About gravers

Jewelry Discussion
41

Okay, so now you know how to engrave metal, so how in heck do you
re-furbish your financial investment in an Onglette? Yes, you must
resurface the metal, or repair the broken point… this is not a
difficult problem. It’s so easy any jeweller of a few years of
experience can do it…you all wanna know how to do it?..So now sit
back and read. If you want my graver-preparation notes/pictures on
this singular topic you can just write to me. This graver process
isn’t hard to do, you must just be darn careful in it’s treatment.

Lets assume that the point of the Onglette is now just “sliding or
scraping” along the metal. This is one indication of a broken
graver point.

To observe the point, look at it through a 10x power loupe. IF you
see a bright and shiny spot right on the point. Well it’s not a point
anymore, you are looking at facet on the graver point… it should
not be there, period!

This could be broken by two or three methods, your face-angle is too
shallow of 45 degrees or more. The second method is that you were
cutting the metal too darn deep and the forward cutting of that
blade got simply worn out. The last thing is that there was some
hidden non-ferrous metal in the gold and oh-oh… broken point! This
can happen to any of us, so don’t feel that it was not your fault…
no one is perfect…got this so far? I use a very cheap long-lasting
Arkansas oil-stone and attempt to sharpen the graver face at
approximately 45 degrees. Please use an oil based semi-liquid to
suspend any metal fragments on the stones surface. IF you don’t, all
of the graver shards of metal and the residue will then get pushed
deeper into the oil-stone. After a few weeks of this, you will
grinding on the metal residue, and not the oil-stone. What kind of
suspension oil do I use?.. Simple, any “10W30” motor-oil, or “3
IN 1” semi-liquid oil…nothing but the cheapest, eh?

Securely grip the graver blade and wooden handle in your hand and
carefully watch for the correct face-angle… remember… *45 degrees
and not anymore, or less. *

Draw the graver across the 3/4 length of the stone… if the stone
is 8 inches in total length, use 6 inches of the stone to correct the
point. Be careful not to allow the oil to mess up your clothing…oil
and t-shirts are not happy campers. This could happen only on the
back-stroke towards you on the graver draw.

After 3-4 draws on the stone, inspect that the point is now
corrected. Now be very careful and make sure that your graver-face is
of equal alignment on either side of the graver. Examine both sides
near the point and align them up equally. Hold the graver at 45
degrees to the oil-stone face and don’t lean the graver towards or
away from you, got this? This is a skilled area to learn. My graver
pictures will identify this “observation” in my notes to you.

Anyone thinks that this is easy, well it could be! Out of 10 on my
difficulty level, graver re-shaping is about a 6>. But once you
observe and learn the methods of fixing your broken point, or
sharpening the graver, it’s then an easier process. Holding the
graver is like doing two things at once. This is a "medium-plus"
skill level.

Reasons for a broken graver point

IF your graver-face is at 60-70 degrees from the 90 degrees
perpendicular, you will break the point so fast you won’t know what
happened. If the graver-face angle is at approx. 30 degrees is almost
like pushing a brick into the metal, nothing is going to happen. You
are going to struggle at every moment and give up in total
frustration. So the "G**olden Mean is to remember the 45 degree
angle rule".

Let’s go over this again, ready? 45 degrees in holding the “graver
to the metal” to be cut, 45 degrees of the graver-face. Same angle to
shaping on the oil-stone (Re: broken point), again holding the same
angle in re-grinding to the graver-face. 45 - 45 - 45 - 45… ad
infinitum.

Gerry Lewy

42

Modification of the Onglette Graver

Now that the proverbial point of the Onglette graver has been
repaired, lets move on. What about this little modification I use 75%
of the time, its the “Right-Sided, Graver” Remember in my last email
essay I told you all about holding the gravers at about a 45 degree
angle and not leaning in any direction. Well, I obscured this part of
the truth to you all…:>) The other 25% is used for only line-cutting
prior to my bright-cutting process. By the way, try not to use a #3
graver, it’s too thick at the lower right side. This tool will remove
too much metal and will act like a shovel, and not give you the
overall desired result.

