Rose and scroll by any other name is...

[Andrew Biggs]

Hi Sam

Keep the pictures coming. It's fabulous to see how all this is evolving.

Your's was the first castings I ever brought from FEGA when I started engraving...............and I've been a huge fan ever since!!!


Cheers
Andrew

 

[Roger Bleile]

Sam W.,

You mentioned starting to like aluminum. I just finished an aluminum floorplate and as usual the heel of my graver kept getting loaded with aluminum residue. I have found this "loading" or "picking up" to be a constant problem with aluminum even when using a kerosene based lube. Do you have the same problem or are there different grades of aluminum as there are with steels?

Thanks,

Roger

 

[SamW]

Roger, there are many alloys of aluminum but I don't really know about them. I am just using sheet that a friend gave me that was left over from a car project. It does like to stick to the tool. I use graverlube from Ngraver and I frequently strop the tool point on the side of the rock Maple block my vise sits on. In 35 years I have wiped away about 1/2" of wood in a 2 to 3 inch area. Should last longer than I ever will.

 

[SamW]

I have more than "a bit more" done so thought I had better follow up on my threat and post another photo of the rosette. I have a little over 60 hours on it to date. Another 15 or 20 and I should be able to finish cutting it out of the sheet.

Since Roger's query above I have tried using Never-Seez as a lube and it works super, especially when trying to burnish the aluminum. NAPA sells a Permatex product called Anti Seeze that works also but has a smell like differential lube whereas the regular Never-Seez that I have does not so I find the Never-Seez nicer to use.

I will have this at the Reno show for those who want a hands-on look. Regards...

 

[Andrew Biggs]

That looks fabulous Sam and I'll look forward to seeing it in Reno

Cheers
Andrew

 

[Tira]

Thanks for showing your progress! I have a question for you. Why do you engrave it and then cut it out? It would seem easier to hold before it's cut from the aluminum plate, but don't you risk hurting the design when you cut it out? Is there another reason to engrave the design first?

 

[SamW]

Tira, it probably could be done either way. But with the aluminum (aluminium for Marcus) being so thin at .032" it seems prudent to leave it intact for the added rigidity until the engraving is done. The cavity that you inlay these into is cut with circle cutters of one type or another and the tolerances need to be very close for the best look so any bending of the aluminum ring is very problematic. You will note the bolt through the center but there is also double sided tape holding the sheet to the hardwood disk. There is an aluminum cylinder screwed, glued and bolted to the back and the inner and outer lines you see were done on a lathe, cutting about 2/3 of the way through. Cutting on the lathe makes it fairly easy to accurately make the ring any diameter and width you need. When ready I will return to the lathe and finish the cuts, heat the metal with a heat gun to loosen the tape and remove the ring for inking and inletting into wood. I also hand file a very slight taper to the edges so the bottom is a few thousandths narrower than the top which facilitates a good tight fit into the cavity. I will also add another sheet of aluminum and start the next rosette. I hope to get the making of the rosette (excluding engraving) down to as little extra time as I can just in case someone actually wants one made for their high dollar custom guitar being made by a real luthier.

 

[Tira]

Thanks for the info Sam! :biggrin:

 

[Mike Fennell]

Wonderful work Sam. Please keep the photos coming.

I liked your comment about taking a pencil in hand and drawing what you see in Simone's scroll work. That is exactly the method I have used to study your work and the work of so many who have posted. The pencil really helps to focus your eye and your mind on what is in front of you.

Unfortunately, we had planes to catch and Simone couldn't lend me the casting for an indeterminate period of time.

Thanks for this excellent thread.

Mike Fennell

 

[SamW]

You are welcome Tira, hope to see your own version one of these days.

Thanks for the comments Mike, and everyone else. This thread has been a real pleasure for me and I hope it will inspire others to try their hand at such studies and items and I would love to see what others will do with the ideas.

 

[SamW]

Here is a closer look at the work showing the stipple shading on the roses and you can see the sculpting and slight differences in the roses.

I talked to Mike and only a few castings have been ordered which surprises me a little because one of the photos (more study) in this thread has been downloaded some 632 times. Hope this many downloads means a lot of you will try your hand at the shape shifting idea.

 

[bronc]

Sam, I am a big fan of your work. Beautiful, elegant, and just extremely pleasing to the eye! Thanks for taking the time to share so much with us.


Stewart

 

[Peter_M]

Sam,

Thank you for posting updates on the scroll. This piece just has me riveted, it is inspiring and frustrating at the same time. Lots of inspiration but sure don't know if I ever get there.

Casting???? Where can you get one? Sure would love to have one to keep tormenting some more

Peter

 

[SamW]

Peter, the castings are available for the 3 scroll study at www.fega.com and as for you "getting there" it is the journey that is fun (thought sometimes frustrating) and important. Keep at it. Set your goals high and enjoy what you reach. I see a lot of work I wish I could do but alas, one lifetime is insufficient.

Thanks Bronc.

 

[Peter_M]

Thank you Sam,

Found the casting and ordered it, will report back when I get it.

I am having a lot of fun even if there are frustrating moments, those keep the mind sharp and trying to figure things out.

I just keep plugging along on my journey and see where it leads me

Peter

 

[Peter_M]

Got my casting today and it sure is a lot more WOW then the pictures.

Thank you for making them available Sam.

Peter

 

[SamW]

You are most welcome and thanks for the report. The first rosette is finished and will be on display in Reno.

 

[SamW]

Mike Bissell sent one of the castings of the scroll study (available at fega.com) so I photographed it to show how well it came out. I have also attached a photo of the first of a set of tuning machines to go with the next rosette I plan. The tuner is bronze which is not the best cutting material and you can be sure that the six uprights that mount the worm gears are in the way of almost every cut. Some of the lines were put in with a scribe using shear will power coupled with the judicious use of brute force...and some discussion for good measure. This first tuner took 60 hours and I don't particularly look forward to the other one. The tuner, the rosette and the scroll study piece are mounted in/on sitka spruce for display in Reno. Hope to see a lot of you there. Regards...

 

[AndrosCreations]

Incredible... Some of the richest scrollwork I've seen. I love it.

 

[Sam]

Sam, those scrolled tuners are bloody fantastic! Some of the nicest scrollwork we'll ever see is on this instrument. You're having fun, aren't you?!