How to Help stop Graver Tip Breakage

[DKanger]

The way I dub my tips is to hold the graver pointed straight down toward my finest stone and draw a 'W' about 1/4" high

An old German told me to draw a V about 1/2" high. He called it a VDub, Ja!!

 

[MICHAEL]

I thought I had sharpening and dubbing figured out until I got a microscope. At 25 power you can see the micro chips that occur and cause loss of graver control. I wish I had got a microscope earlier. For anyone starting out with at least a year of engraving under your belt, it's time for a microscope. That is if your aspiring to do the very best work you can do.

 

[Indy Joneds]

Thank you to all those that actually gave advice
Some conflicting ideas and a slight sense of " lets confuse the noob " but a Big Thank you
I have a microscope Michael and I Hope to Put it to good Use , and Dani girl the graver did get hot enough to make a slight " szz " when goin in the water but no disscolouration , i shall add more quenching whilst grinding next time .

2 hours no tip breakage . Thanks only to you lot ! i feel i have created a slight onglette(hope thats right ) and for sure a completely different graver to before regards to how it performs and responds .with the slight curve JJ Roberts mentioned adding but i will make it smaller next grind, the steeper face and mini flat face ,square hammer end with rounded edges , turning of the vice and not the tool ( almost ) and the eliminating vibration have all helped a great deal.

 

[tim halloran]

Indy Joneds: Remember to keep your heels fairly short. If it is too long it will not turn tight corners with out leaving a burr and can stress the tip causing breakage. If it is too short the graver will have a tendency to dive into the material. It takes experience to learn proper sharpening techniques . Also long heeled gravers are good for cutting straight lines. Dubbing the tip is essential when using Carbide tooling. Whichever way you do it by standing the graver up vertically and swiping the tip across a ceramic wheel or just dulling or slightly rounding the belly of the tool will give increased tool life. Also increasing the face angle will help and don't forget to use a lubricant because a lot of soft metals will cold weld themselves to the graver.

 

[monk]

I thought I had sharpening and dubbing figured out until I got a microscope. At 25 power you can see the micro chips that occur and cause loss of graver control. I wish I had got a microscope earlier. For anyone starting out with at least a year of engraving under your belt, it's time for a microscope. That is if your aspiring to do the very best work you can do.

yeah. those sharpened gravers look beautiful. that is till you blow them to the size of a barn door. funny how all that perfection just up and goes away !

 

[Barry Lee Hands]

I break or dull tips every 5 minutes or so, i just resharpen.
Steve Lindsay once told me for his finest shade lines he resharpens for every cut line.

 

[MICHAEL]

I break or dull tips every 5 minutes or so, i just resharpen.
Steve Lindsay once told me for his finest shade lines he resharpens for every cut line.

Boys, there you have it. We better just learn to sharpen our gravers all the time. No wonder my cuts look so bad. I cut way too long before resharpening. Now the trick is finding out how much of the main design I can cut before resharpening? :beatup:

 

[fegarex]

I break or dull tips every 5 minutes or so, i just resharpen.
Steve Lindsay once told me for his finest shade lines he resharpens for every cut line.

Yea Barry but you forget to tell them in that 5 minutes you knock out more work than most engravers do all day!

 

[Christopher Malouf]

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