Julia.J
Member
Hey, thanks Mitch! It's good to be back- the pug is waiting very patiently for its turn, apparently it's one of those projects that'll take a lifetime to get done...it grows an extra hair or two every once in a while though 
Diary of a Novice
- Thread starter Julia.J
- Start date
Chujybear
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Oh, that makes sense! Have thought it would be easier for a beginner to start of engraving soft materials so had gathered copper/brass plates for the task, since I'm aiming to cut silver (which I'd most likely cut in half for it being super soft). It didn't cross my mind that it could be just too soft. Good thing is that the mild steel is easier to come by, so I'll add some to the growing scrap metal pile
Thank you!
:caution: C&c is most welcome, feel free to tear everything apart that you see here.
Cheers,
Julia
do stick with practicing on copper... no sense in learning on steel, the relearning for nonferrous metals
Julia.J
Member
Spring is coming!
Chujybear: collecting copper now for casting bronze too, so nothing goes to waste- if a practice plate goes so awfully wrong, that it would most likely be the cause to our extinction, I can simply melt it without any trace it ever existed...which is nice.
Ah, so the spring is around the corner and soon the short, but much waited summer follows. And especially the summer sales is something to look forward to. I'm busy making new wax models and here's the newest creature that popped into the world few weeks ago. This is a design I plan to recreate for engraving. It's a running rabbit pendant, which will hopefully have a bracelet and earrings to make a full set at the end of next month. This one is made of bronze, silvery rabbits are still in a very rough state.
My plan is to use only the rabbit as it is now and then make a flat blank for engraving the leaves and the vines/branches.
~Julia
Chujybear: collecting copper now for casting bronze too, so nothing goes to waste- if a practice plate goes so awfully wrong, that it would most likely be the cause to our extinction, I can simply melt it without any trace it ever existed...which is nice.
Ah, so the spring is around the corner and soon the short, but much waited summer follows. And especially the summer sales is something to look forward to. I'm busy making new wax models and here's the newest creature that popped into the world few weeks ago. This is a design I plan to recreate for engraving. It's a running rabbit pendant, which will hopefully have a bracelet and earrings to make a full set at the end of next month. This one is made of bronze, silvery rabbits are still in a very rough state.
My plan is to use only the rabbit as it is now and then make a flat blank for engraving the leaves and the vines/branches.
~Julia
Attachments
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running_p.jpg -
runningsketch1.jpg
Omar Haltam
Elite Cafe Member
Oikein hieno koru, pidän siitä kovasti. Very nice pendant I like it a lot. I wish you all the Luck Julia
I am half Finish on my mothers side and speak it fluently, my mother maid sure of that . God rest her sole
Welcome to the forum Julia, great to have some find here as well
~Omar
Like the Candy...in Finland
I am half Finish on my mothers side and speak it fluently, my mother maid sure of that . God rest her sole
Welcome to the forum Julia, great to have some find here as well
~Omar
Like the Candy...in Finland
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Indy Joneds
Elite Cafe Member
nice drawing and painting skills , that rabbit is sure to sell . look forward to seeing your engravings.
Julia.J
Member
ugly doodle...
Hey, Omar. Nice to meet you! Thank you for the comment and wishing me luck: it's something that I really need, a good amount of luck...shame it can't be stored and used when needed
Thank you, Indy! I sure hope so too.
----
Started my morning by doodling. A very random drawing without a thought...and it's real ugly. Tried if it's any better if it's flipped around, it wasn't. Oh well. Ugly or not it's my way to ease stress. Speaking of stress and to be completely honest I'm also avoiding work Have quite difficult customer order for today and it makes me feel uneasy. This is going to be a looooong day.
~Julia
(yes, going to work...after this 6th cup of coffee...)
Hey, Omar. Nice to meet you! Thank you for the comment and wishing me luck: it's something that I really need, a good amount of luck...shame it can't be stored and used when needed
Thank you, Indy! I sure hope so too.
----
Started my morning by doodling. A very random drawing without a thought...and it's real ugly. Tried if it's any better if it's flipped around, it wasn't. Oh well. Ugly or not it's my way to ease stress. Speaking of stress and to be completely honest I'm also avoiding work
Have quite difficult customer order for today and it makes me feel uneasy. This is going to be a looooong day.~Julia
(yes, going to work...after this 6th cup of coffee...)
Attachments
-
morningdoodle.jpg
gcleaker
Elite Cafe Member
FYI that is red cutting fluid, we have all used that type at one time or another. That is a great drawing.
Julia.J
Member
More work...
Hello again!
I've been continuing with my engraving exercises, the very basics. Straight lines, curved lines, background removal, stippling and so on. I almost did an engraving to a customers order, almost...then got too scared
It's a silver pendant, with a stone in the middle, but it's also domed. The dome was too much, still. I still prefer a good, flat material to work with. I did stipple it though, which can at least be linked to engraving.
Also did some casting. The wolf itself is made of bronze and then soldered into a round, hammered silver base.
~Julia
Hello again!
