Question: suggestion for affordable alternative to engravers block?

[rosin.nicholas]

hello all,
i was hoping anyone had a suggestion for a more affordable device to hold work rather than an engravers block. i want to make the investment soon but, i currently hold the block of wood and rely on my hand to keep the piece steady. I hand push engrave and am looking for something that provides enough weight on the receiving end
anything will help!
Thanks
.nicholas

 

[Southtexas]

http://www.harborfreight.com/6-inch-wood-lathe-chuck-with-key-31223.html
use one of these laid flat on the bench, your chunk of wood held in the jaws. You can move 'up' later.

 

[Terrezar]

Okay, this is a simplyfied kind of an old block I know that some Norwegian engravers has been using. At first: Take a plastic bowl and fill it with junk to give it weight (bits of steel, lead, a brick, whatever) then fill the entire bowl with plaster. Before the plaster dries you fit a metal plate on top of the bowl. The plate needs to have several small holes in it, an through these holse you put small nailes. They should be long enough to stay firm in the plaster, and they only has to go about half a centimeter ower the metal plate. Dont let there be more than 2 cm between each nail.

Use Thermo-lock to fit whatever it is you want to engrave on top of the bowl. http://www.grstools.com/workholding/thermo-loc/thermo-loc-sticks.html

Place the bowl in a doughnut shaped thing, and make sure it runs smootly. Also make sure that the bowl is not to big for your hand.

Use a hairdryer, or a heatgun to heat the thermo-lock and then remove or add the things you want to engrave. If this is done well it should produce a somewhat usefull block.

A good idea is to make a few gooves in the nailes to make sure they stay firm in the plaster. And if you are engraving deep in the metal you may need a higher dencety of nails.

Good luck.

 

[Brian Marshall]

Take a look at pitch bowls too...


Brian

 

[monk]

you can cut an old bowling ball in half or about in half. smooth out the top and drill holes as needed, where needed. a vice of suitable size can then be affixed to the top, vice could be removed when needed to allow other things to be attached.to this day, i still have mine and use it for large plates and similar. btw the bot 2 were sent by forum members quite some time ago.

 

[dlilazteca]

Wow, monk thanks for sharing!

Carlos De La O III

 

[monk]

sharing is what this place is all about. the fotos show stuff that's far from desirable, but will do the job for those in need. i recall those days. most of us have been blessed with them. having worked with such, one can really appreciate working with better equipment.

 

[dlilazteca]

Speaking of sharing JJ just mailed me some reading material haven't opened it, better get to it

Thanks JJ

Carlos De La O III

 

[John P. Anderson]

A rotating stool or chair with a heavy top of some sort. Or a post in the ground ( I call them a JJ Post in honor of JJ Roberts) or on a base you can walk around and carve..

John

 

[LGB]

This is a base for a rotating tool which can be used for engraving or for stock checkering. John Barracough posted a tip on making this tool after he seen my design in TSJC summer engraving classes. The write up has the dimensions in the Tip Archives section written up 5 yrs or more. I have several tools available in the PDF format for anyone who would like to have this info. I need an email address and will send these out as an attachment. Rvgunsmith@hotmail.com

Les Brooks

 

[wippin' boy]

http://www.craftsmanspace.com/free-projects/engraving-vice-plan.html

free detailed version of bowling ball vise
substitute half a shotput and an e-bay toolmakers vise for a smaller heavier version

 

[bildio]

One for sale here.

http://www.engravingforum.com/showthread.php?t=10361

 

[rosin.nicholas]

thank you so much , this officially the best place ever.
amazing ideas and it seems there are endless possibilities. just shows how crafty we are haha
.nicholas

 

[JJ Roberts]

Making Do

Here is a picture of me back in the day at a
Connecticut gun show. In the background is my 1st vise made from a bowling ball found at a yard sale for $1.00 topped with a machinest vise found at a flea market for $3.00. I engraved quite a few guns on this makeshift contrapsion. The 2nd picture is a jeweler's vise mounted to a duck pin bowling ball.
JJ

 

[LGB]

This was made for my stock checkering cradle to rotate and change ends. I just added a drill press vise to the top section and had a good rotating head for practice on engraving. A flat top can be welded to the top of the shaft and use hot melt glue to hold the work piece. This is 2 old boat trailer bearing and the square is 2 X 2 inches. Cost to make one of these units is probably around $30. More info if you need the dimenions.

 

[Big-Un]

The bowling ball with a machinist's vise pictured is what I started with almost thirty years ago. Worked well and I sometimes want it back. Make your own, as I'm sure you know someone that quit bowling.

 

[monk]

jj, you get the prize for prettiest bowlingball vise. mine's just an ugly black, with no fancy swirls.

 

[golden forge]

This is the first one I made years ago before I got my first ball vise, I believe it's similar to what Terrezar described. The bottom is cement with added weights, a couple of floor flanges, and some pipe. It was quite cheep to make, and got me started until I could afford a good vice.

 

[JJ Roberts]

monk,That bowling ball vise with the swirls is new and is a duck pin bowling ball and that's a jewelers vise on top.This is the second one I made the first one I lent to a student and she would'nt return it,that will never happen again.:no: J.J.

 

[dlilazteca]

This is the first one I made years ago before I got my first ball vise, I believe it's similar to what Terrezar described. The bottom is cement with added weights, a couple of floor flanges, and some pipe. It was quite cheep to make, and got me started until I could afford a good vice.

How that turntable turn out? I've heard great things about it! And the price is great!

Carlos De La O III