Andrew Biggs
Moderator
While I was demonstrating at the BaselWorld show I discovered something that may be of use to fellow engravers. I’m not pretending to have invented it, just discovered it for myself. Some of you may be using it already.
That is a micro flat for cutting very small block (sans serif) lettering. Now when I say small, I mean 1mm and less. It can also be used for larger if desired.
The problem with small regular flats is that they tear the edges out of small lettering. You can shape your gravers by cutting out the back of the heel, etc etc. But the problem with that is that it is a lot of mucking around with hit and miss results. Having a steep heel also worked occasionally.
I had to cut some lettering and the cap height was 1mm so the lower case was a lot less than that.
Anyway, to get to the point of all this………….The micro flat is shaped up with a GRS 120 EasyGraver parallel heel fixture on a 1.8mm round C-Max carbide graver. Shape the graver as normal. Then stick it in a dual angle fixture set at 15 degrees and put a small flat on the bottom. Make the flat slightly smaller than the required width needed for the cut because you also have the angled edges that will be cutting. You can also cut quite deep with this configuration.
This makes for a very strong cutting face and since coming home I’ve used this on stainless steel watches and it works perfectly for sans serif block letters. Best of all, no drag ripping out the sides of the lettering.
I’m now thinking it may be very useful for inlaying thin gold wire that has tight turns. Something I’ll be trying soon.
I have tried it on a regular 120 heeled graver and it doesn’t work the same as tearing the edges is still a problem.
Give it a try and see what you think. For me it is now my “go to” micro flat graver.
Cheers
Andrew
That is a micro flat for cutting very small block (sans serif) lettering. Now when I say small, I mean 1mm and less. It can also be used for larger if desired.
The problem with small regular flats is that they tear the edges out of small lettering. You can shape your gravers by cutting out the back of the heel, etc etc. But the problem with that is that it is a lot of mucking around with hit and miss results. Having a steep heel also worked occasionally.
I had to cut some lettering and the cap height was 1mm so the lower case was a lot less than that.
Anyway, to get to the point of all this………….The micro flat is shaped up with a GRS 120 EasyGraver parallel heel fixture on a 1.8mm round C-Max carbide graver. Shape the graver as normal. Then stick it in a dual angle fixture set at 15 degrees and put a small flat on the bottom. Make the flat slightly smaller than the required width needed for the cut because you also have the angled edges that will be cutting. You can also cut quite deep with this configuration.
This makes for a very strong cutting face and since coming home I’ve used this on stainless steel watches and it works perfectly for sans serif block letters. Best of all, no drag ripping out the sides of the lettering.
I’m now thinking it may be very useful for inlaying thin gold wire that has tight turns. Something I’ll be trying soon.
I have tried it on a regular 120 heeled graver and it doesn’t work the same as tearing the edges is still a problem.
Give it a try and see what you think. For me it is now my “go to” micro flat graver.
Cheers
Andrew
