""The Nest"

[tim wolf]

My second project piece. first one was a key tag, this is a moneyclip.(also for practice but more fun than a real practiceplate) I call it the nest. There is some 18kt yellow and pink gold inlay. It was my first inlay ever. Background is removed and stippled.
I seem to have problems with the stippeling, i can't get the same color everywhere... help please.
I made the picture bigger so you can see more details.
Regards from Belgium, Tim Wolf.

 

[Brian Marshall]

Shows a lot of promise... and that complicated patterns don't faze you much!


Brian

 

[Gemsetterchris]

I like that a lot
Stippling problem is most likely due to the tool becoming blunt & therefore you get a different result as you go along.

 

[Beathard]

It could also be due to an uneven background being stippled.

 

[Brian Marshall]

Try stippling from the same direction (close as you can) throughout the piece... for example right to left OR up to down.


B.

 

[Tira]

I agree with Brian about the direction of attack. Sometimes I stipple everything and give it a once over and then at the end I choose an orientation for the piece and hit every stipple area again making sure that the piece is still "right side up." Some of the difference in the color is because the light is reflecting off at different angles. If you "comb" the stipple with a certain orientation in mind it will even everything out and look a bit more uniform.

Gemsetterchris also has a great point. You may want to pick angles for your stipple tool that are easily repeatable in case the tool breaks. That way you can resharpen and have the same tool point eliminating the possible color change too.

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

Nice practice plate,
about the stippling, as already said, the angle of impact, equal power, and being able to sharpen the tool the same way when it becomes dull
It took me a long time being able to stipple nicely so it looks uniform from all points of view

arnaud

 

[tim wolf]

Hmm...i see. my tool is triangle shapend and i try to keep the tool verry sharp so it gives me that dark mattenning.
So the problem seems to be when i sharpen it, it is not always under the same angles.
i'm gonna start over again with a round point so i can sharpen it easier the same way every time...
Maybe Beathard got a point to, i do the background removal with burs(0,2-0,3) and so it could be that it's a little uneven.
next time i use flatgravers.
Thank you for helping me out.
Tim.

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

tim, if you think it is about the uneven way you removed the background using burs, just give it a try stippling on a flat practice plate to find out.
Most of the times when I got trouble stippling uneven, it was because the stippling tool not really had an sharp point, it was more like a screwdriver. And sure that makes a lot of difference.
I now do the sharpening of the stippling tool under the microscope, that is more accurate

arnaud

 

[bram ramon]

Tim for a second practice plate not bad at all!! Some tips for the background try to cut it everywhere at the same depth with nice crisp and clean borders and flat very important! For stippling i just use a carbide round point and i get a very nice deep black no ink no nothing Then for the shading try to give it more contrast more black and when shading try to use curved lines. I don't know where your from in Belgium, but this weekend 22/23 there is a open school at Leon Mignon The school of gun engraving gun smithing here in Liege. I'll be there and can introduce you to the art of metal engraving.

Have a nice day and keep up the good work!

 

[tundratrekers@mtaonline.n]

Good Look Bram !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

michael

 

[tim wolf]

i' ve been practicing on a flat practiceplate and this is what seems to be the problem with my stippling:
The tool was not sharp enough and when sharpend, it did not always had the same shape(seems to be real important!)
my stippling was not always in the same angle and direction and i needed to make smaller circles during stippling. i was to carefull when stippling so i had to use more power on the machine. seems like i did almost everything wrong
i have a dark background now when stippling, so i'm verry happy with that.
i can start to re-stipple my moneyclip now...
Thanks you all!!!
Tim.

 

[tim wolf]

Hi Bram,
I visited the website of leon mignon school. verry intersting school. I wish it was closer to my place but it is a 2,5 hour drive and i'm not gonna do that.For me it is not possible to take day or night classes in that school but i'm looking for some private lessons(a few days maybe a week or so) Do you teach? or do you know a good teacher?
Tim.

 

[silverchip]

Try a tool steel point.Grind it to a needle point and harden it,then snap off the very end.Next temper it to dark straw and quench it.you can grind it to the size you need leaving the end alone. This produces a nice flat matted texture that is even,Good luck!!!!!