He also makes one of the most popular pneumatic hand engravers out there, the machining wonder I spoke of. these range from a sharpened file to small hand chisels (jeweler gravers) to small pneumatic tools that are machining wonders in and of themselves (check out Steve Lindsays web-site for beautiful engraving complete with videos to actually see his engraving tool in action. However as an artist you might be more inclind to look at the hand engravers that a jeweler or firearms engraver might use. I thought about one of the machines you fellas speak of, and if you search under scott, green, new hermes, or roland and probably a couple I don't even know of, you'll find them on E-bay. Copper, on the other hand, is just like engraving silver.I kind of got the engraving bug a year or so ago.
Both brass and steel are hard to start with and the cuts get wierd and uneven. They both offers some of the best tools on the marked.Īlso, beeing as you are starting with palmpush I would advice you to start off by engraving flat plates of copper. When it comes to the graver itself it doesn't realy matter much what you use, but if you are planning on starting with air-assist later you may want to use a system that allows you to use the same gravers with the palmpush as with air-assist. Instead of a powerhone you can try reading this and starting from that. This fixture is worth every penny, and can be used to sharpen every kind of graver there is. A power hone is not essential, but something to make sure the graver gets the rightgeometry is. I will however give you the following advice: I am not saying that the air assist is a bad idea, but it will not kill you to wait with it. A friend of mine has got an air assisted graver, and he does most of his work without it. When I wanted to start engraving I was told to learn to walk bofore I tried to run. Read the tips section there is a list for tools there
If you look at the GRS website their new class schedule is up, and I have yet to see a class for push gravers, not to say it has never or will never happen. Then with his guidance It all comes together, well at least some of the time.hahaha. He as taken me under his wing (pun) and really helped place together what I have learned form READING and watching dvds. Now I know I would not be where I am today with out Gerry. I almost forgot for the non air assisted route, you will need more guidance from someone with experience, as this art form in my opinion takes longer to master more variables to control. Like I said before your end goal is what should guide you. There is not clear answer for what you ask, you can buy the set and then realize very quickly that you want to do more but cant because of the tools, then there you are buying more, usually buying the tools you should have bought in the first place, or maybe you'll be happy working with the tools you have and never pick up air assisted tools. Your best friend will be this site, read many have had the same questions and have been answered. Buy for that and you not only save money in the long run on tools, but you will cut your learning curve by many, many years. In my opinion dont buy for the now, buy for the future, what are your end goals. Lo barato sale caro, old saying "when you buy something cheap it turns out to be really expensive" Now there is also hammer can chisel work, then you jump to the powered tools. Use the search button read, read and then when your tired read some more. Im sure there other cheaper metals but I dont think there are many options to pick from. Search youtube you will see you must work with really soft metals, silver, gold. When it comes to push gravers, in my time on this site I have not seen much activity concerning that style of engraving.
Would this be a good starting point? Is it too much? Should I just buy a square graver and start adding tools one by one? I was hoping someone could take a quick look and give me their thoughts on these tools. I know this is probably going against the grain, but I have some experience sharpening knives from doing woodcarving previously, so I'm hoping I'll be able to get by doing it by hand until I can afford a powerhone. I also plan on making a bowling ball vice. I actually don't plan on engraving anything of value at all for quite a while (ha), just maybe some brass or steel plates. I don't plan on engraving anything large to start with. I found this set on Rio Grande, Engraving and Texturing Kit and I thought that might be a good set to start with. Since I'm just beginning, I know I don't need a lot of different tools. I know it's a little more difficult, but I was thinking of trying it out by hand anyway before I start laying out big bucks. I don't have the kind of budget to buy a graversmith or anything, yet. I am interested in getting involved in engraving.