I've been continuing with my engraving exercises, the very basics. Straight lines, curved lines, background removal, stippling and so on. I almost did an engraving to a customers order, almost...then got too scared
It's a silver pendant, with a stone in the middle, but it's also domed. The dome was too much, still. I still prefer a good, flat material to work with. I did stipple it though, which can at least be linked to engraving.Also did some casting. The wolf itself is made of bronze and then soldered into a round, hammered silver base.
~Julia
Attachments
-
hukka_p.JPG -
tynell_p.JPG
Julia.J
Member
Image transfers and life
Hiya! Long time no see.
I've had the most amazing time during the summer: we moved into a new apartment, I'm in the middle of furnishing a workspace (holy cow! An entire room) and wait...what.. I got married! whoo! life is good.
Anyway, I've learned to transfer images with both acetone/lazer printer method and with the blue pnp-paper, which is used by people who make their own circuit boards (etching).
The acetone method were more simple than I thought. The first time I tried this were quite of a letdown. The image transferred into the metal very poorly, but the problem was not because of the lazer print but the paper I used. I think that the normal printing paper is just too porous for the task and when I didn't have anything else to use, I ripped a sheet from a magazine, printed my image onto the glossy paper and the transfer came out quite good...but not perfect. So, instead of using pure acetone, I switched to nail-polish remover, smudged a thin layer to the metal and placed the magazine print to the puddle to soak through, then rubbed the image lightly and just to be absolutely sure to have every thin line transferred I heated the whole thing with an iron. When the ironing was done, I just soaked the whole thing in water for a while to remove the paper and the transfer were perfect.
The pnp paper were a bit more tricky, but I need it to make my next commission which involves etching, so I had to learn to use it. It took a whole day, but finally got it to work. The pnp works as an acid-resist so it's mostly used for etching. The work order is the same as with acetone. You print the image to the matte side of the paper, place it to the metal and then heat it with an iron. The areas/lines that are printed will show as blue, everything else will remain blank. Sounds easy, right? It wasn't. The transfers were not complete. The first error that I made was that the metal still had some grease and fingerprints and so the image didn't transfer. That was just my own stupidity. The second was that I constantly peeked to see if the image has transferred...don't do that! The result were better after I stopped being me, but what I missed were that the metal has to be heated first before the paper is placed and then I gently buffed the image in place with a cloth. That did the trick. I ironed the bundle for about 4 minutes and then let it soak in water before removing the film. These transfers are good, but the paper is quite expensive, so I'll be using pnp for etching and acetone for engraving
That's it for now, back to work.
Take care, Cya!
~Julia
Hiya! Long time no see.
I've had the most amazing time during the summer: we moved into a new apartment, I'm in the middle of furnishing a workspace (holy cow! An entire room) and wait...what.. I got married! whoo! life is good.
Anyway, I've learned to transfer images with both acetone/lazer printer method and with the blue pnp-paper, which is used by people who make their own circuit boards (etching).
The acetone method were more simple than I thought. The first time I tried this were quite of a letdown. The image transferred into the metal very poorly, but the problem was not because of the lazer print but the paper I used. I think that the normal printing paper is just too porous for the task and when I didn't have anything else to use, I ripped a sheet from a magazine, printed my image onto the glossy paper and the transfer came out quite good...but not perfect. So, instead of using pure acetone, I switched to nail-polish remover, smudged a thin layer to the metal and placed the magazine print to the puddle to soak through, then rubbed the image lightly and just to be absolutely sure to have every thin line transferred I heated the whole thing with an iron. When the ironing was done, I just soaked the whole thing in water for a while to remove the paper and the transfer were perfect.
The pnp paper were a bit more tricky, but I need it to make my next commission which involves etching, so I had to learn to use it. It took a whole day, but finally got it to work. The pnp works as an acid-resist so it's mostly used for etching. The work order is the same as with acetone. You print the image to the matte side of the paper, place it to the metal and then heat it with an iron. The areas/lines that are printed will show as blue, everything else will remain blank. Sounds easy, right? It wasn't. The transfers were not complete. The first error that I made was that the metal still had some grease and fingerprints and so the image didn't transfer. That was just my own stupidity. The second was that I constantly peeked to see if the image has transferred...don't do that! The result were better after I stopped being me, but what I missed were that the metal has to be heated first before the paper is placed and then I gently buffed the image in place with a cloth. That did the trick. I ironed the bundle for about 4 minutes and then let it soak in water before removing the film. These transfers are good, but the paper is quite expensive, so I'll be using pnp for etching and acetone for engraving
That's it for now, back to work.
Take care, Cya!
~Julia
Omar Haltam
Elite Cafe Member
that is great Julia, glad to hear you are getting the transfers working. the tips archive has good tips on the subject.
Have you tried Damar Varnish? you should be able to get it from art supply stores in Helsinki or Tampere...
Have you tried Damar Varnish? you should be able to get it from art supply stores in Helsinki or Tampere...
