I used to actually sort of enjoying get new gravers and shaping them and fine tuning them but so many are so close to shaped when you get them I site GRS…but anyway still need some refining. Other than the big grinding wheel patience and past experience any tips for speeding up the process…how many pre-scribe the shape they’re going for…a tip an old timer back when bead set brite cut was an art…along with wintergreen oil which I know some folks still use. With so many waxes milled or grown with the beads raised the art and it was an art of bead set bright cuting is going to be lost. I guess thats not the end of the world but its kind of sad. Regardless how much faster it is the look of the old guys work is nothing close to what we see today.
Hi ”Paulsworld!”
I find that you’ve hit on my most favourite topic in Diamond Setting, it’s gravers!
Let me first tell you is to go to my setting blog. There are ONLY 128 essays just on this topic.
Please, please go to the blog-address! Gerrysdiamondsettingessays.blogspot.com Once there, there are umpteen pages and photographs for you all at $n/c!
Here are my Bright-Cutting processes that I’ve been working on only today!
This is an ultra close-up of my Bright-Cutting, with no power machine cutting!
This is showing you a sliver of silver-metal in the early stages of the metal-cutting!
In the early stages of cutting circles, I’m showing the #40 Flat, or #10 Glardon!
I’m refusing in using C.A.D. as the answer to avoid both the ”Flat & Onglete” gravers!
This is definitely ’an artform’.
This technique that can elevate you from being a ”prong-pusher”, to being able to perform almost the most impossible cuts!
The most important training is to create shape that piece of steel into a Bright-Cutting tool.
Here is my new Flat-graver, that will create much wider cuts than being shown!
From a rudimentary piece of steel, you can perform the most “artist creation“ in the metal of your choice.
All it takes is experience and 10-15 years of repetition in using your graver. I’ve been at this art-form for only 60+ years and with no signs of slowing down…
Gerry Lewy, on my iPhone