Question: Stippling with gravermeister

[Beladran]

I got to be doing something wrong. When I'm doing background work I have the machine set to 1200spm(max) and have at it. My problem is I can do a area about one square inch an my hand feels like ants crawling all over it from the impacts from the handpeice. I think I even rattled a filling loose! Do I need less go peddle or change my strokes?

 

[Haraga.com]

Maybe, yes and no.

 

[metalchipper]

I would say---hang it up!
Drop a cord down over your vice, hang a thick rubber band on the end, pass your air line through it, put a small paper-wing-type clamp on the air inline and adjust so it floats above your vice. That takes the stress of your hands. Put wire shrink-wrap a little back from the tip for your fingers to hang on to.
Hope that helps.

 

[Beladran]

Thanks for the advice! Don't know how many of yal have experience with old gravermeister's but this thing is a beast stippling. It's like a miniature jack hammer!

 

[Marrinan]

30 years here. The size of the point makes a lot of difference. Also the taper you use at the point. Faster speed will give you a different effect as well. Fred

 

[SamW]

Beladran, what handpiece are you using?

 

[Beladran]

It's the "standard" from what I can tell

 

[Chujybear]

White hand to fallers. Can be bad.

 

[Haraga.com]

Make sure that you push as hard as you can on the foot pedal. Don't back off at all. If in doubt then push harder.

 

[Sam]

The original old gravermeister handpieces are huge beasts. Investing in a smaller modern handpiece for your machine would be a good idea if you don't plan to upgrade to a gravermach or gravermax.

 

[SamW]

I used the LT handle for many years. That one was shaped like a long somewhat thin cigar. For stippling I held it like a pencil and don't recall any hand problems. As I got older it did get a bit hard on my fingers when cutting harder metals. A palm handle type handpiece cured that and I still hold the tool like a pencil for stippling with no hand problems.

Like Marrinan, I used the 'meister for 30 years and it served me well.

 

[Beladran]

mine is the one above the light.. its almost big around as a quarter and about 6-7 inchs long.. I might also add this sucker gets kinda warm if im engraving longer than a hour or so.

i called grs about getting a new handpiece for it but because its the slow model i would have to get the upgrade or the new unit wouldnt work right.

 

[monk]

i use "the old beast" as our landlord calls it. not a problem for my hand, though. are you holding the tool in a comfortable hold, or using a "death grip" to hold onto it ? your grip on any tool should be as comfy as possible to avoid wrist and finger fatigue. when totally new to this game, i'd have such a heavy grip on the graver handle, after a few hours, i'd have to pry my fingers from around the wood graver handle.

 

[guzzi]

Call GRS and ask for the slip-on foam overlay that is used on the System 3, the outer diameter of the old LT handpiece is close to the System 3. Don't remember the cost but it is a cheap solution to your discomfort. jb