Mike Dubber
Elite Cafe Member
The challenge of holding subjects for engraving goes on forever. I am perpetually looking for better ways to hold objects in my engravers vise - gun parts, jewelry, ivory, etc. Whatever subject I'm asked to engrave requires that I hold it securely without damaging surfaces. Holding pieces with metal "pins" has never worked for me, and in trying to do so when I was inexperienced, the pins often left marks and scuffs that had to be removed.
This summer I taught a scrimshaw class at the Marc Adams School. I don't often do scrimshaw and I really wasn't set up with holding devices for the faux ivory things I wanted the class to scrim. After some experimentation in my studio, I sent a sketch of the wood holding device to the school to have them cut 10 each for the students prior to class. It was block of hardwood that we could load with modelling clay to securely hold the ivory pieces for scrim work...it worked just the way I planned.
Then, more recently, I was commissioned to create the portrait of a hunting dog on a silver flask - the lady was desperate to have her husband's favorite (deceased) German Short Hair engraved on the flask with appropriate lettering for their anniversary. I found that the device worked perfectly for that.
Finally, I had to do a gold inlay on a pair of Pearl Grips last week (my earlier Thread "Crazy Horse" shows the final results of that). Holding those delicate Pearls would have been really difficult without my simple device because the grips were already fitted and glued together to create the one-piece set. So:
Photo #1 is the wood block - simple cuts on the top to work clay into - with a peg at the bottom to place between vise jaws
Photo #2 shows that it was loaded with modelling clay
Photo #3 shows the Sterling Flask mounted in the clay, and,
Photo #4 shows the Pearl Grips mounted in the clay.
I used a white oil-based modelling clay that I bought at a hobby store - it held these objects firmly enough that I really had to pull to get them off. No marks, no dings, and they were held tightly enough to cut both delicate and heavy lines without movement.
This summer I taught a scrimshaw class at the Marc Adams School. I don't often do scrimshaw and I really wasn't set up with holding devices for the faux ivory things I wanted the class to scrim. After some experimentation in my studio, I sent a sketch of the wood holding device to the school to have them cut 10 each for the students prior to class. It was block of hardwood that we could load with modelling clay to securely hold the ivory pieces for scrim work...it worked just the way I planned.
Then, more recently, I was commissioned to create the portrait of a hunting dog on a silver flask - the lady was desperate to have her husband's favorite (deceased) German Short Hair engraved on the flask with appropriate lettering for their anniversary. I found that the device worked perfectly for that.
Finally, I had to do a gold inlay on a pair of Pearl Grips last week (my earlier Thread "Crazy Horse" shows the final results of that). Holding those delicate Pearls would have been really difficult without my simple device because the grips were already fitted and glued together to create the one-piece set. So:
Photo #1 is the wood block - simple cuts on the top to work clay into - with a peg at the bottom to place between vise jaws
Photo #2 shows that it was loaded with modelling clay
Photo #3 shows the Sterling Flask mounted in the clay, and,
Photo #4 shows the Pearl Grips mounted in the clay.
I used a white oil-based modelling clay that I bought at a hobby store - it held these objects firmly enough that I really had to pull to get them off. No marks, no dings, and they were held tightly enough to cut both delicate and heavy lines without movement.
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