I use and prefer only a #2 Onglette or sometimes a #1 (thinner)
cutting blade. If you align the graver on the oil-stone of 45 degrees
from the oil stone surface. Then at about an incline of 30 degrees
TOWARDS you, you will notice something happening, and this is for a
definite reason. Try this out and observe that ONE SIDE of the graver
"face" is now thicker and give you a wider cut on the right side,
interesting?..Voila…! Was this easy?

This thicker, right side is the angle you need for this specialized
cutting…Remember; approx. 30 degrees positioned towards you!!!

All of my graver modifications can be used for many different
purposes, you can now EXPERIMENT on your own. All of my setting notes
are quite basic. With these new found notes you will all discover
that graver cutting and handling is not as difficult as it seems.

Just another piece of is that of renewing the steel
finish, I use 4 emery and polishing papers. They are #1 Emery paper,
then a #2 (finer grade) Emery paper. Now for the finishing, is
Polishing paper #2/0 and lastly a #4/0 Polishing paper I am not too
sure of the Norton grading system e.g. #400 grit, etc’s. I then
secure the four papers on 4 wooden sticks that you all can find in
any paint store.

This new skill, is a skill in itself, no one can hand guide you
through the many trials and errors you might come across. But it’s
totally easier to see it done…in person ! To repeat, if any Orchid
members wish to read and get the many pictures of how to hold and use
the 4 finishing papers…just ask me for them.

Gerry Lewy

43 
My point about the spanish gentleman was that he considered what
he is doing to be 'engraving' while I would call it etching.

I was reading earlier today in a book titled “Engraving On Metals”
edited by Paul N. Hasluck, printed by David McKay of Philadelphia,
PA in 1912. It’s available in Google Books. In this book “engraving”
is considered to cover both wet etching processes and dry processes
such as done with a graver/burin which is termed “dry point”. Not
coincidentally, one of the dictionary definitions for engrave is “To
carve, cut, or etch into a block or surface used for printing” (The
American HeritageR Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth
Edition) with no distinction made in what process carves, cuts, or
etches.

We in the US seem to have separated in our minds the wet etching
processes from the dry graver processes. Perhaps the distinction
isn’t so clear in other places.

Mike DeBurgh, GJG
Henderson, NV

44 
I was reading earlier today in a book titled "Engraving On Metals"
edited by Paul N. Hasluck, printed by David McKay of Philadelphia,
PA in 1912. It's available in Google Books. In this book
"engraving" is considered to cover both wet etching processes and
dry processes such as done with a graver/burin which is termed "dry
point".

The book you quote was published in 1912. English is a living
language and meanings change.

When referring to a term we’re generally talking about ‘common
parlance’ not resorting to dictionary definitions. Quoting a
dictionary unless you’re after the etymology is not generally a good
idea.

KPK

45 
In this book "engraving" is considered to cover both wet etching
processes and dry processes such as done with a graver/burin which
is termed "dry point"

The reason is that etching was never to be meant as final stage of
the process. If engraving is to be done in relief, the bulk of the
metal is removed by etching, and graver is used to go over and
refine the details.

Leonid Surpin

46

An example of the use of etching in engraving can be found with this
link (I hope it works!!)

http://handengravingforum.com/showthread.php’t=3572&highlight=etching

It can be seen that some of the lines in the banknote engraving have
been acid etched as have the clouds in the third picture.

Roger

47 
oth wet etching processes and dry processes such as done with a
graver/burin which is termed "dry point".

Dry point is a print making term, not a jewelry one.

Elaine
http://www.CreativeTextureTools.com

48

The original comment was about a Spanish gentleman that considered
etching to be engraving. I intended only to show that at one time
etching was considered to be engraving.

The fact that we in the USA now consider them to be separate
practices does not mean that the entire world consider them so. In
quoting a text from 1912 I sought simply to show that at one time
etching was considered to be a type of engraving, not to speak to
contemporary speech. Quoting a dictionary was an attempt to show how
someone might get the same idea if they happened to look up 'engrave’
in a dictionary.

Apparently my ending sentences didn’t make the above distinctions
clear. Ichi man gomennasai. I suppose I could have gone into
exhaustive and excruciating detail but I chose not to.

Mike DeBurgh, GJG
Henderson, NV