Engraving is one of those things about which there is no point
speaking. You can neither explain nor learn with words, what is
happening. It is the most difficult jewelry art to learn, nearly
impossible without a teacher, and takes the most time and practice
to master.
I have to agree. You can learn only so much on any technique from a
book. Maybe if you were in prison and had nothing to do for years and
years, this would be a good way to keep sane (although having sharp
tools may not be warmly embraced by the warden…), but I cannot
imagine that you could ever master this technique in the “Real
World.” I have had many students over the years who boasted that
they were “self taught,” and while they might be fairly competent,
they had also acquired a lot of bad habits and wrong information
along the way. It was often difficult to re-train them, before they
could move ahead. There are a LOT of jewelers out there who mis-use
gravers, or don’t use them because they are “difficult to work
with.” This also applies to most every technique I can think of. For
every self-taught person who is doing it right, there are at least 10
who are doing it almost right or totally wrong. The willingness to be
self-taught, however, shows great desire to learn and real
motivation. These people usually make the best students, and they
soak up like a sponge.
I learned engraving from a master goldsmith almost 30 years ago. I
have a lot of books on engraving, and sometimes I find a snip of
that I didn’t know. But when I sit down next to someone
who really knows how to engrave…WOW! I can learn a lot in just 30
minutes! The belly angle, for example, depends on the size of your
hand, the type of graver, the handle used, and the arc of the line
you are cutting. I could show you how to determine this, but it would
be next to impossible to explain in a book. Whether you want to
learn to engrave, do fabrication, casting, mold cutting, or play
piano, find a GOOD teacher. You will probably also find a mentor in
that person, as well. A lot of my former students keep in touch with
me, and I am always happy to help them with their questions.
Take a five day workshop to start with. Learn how to PROPERLY set
up and sharpen your tools. Get an engraving ball, a couple of
gravers, a sharpening stone and some polishing papers, and practice,
practice, practice, practice until your hands hurt. Then take another
class. Even if you took the same class twice, you will learn things
that your “beginners mind” missed.
The price of one good class is worth more than the price of 100
good books.
Doug
Douglas Zaruba
33 N. Market St.
Frederick, MD
@Douglas_Zaruba