Practice with H&C

Rockingkj

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Sep 11, 2023
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Playing with hammer and chisel. Maybe in a few years will be ready for serious work. A glimpse into what life would be like with an air graver.
 

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papart1

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looks pretty dang good......................................
 

Rockingkj

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Thanks. Started on the left side and decided did not care for the dot background so stopped doing that. By the time got to the right side tool and hammer control had improved a bit.
 

mtlctr

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It’s all about the practice. I’d say you’re on the way. Most regular folks look at the whole panel not individual elements. just about any engraving will reveal flaws if viewed microscopically. Almost an obsession with the use of hipower optics for cutting now imho.
 

JJ Roberts

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I started off with H&C with Meek's book and practiced for two years before I engraved any guns and engraved only gun parts, Rockingki keep up the practice and you'll do well keep us posted. J.J.
 

Rockingkj

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Thanks. Always looking for junk receivers for practice. That’s where this one came from.
 

mtlctr

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Thanks. Always looking for junk receivers for practice. That’s where this one came from.
Be careful. “Junk” receivers that have a serial # are considered guns. Meaning the receiver in your possession should be recorded in a bound book while you do the work & you would need a 0-1 FFL. Grinding off serial # considered a felony. If you engage in the business of engraving guns you will need an FFL and a place of business. Make no mistake, the current atmosphere is not gun freindly. Good luck
 

John B.

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Rockingkj, your cutting looks good, well done.

But you need to study scrollwork a little more.

Scroll depicts a living vine plant.
And it has a stem, like an arm, with width, to carry moisture and nutriments to the developing leaves and buds.
This stem should have width where it originate from the borders.

You have both inner and outer lines of the stem mostly touching each other at the boarders.
This would strangle the vine stem of all nutriments, moisture and growth.

Please look at other good engravers work.

Keep going, best of luck, you are on the right track.
 
Last edited:

Rockingkj

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Be careful. “Junk” receivers that have a serial # are considered guns. Meaning the receiver in your possession should be recorded in a bound book while you do the work & you would need a 0-1 FFL. Grinding off serial # considered a felony. If you engage in the business of engraving guns you will need an FFL and a place of business. Make no mistake, the current atmosphere is not gun freindly. Good luck
I do know about the need for a FFL if doing engraving guns for others. My “practice” receivers will never be for sale. Pretty much scrap when I am done with them. Mainly a way to learn to cut appropriate steel. Copper is like cutting butter, brass can be harder to get a nice cut on than steel.
 

Rockingkj

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Rockingkj, your cutting looks good, well done.

But you need to study scrollwork a little more.

Scroll depicts a living vine plant.
And it has a stem, like an arm, with width, to carry moisture and nutriments to the developing leaves and buds.
This stem should have width where it originate from the borders.

You have both inner and outer lines of the stem mostly touching each other at the boarders.
This would strangle the vine stem of all nutriments, moisture and growth.

Please look at other good engravers work.

Keep going, best of luck, you are on the right track.
Appreciate that tip. I know I’m doing a lot of winging it with the scroll work. More planning is needed but at this point trying to master the tools and learn what works to make a cut I want. Double edged sword, probably developing design habits that will be hard to unlearn.
 

mtlctr

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Appreciate that tip. I know I’m doing a lot of winging it with the scroll work. More planning is needed but at this point trying to master the tools and learn what works to make a cut I want. Double edged sword, probably developing design habits that will be hard to unlearn.
You will find your develop your own style no matter who or what you study.
 

John B.

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You will find your develop your own style no matter who or what you study.
Yes mticr, he will have his own style.

But his style still needs to conform to the basic conformation of scrollwork and nature!
And the Basics includes having a backbone and stem originate with some width.
Like the stem of a growing plant!

But his large scroll to the RIGHT HAND SIDE starts out of the border with NO WIDTH!!
We know Scroll is a stylized vine plant. That is what he is depicting.

The stem, the BACKBONE, needs width and dimension to carry moisture and nutriments to the leaves and buds that it supports, and that grow from it.

Most of his scroll design and cutting are fine.
As a beginner, Rockingkj did a good job.

I just wanted to point out this small error in an effort to help him improve his otherwise good work.
This post is getting way too NEGATIVE for the one small error he made!!!
 

mtlctr

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Appreciate that tip. I know I’m doing a lot of winging it with the scroll work. More planning is needed but at this point trying to master the tools and learn what works to make a cut I want. Double edged sword, probably developing design habits that will be hard to unlearn.
Rockingkj, your cutting looks good, well done.

But you need to study scrollwork a little more.

Scroll depicts a living vine plant.
And it has a stem, like an arm, with width, to carry moisture and nutriments to the developing leaves and buds.
This stem should have width where it originate from the borders.

You have both inner and outer lines of the stem mostly touching each other at the boarders.
This would strangle the vine stem of all nutriments, moisture and growth.

Please look at other good engravers work.

Keep going, best of luck, you are on the right track.
Rockingkj, your cutting looks good, well done.

But you need to study scrollwork a little more.

Scroll depicts a living vine plant.
And it has a stem, like an arm, with width, to carry moisture and nutriments to the developing leaves and buds.
This stem should have width where it originate from the borders.

You have both inner and outer lines of the stem mostly touching each other at the boarders.
This would strangle the vine stem of all nutriments, moisture and growth.

Please look at other good engravers work.

Keep going, best of luck, you are on the right track.
Yes mticr, he will have his own style.

But his style still needs to conform to the basic conformation of scrollwork and nature!
And the Basics includes having a backbone and stem originate with some width.
Like the stem of a growing plant!

But his large scroll to the RIGHT HAND SIDE starts out of the border with NO WIDTH!!
We know Scroll is a stylized vine plant. That is what he is depicting.

The stem, the BACKBONE, needs width and dimension to carry moisture and nutriments to the leaves and buds that it supports, and that grow from it.

Most of his scroll design and cutting are fine.
As a beginner, Rockingkj did a good job.

I just wanted to point out this small error in an effort to help him improve his otherwise good work.
This post is getting way too NEGATIVE for the one small error he made!!!
Wasn’t being negative, opinion on what usually happens. Btw, I’ve got grape & kiwi vines.. Ive studied their habit.. however as I’ve opined before, the average viewer don’t know Jack about proper development of a scroll.. Rockingj will progress & learn what good design should look like. There are several advanced/ master engravers here & abroad if you study their work it follows the ”rules “ however thier designs & cutting can be attributed to the engraver because of their style. Thats what I meant about your own style. It’s the same for just about any form of art.
 

Rockingkj

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Sep 11, 2023
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Well right or wrong just finished this little blackpowder Deringer. Under microscope looks pretty rough but the further away view looks better.
 

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mtlctr

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Looks to me the heel on your graver might be a bit too long. It looks to me like scuff, drag marks on the outside of your scrolls. I smaller heel will help you run those tighter curves. A bit of lube doesn’t hurt either.
 

Rockingkj

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Sep 11, 2023
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Thanks. Also might have been a bit deep on that soft brass. Here is the latest on returning to my practice steel receiver. Despite reviewing graver sharpening, doing it by hand and getting angles right challenging. Thanks for putting up with beginner.
 

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mtlctr

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I’ve hand sharpened 30+ yrs. It’s hand / eye coordination. This takes time & practice. i use those 7/8 / 1” thin diamond wheels to rough out the face angles, use a piece of round stock of proper size to brace graver for the heels. A Lindsay template is inexpensive & useful. Remember everyone was a beginner when they started. The pic is h&c period work on brass.
 

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