Hi All, I have never liked the quality of available graver
sharpeners. I had a recent Crocker Pattern Sharpener but it was
rather rough and not an impressive tool. ( I had and lost a very old
one that was wonderful!!) I just purchased this tool and can say it
works great and is a peice of art in it’s simplicity and
construction.
It’s the Honing guide made by Richard Kell a chisel sharpening
tool/guide that will hold narrow gravers as well. Here’s a link to a
photo link:
I remember back when I was learning my apprenticeship I used to
spend hours each week just perfecting the “art of graver shaping and
sharpening”. This is an Art? you betcha it is…no easy feat mind
you, but now I am conveying to teach my classmates in my class here in
Toronto how important it is. Nothing advances the diamond setting
trade more than doing ‘without’ these so called labour saving
methods. They do have their own place, but every stone setter should
know the correct way of addressing the graver blade to the bench
grinder. How to transform the basic graver to a precision piece of
steel suitable for absolute clean bright-cutting. Both of these
disciplines are testament to knowing how to set stones. Did I use any
labour saving technique? yes… my eyes, my two hands, and my
brain…after 46 years all are working just fine…when I first
started it took me over 1/2 hour+ to grind a graver, now it takes me
ONLY 5 minutes, start to finish.
Many of my simple techniques have already made many benchworkers
role at their own workplace a much easier task. …Gerry, the
Cyber-Setter!
Many of my simple techniques have already made many benchworkers
role at their own workplace a much easier task.
Hi, Gerry,
Don’t be a tease! Having made this boast, now come through with the
goods! ;>)
Maybe this is a “you gotta be there” kind of situation, but anything
helpful that can be written would be appreciated. I’ve been taught
to sharpen gravers two different ways by two different teachers, but
I still have trouble keeping the angle right-- hence the appeal of a
guide that maintains the angle. Shaping is, to me, less difficult,
unless it’s a case of ignorance is bliss.
Noel I’ve called many things, late for dinner, now a tease…:>) I
did write a whole article in the Bench magazine some time ago…just
on graver sharpening…even! as it is written>> “Thou shalt not use
any other artificial means of shaping gravers”…Gerry:1-3. All
kidding aside folks, if you MUST rely on ‘other’ means to excuse
yourselves in finding the correct angle of the face of the graver.
How can you modify the 45o angle and figure out how to execute
different angles for different purposes. Case in point, my very own
bead raisers has a steeper angle of 33o and the rough- cutting angle
is 45o, right-sided angles is of maybe 25o…can YOUR graving
attachment give you these different angles at a seconds notice??? no
way, eh! …its all in the way of holding your wrist & hand, I
actually hold my fingers and wrist in two separate angles at once,
just to capture the correct angle that is needed. did I mention that
even leaning on one side of the graver blade gives me the much needed
angle to execute the necessary angle for right-sided cutting. In
April, I am to explain in full detail the many methods of graver
angles and how to cut in Chicago with the sponsorship with BENCH
magazine and Q&A’s too. This will be a three demo at a simulated
setting bench. My tools and more, oy vay! HEAR THIS, does anyone want
the copy of this article?..email me with the name in the
subject-line “graver shaping”…Gerry!
For anyone who is interested in hand sharpening their gravers, I
have an article on my website at http://www.watchman.dsl.pipex.com/graver.html on sharpening gravers
for use on a watchmaking lathe. The technique for a jewellery graver
is identical except that you go a stage further and put a couple of
small angles on the back of the graver to ‘lift the point’. The big
difference between hand sharpening and using an ‘appliance’ is time.
When I am working on a watch part, turning hardened and tempered
steel, I have to resharpen the graver every few minutes - if I had to
carefully fit the graver into an appliance and adjust its angle by
trial and error every time, the jobs would take four times as long.
By hand sharpening I can do the job much faster and change the angle
as I want by simply varying the way finger pressure is applied to the
graver as I sharpen it.