Dave London
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Can you provide more info on pnp paper. Thanks
Congratulations on your marriage
Congratulations on your marriage
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Congratulations on your marriage Julia.Wishing you lots of happiness and joy.
Love your artwork, especially the Pug.
Love your artwork, especially the Pug.
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Dave London
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Thanks John
I will check it out
I will check it out
Hiya! Long time no see.
I've had the most amazing time during the summer: we moved into a new apartment, I'm in the middle of furnishing a workspace (holy cow! An entire room) and wait...what.. I got married! whoo! life is good.
Anyway, I've learned to transfer images with both acetone/lazer printer method and with the blue pnp-paper, which is used by people who make their own circuit boards (etching).
The acetone method were more simple than I thought. The first time I tried this were quite of a letdown. The image transferred into the metal very poorly, but the problem was not because of the lazer print but the paper I used. I think that the normal printing paper is just too porous for the task and when I didn't have anything else to use, I ripped a sheet from a magazine, printed my image onto the glossy paper and the transfer came out quite good...but not perfect. So, instead of using pure acetone, I switched to nail-polish remover, smudged a thin layer to the metal and placed the magazine print to the puddle to soak through, then rubbed the image lightly and just to be absolutely sure to have every thin line transferred I heated the whole thing with an iron. When the ironing was done, I just soaked the whole thing in water for a while to remove the paper and the transfer were perfect.
The pnp paper were a bit more tricky, but I need it to make my next commission which involves etching, so I had to learn to use it. It took a whole day, but finally got it to work. The pnp works as an acid-resist so it's mostly used for etching. The work order is the same as with acetone. You print the image to the matte side of the paper, place it to the metal and then heat it with an iron. The areas/lines that are printed will show as blue, everything else will remain blank. Sounds easy, right? It wasn't. The transfers were not complete. The first error that I made was that the metal still had some grease and fingerprints and so the image didn't transfer. That was just my own stupidity. The second was that I constantly peeked to see if the image has transferred...don't do that! The result were better after I stopped being me, but what I missed were that the metal has to be heated first before the paper is placed and then I gently buffed the image in place with a cloth. That did the trick. I ironed the bundle for about 4 minutes and then let it soak in water before removing the film. These transfers are good, but the paper is quite expensive, so I'll be using pnp for etching and acetone for engraving
That's it for now, back to work.
Take care, Cya!
~Julia
julia: of all the forum members, you seem to be more "well rounded" than most. all your work is inspirational, to say the least. i have fooled around with the pnp paper. less than joyful results. your trick of preheating the metal may be the reason i had crummy results. with the coming winter cold, i'll have more time to fiddle with etching. thanks for the tip.
dave: the pnp technique requires a laser printer that prints with magnetic(iron) powder. originally developed for the banks which had a need for the magnetic stuff. i bought a laser printer on the bay that used the required powder. it's an hp. not sure of the model #. mine was around $150.00 bucks, shipping included. there's likely quite a few of these on the bay. if you don't want to do actual ferric chloride etching, i see little need for a dedicated printer like this. ymmv
Dave London
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Thanks Monk
Julia.J
Member
Sculpting, casting and a practice plate
Hello!
I'm so sorry; seems like I forgot to reply the last time I posted. Thank you for the comments! The blue paper is indeed PnP masking transfer sheet, used to etch circuit boards. It works well with etching, but it takes quite a bit of time to find the right temperature and pressure to get it to work. The best word to describe PNP? "Annoying."
You know what I'd really need? A time machine. That's what I need! It would be nice to start the same day over and over again, so there'd be more time to practice engraving I managed to squeeze a small practice plate, before I had to continue working with the next cast.
The attached images:
1. Snake on a plate!
2. New cast experiment; teeny tiny dragon to be attached to a coffee/tea spoon.
3. Same cast, turned left.
4. Summer is coming! A doodle to cheer yer day!
Have a good day,
~Julia
Hello!
I'm so sorry; seems like I forgot to reply the last time I posted. Thank you for the comments! The blue paper is indeed PnP masking transfer sheet, used to etch circuit boards. It works well with etching, but it takes quite a bit of time to find the right temperature and pressure to get it to work. The best word to describe PNP? "Annoying."
You know what I'd really need? A time machine. That's what I need! It would be nice to start the same day over and over again, so there'd be more time to practice engraving
I managed to squeeze a small practice plate, before I had to continue working with the next cast.The attached images:
1. Snake on a plate!
2. New cast experiment; teeny tiny dragon to be attached to a coffee/tea spoon.
3. Same cast, turned left.
4. Summer is coming! A doodle to cheer yer day!
Have a good day,
~Julia
Attachments
-
snake1.jpg -
doodle.jpg -
lohkari1.jpg -
Lohkari3.jpg
Omar Haltam
Elite Cafe Member
Looking good julia
i really like the dragon
i really like the dragon
MoldyJim
Elite Cafe Member
That has got to be one of the most creative scrolls around.
Very nice.
With skills like that you will be a top engraver in no time.
Very nice.
With skills like that you will be a top engraver in no time.
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