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Old 09-20-2008, 04:12 PM
kguns kguns is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 140
Default Re: Kurt Horvath ( Kguns ) Tutorial #2

Now that the first contest is officially over and the winners decided, I’ll get started.

A great effort by all!

If we keep doing things like this the fact that we are geographically separated won’t be much of an issue in our ability to help each other. In Belgium and Italy I know first hand if you are stumped all you have to do is go to the bar and talk to the other engravers or have lunch together. They all more or less within a short distance of each other. The Internet is shrinking that problem down to being irrelevant……………………………………

I’ll start out with a re-post from my first submission just to get the basics out of the way.

Here's a photo of the essentials for a layout. Clay from Walmart. Blackboard Chalk. This will last for years, Take a piece and rub it on a coarse file into a little tin container to make a fine powder. Just dab your finger in it and dab on to the metal, after rolling the clay over the surface you want to draw on. The clay leaves a slightly greasy surface that the chalk sticks to. A good mechanical pencil, I like Pentel 0.05 some fine sandpaper to sharpen the lead. Transfer paper from Tandy Leather Co. and your model to work from



Tandy http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/products.asp

Stock Number 3500-10

Tracing Film 10 yds x 20" 1 roll $24.99

There is a smaller size I think its 1yrd x 20" for about $3.00 bucks plus shipping and tax.

I will add photos to the text below ASAP

You can draw on either side of this type tracing paper. Which is helpful in transferring your design to either side if the receiver, or if you have a figure that needs to be facing the other direction. It has a resilience that I have only found in this product. It's more plastic than paper.

This is really basic, It's only used to rough in a design, you will have to go back over the transfer with a pencil to correct and enhance the design, then scribe onto the surface to be engraved. The above photos show this progression.

Get your subject ready to trace. It can be a picture from any source, or a tracing of the pattern just cut from the opposite side of the gun for example.

Once the pattern has been drawn on the tracing paper you must then apply the modeling clay to the surface of the metal by balling up a piece of clay and rolling all over the metal surface. Make this rolling motion as even as possible. A nice even film, it will be thin and somewhat sticky/greasy. If you have clumps of clay on the surface you didn't do it correctly. This is what the chalk sticks to.

Apply the chalk by dabbing your finger in to the powdered chalk and dab it onto the greasy surface. With a little practice you will achieve an even white film on the metal surface.

Fix the tracing paper to the metal by using tape to hold it in place.

If possible use tape to hold down the tracing paper in every operation, it will help to keep you from realigning the tracing paper every time you stop drawing for whatever reason.

Try not to slide the paper on the surface with a lot of pressure. It will leave phantom marks and or lines on your powdered surface. These marks are easily fixed buy reapplying the chalk by the finger dabbling method.

This is one of the best attributes of this system. Once your design has been applied to the surface you can reapply some chalk easily to fix any design errors. Your original design will still be lightly visible under the newly powdered surface, for a good reference point to adjust your design.

Once you have positioned your pattern on the surface take a dry point or scribe and lightly trace your design on the tracing paper, which will leave a light line on the powdered surface. With some practice you can leave very heavy lines on the powdered surface. Too much pressure you can scribe the metal surface.

Another very helpful technic is to use your scribe to leave a trail of dots in place of the lines on the metal. Afterward you can connect the dots with the scribe of if your careful and the dots are visible, rub a little pencil dust with a drop of oil into the dots and you'll see them clearly, then you can cut the pattern. Katherine Plumbers tutorial has a beautiful example of the dot layout technic. A picture is worth 1000 words. Thanks Katherine, looking good

A word of caution this is usually a one shot application. If you are sure of your placement, size of the figure, in general this is where the subject is going to be placed, then this technic will save time because it is almost permanent. There is no chance of the figure being smudged, which will happen no matter how careful you are, but with practice you'll learn not to drag your hands, fingers, wrists, etc., across the newly laid out surface

It may seem to be a fragile surface to draw upon but it is very versatile and forgiving.

Once you have your final layout, use the scribe to lightly scratch the design into the metal. As you are doing this operation it give you another opportunity to correct the design.

Of course the final correction is when you are cutting the pattern.

Kurt

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Kurt Horvath