One of my most valuble tools.[a toothpick]

[Billzach]

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Besides engraving from Mar. to Nov. barefooted, one of my most valuable tools for engraving is a flat toothpick, anyone else have something simple, cheap, etc. they use..

 

[D.DOUGLAS]

Hi Billzach, Have you ever used a copper peice of wire tappered down two a point charged with diamond? That works pretty well also.

 

[monk]

brilliant ! i tried the rounds. ugh ! i'll have to try the flats.

 

[Billzach]

Monk
A hand push flat graver [ no heel ] and a flat toothpick with a little practice can work a field out on a coin, knife, gun, etc. super fine.

 

[Dennis Sprague]

Billzach,
I use a toothpick for polishing hard to reach places on jewelery.Just mix a little rouge with either a little mineral oil or if nobody is looking a little salivia.Put the toothpick into your flex shaft and start slow,the toothpick will take the shape of the area you are trying to polish.
Dennis

 

[diandwill]

I use a piece of cotton twine/string, charged with rouge, and one end tied to my bench. I use it to polish sawn out and pierced areas that can't be effectively polished any other way. It is labor intensive.

 

[Billzach]

I use a toothpick as a leverage for my push graver to remove large amounts of metal and also to detail ..Sometimes I turn my gravermax-airtact off and hand push all day.

 

[Kevin P.]

I use a toothpick as a leverage for my push graver to remove large amounts of metal and also to detail ..Sometimes I turn my gravermax-airtact off and hand push all day.

I've often used a toothpick charged with diamond compound or charged with a polishing compound; but your use of a toothpick as leverage for your push graver leaves me mystified. Can you please explain further its use?
Kevin

 

[Mike Fennell]

On larger areas I use a tiny battery-powered drink mixer.
Cut a hollow-plastic-shaft Q-tip in half, jam it onto the mixer shaft, dab on the compound and go.
If the swab is too big, pull of some of the cotton, twist the remainder tight and polish away. I keep some half-dead AA batteries around to use when I need lower RPM.

Over time , this is much easier on the wrist.

Mike Fennell

 

[nomentalgiant]

Billzach,
I use a toothpick for polishing hard to reach places on jewelery.Just mix a little rouge with either a little mineral oil or if nobody is looking a little salivia.Put the toothpick into your flex shaft and start slow,the toothpick will take the shape of the area you are trying to polish.
Dennis

Dennis once showed me a similar technique by using a sucker. After you're done eating it, put the stick in your flex shaft, load it with rouge and go to town. It quickly forms to what ever hard to reach area you are polishing.

 

[Sam]

I think I know what you mean, Bill. You place the toothpick under the graver and use it as a fulcrum, right?

 

[John B.]

There are a ton of useful, cheap things we can use for tools and fixtures.
One of my favorites (and I hear that Martin Strolz also uses it) is a plain brass or plastic curtain ring about 2 inches in diameter.
You use it in conjunction with push engraving or in scraping backgrounds or sculptured work.
Just project the tool over it to contact the work at the angle of attack desired and pull the ring with your other hand.
Using it as a fulcrum point makes it easy to maintain a good even depth cut or scrape with very little chance of slipping.
I’m sure most of you are on to finger nail emery boards, available in many grits.
Just clip them to narrow or special shapes to sand small areas. Great help on working on inlays, sculpture and raised areas without touching the background.
Best.

 

[Billzach]

Sam
You are correct, I think about all coin carvers use a toothpick, flatted copper wire, etc. as a leverage for their graver to get the field level.

 

[Billzach]

John B.
I use the toothpick on the same order, the more I engrave, the more tools I want and usually buy, but I,ve learned that after a person has worked with a hand push flat graver a few years he can turn out eye-candy work..

 

[John B.]

You sure do that, Bill.
Your coins are beautiful.

 

[Kevin P.]

One of my favorites is bamboo, the size (spits?)you get with 'satays' Thai food. I'm a lapidary so I have various diamond compounds that I use to polish stone; and bamboo holds the diamond compounds very well. I use them in a foredom #30 at low speed. After a time the bamboo retains the compound and they don't need recharging very often.

Very important: keep each grit in a separate zip lock to avoid contaminating.
Kevin

 

[gtsport]

Excellent idea, Bill. I've used various fulcrums (fulcra?) for cleaning up coining dies, but not on nickels, will have to try. I have found that some round toothpics will fit in my flex shaft. After stoning a nickel I will use this with the oil/stone dust mix to get those hard to reach areas.

Joe Paonessa

 

[coincutter]

The most valuable tool on my coin bench is a bottle of good single malt scotch. It works better than any other method to lubricate not only the coin, but the graver and the engraver. Removes all vibration from the scope and adds an extra dimension of view of the relative planes of the coin as one's vision doubles thereby giving 4 views of the coin at once. It also removes all sensations of pain in the back and arms, cramps in the legs and feet. In the event of a serious mistake it slows down the thought process which would ultimately lead to throwing the coin across the room thereby allowing one to mull over the potential for recovering from the error or expending the effort to toss an expensive AU buffalo in the trash can. Granted, it is pricey to refill but when you add up all the benefits it is remarkably inexpensive over the long run. Aside from that, it eases the pain of reading the endless posts on engraving forums.

 

[gail.m]

Yessir Steve, I think you make some very good points, however, I prefer a good sour mash.:big grin:
A bit of levity always makes the day seem brighter for sure.
gailm

 

[rod]

Steve,

Quit beating around the bush, and tell us what you really think?

Really enjoyed visiting with you and Dave London last few days, and thanks for driving me down to Colorado Springs to visit my sister, and play the blues with Jazzieannie on clarinet! She was somethin' else, and that Joe King was so good to boogie with on National Guitar.

Don't pour all that good Scotch over the workbench .... save a wee dram for my next visit?

Rod