Back at the block after 25 years

[Nobby]

Hi

I'm hoping this is the right place to introduce myself.
I was taught to engrave by an old friend of mine Dennis Daigle while I lived in New Orleans in the early 80's

I worked for a jewellery company down there churning out gold name necklaces and bracelets which were very popular gifts in NO back then.
Due to the pressure to get the workload out for the Christmas rushes I had to learn fast. I bought all the tools and a block from a store on Canal St and practiced hard.

I left NEw Orleans after 2 1/2 years and returned to England with a hope to set up an engraving business. For one reason or another it never happenned and my tools have lain pretty much dormant for the last 25 years.

I dug the out a couple of weeks ago and have been trying to sharpen my gravers so they cut like they used to but the knack has faded somewhat.
I used to grind, hone and polish them by hand but have now resorted to using a roller honing jig but I'm struggling to get the faces right.

One thing I find is that I get the underside of the graver dragging rouund a deep curved cut and I can't remember how to adjust the sharpening to prevent it, I think its something to do with either the belly angle or the length of the belly, can anyone help me with that?

Also, I used to use wintergreen oil to lubricate the graver but I can't seem to get that here, is there a good alternative?

Thanks in advance

[Dave London]

Welcome to the forum
Well the equipment has advanced light years in the last 25 yrs. However the H&C still works just fine. As to sharping gravers sounds like you are useing a crocker or similar device, they can be hard to keep the angles consistant,but they also work. If you are getting burs or scraping of the cut on curves I would suspect too long a heel. Check the sharping page above for photos:cheers2
Tap majic a cutting fluid works good and you can find the oil of wintergreen on durg stores, at least in the states

[airamp]

Hi,

Welcome to the forum. Sharpening is much easier now with Steve Linsay's Sharpening templates. There are more to come.

The sharpening link above engraving tools-paypal accepted shows you how it works.

here is the link to the many growing templates to pick from.

http://www.handengravetools.com/sharpening.htm

Your problem is why the patent parallel point was designed by Steve.
Your problem and the solution is posted here.

http://www.engravingschool.com/private/LindsayPoint-Intro.htm

Hope to see some of your work soon..

AirAmp

http://www.engravingschool.com/private/images/for-web01.jpg


http://www.engravingschool.com/private/images/for-web04b.jpg

http://www.engravingschool.com/private/images/for-web03b.jpg

[jlseymour]

Welcome, yea you need the Lindsay sharping system...
Jerry

[carl bleile]

Hello and welcome, a good template to start with ( among others ) is the universal, it's the clear one. The fastest way to get to cutting is by useing sharpening templates. Once you get used to the feel of cutting and looking at the way tools are sharpened it will come back to you. Trying to sharpen with out a referance is taking the long way around.
Carl Bleile
southwest, Ohio