of sizes from as small as .2mm up to about 1.5mm. Most of the beading tools sold through jewelers tools supply companies are not that great. They wear out pretty quickly. So depending on the metal you are working with, it pays to find the right tool for the job. The ones sold by ngraver are the best and last the longest.

To form the dots, you can either put it in a pneumatic assist graver or use a chasing hammer. If you go the hammer route, it's better to give one sharply struck blow than tippy tapping at it.

 

[mdengraver]

They also sell a beading block which allows you to restore the beading punches as they start to wear.

 

[Roger B]

Dave,

I also have not seen the video to which you refer but as a guess Tira may have used an En-Set tool which is able to be configured to do one strike at a time - similar to hammering dots individually. I could be wrong.

As to the other matter - as you addressed the thread to Tira perhaps the other hundred plus viewers of the question didn't feel qualified to answer on her behalf.

Roger

 

[monk]

i saw the video she produced. i'd bet my last dollar it was an en-set tool, sold by chris decamillis. my understanding of this tool-- it will produce one impact-at-a-time. if you set it to do this. the tool in her hand, at least to me, was not too clearly seen. what of that, though ?? a great presentation she did.

 

[Cloudy]

Yes, she used the Enset machine- I've done the same thing with mine-really does work much better than a hammer and one blow at a time!

 

[JJ Roberts]

beading tools

I like Ngraver's beading tools with a hammer,it take a little more time whats the rush.If the dots over lap they look terrible,take your time and get it right. J.J.

 

[dave gibson]

Tira's video can be seen on the ARTICLES page, HAND ENGRAVING CATEGORIES, ( musical instruments).
Well I doubt that I'll be buying a new power graver system specifically for punching background dots.
Has anybody ever tried retro-fitting N-Graver punches into a GRS or Lindsay?

 

[fegarex]

The Ngraver punch is the same diameter as a QC holder for the GRS. I just put the punch in and hold them in with my fingertip to keep them from dropping out. Works fine for me.

 

[mrthe]

Dave i use common swiss beading tools for jewelry (the ones used for stone setting,i had bought a set of 15 punches each of a different size dot, for 20$ ) in my Palm Control and work great too, i use its in my Chisel handle holder and work well too to make this type of texture or backgrounds.

 

[Christian DeCamillis]

Don't waste your time or money buying one of those beading tool plates. They don't work on today's beading tools. The beading tools today are hardened and can't be annealed like in the old days. They are probably air hardening steel.
Even though the beading tool plates are hardened , they won't touch the beading tool as far as reforming the beading tools are just too hard.

Yes Tira is using the Enset in that video but you can use a beading tool in any of the systems and make dot punch backgrounds.

Here is a link to a video I did a while ago showing how you can reshape or resharpen your beading tools. http://www.engraversstudio.com/apps/videos/videos/show/11840194-sharpening-your-beading-tools

Chris

 

[mdengraver]

Christian,

That's awesome! Thanks for sharing tutorial video.

 

[Andrew Biggs]

Another name for this is a "pearl" background. Sounds better and more exotic than a beaded background

The punches will last a very long time in gold, silver etc, but they take a real battering on steel so you end up going through a few. You can recycle the old punches into other tools very nicely so don't throw them away.

And they work with a chasing hammer one blow at a time. When working under a microscope you may want to shorten them slightly so the hammer doesn't tap the scope.

Be careful using them as well. Around the edges of the engraving you want to angle the punch slightly away from the edge. If you don't, you can end up with a raised edge on the engraving as the metal is displaced.

Cheers
Andrew

 

[atexascowboy2011]

As to annealability of the beading tools, yes they CAN be annealed, then rehardened, allowing them to be cleaned up/ reformed with the beading block.

 

[RT Bit and Spur]

I have used a nail set. How does that compare to the beading tools?
Rod

 

[atexascowboy2011]

Rod
The nail sets are roughly 3-4 times the diameter, I'm guessing. Various sizes depending on the cavity size/look you want. Ex- .5 mm-1.5 mm beading tool vs. 3mm-4 mm nail set.
Jeff