Sharpening services?

[Newton Pens]

Hi everybody,
Is there anybody out there who would take my gravers and put a really nice point on them? I don't mean for free of course.

I'm primarily cutting into acrylics (fountain pens).

Thanks!

(shoot - I hope this is the right place for this post)

 

[Sam]

Newton: get yourself an adjustable sharpening fixture like the GRS Dual Angle. Fixed geometry fixtures are also good, but with the materials you're working with I think the flexibility to change face and heel angles would be a benefit. A fixture and a common whetstone is all you need to sharpen your gravers, and I have instructions on iGraver.com

 

[Newton Pens]

https://www.gesswein.com/p-11029-gr...?cpagenum=&sortfield=&sortdirection=&perpage=

This? Do I need a stand?

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

A story was told in the Cafe that if you put your gravers in a potato at the end of the day, they will be sharpened in the morning. :biggrin:

arnaud

 

[Southtexas]

https://www.gesswein.com/p-11029-gr...?cpagenum=&sortfield=&sortdirection=&perpage=

This? Do I need a stand?

Yes you need the stand. Instructions for it's use are at http://www.grstools.com/PDF/LIT-181_DualAngleSharp.pdf

 

[Newton Pens]

Okay - in all my googly searching last night I found these plastic "templates" for cutting certain angles. I found one setup that comes with a stone, handle, sharpened point, and a choice of templates for about the same as the grs thing.
What are pros and cons of each?
I've read in old posts that some people find the grs thing difficult to setup. Why? It looks straightforward enough, and with the instructions on igraver, pretty much idiot proof.

Or...?

 

[simone-cervellati]

Lindsay only let you sharpen a certain geometry for each template, but they are quick and reliable, GRS lets you sharpen every geometry but you need to put some more thoughts into it, I have wasted a couple of points and heels myself and had to go back and do it all again..

and I would not discard the potato Idea just now, but strangely the potato trick only works if somebody is around to teach you how to sharpen.. who knows why..

 

[Newton Pens]

grs sounds better in that respect then. Thanks!

 

[Sam]

As I said, fixed geometry sharpening fixtures (Lindsay templates, GRS EasyGraver) are fast and easy, but they are designed for metal engraving graver geometries. That might be ok, but it's quite possible that different heel and face angles will be more suitable for the object shape and material you're working in. I think you'd be better off with an adjustable fixture so you can fine tune gravers for what you're doing. That's just my 2-cents. I also have a video in the Tips Archive that shows you how to hand sharpen. Give it a try.

As for difficulty in setup...it might be confusing at first to some people, but adjustable fixtures are quite easy to use.

 

[monk]

look in the tips section, and the pages available here. you'll find your fears or hesitations are a bit unfounded. i'm not trashing grs or lindsay-- both are great-but what you need to do can be done with almost nothing in the way of purchasing additional equipment. btw the potato "trick" isn't really a trick at all. potatoes are nearly pure starch. starch chemically converts to sugar. lots of carbon in the sugar "carbonizes"
the tiny point assuring sharpness.

 

[Newton Pens]

I just got back my two sharpened gravers from an awesome cafe member - and all I can say is WOW what an amazing difference! I'm going to order the GRS adjustable sharpener, a couple of good stones, some more gravers (for fun) and some handles.

Holy cow what a difference!

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

Not a bad idea after all letting someone who can sharpen your graver to show you how it might look and feel

arnaud