Sculpture Engraving First Attempt

[Artist007]

Hello all,

I bought Sam Alfano's online video "Deep Relief Sculpting, Master Class" and gave it a try. I highly recommend this video. Here are my first attempts. Doing the first one, the dagger, I didn't have my controls set right, which didn't give me very much power to move the metal. But the second, the stainless, I got the settings right on my Gravermach AT, and the metal moved like butter! The stainless scroll is a Sam Alfano design I believe, which I found online. Made for a good practice design.

 

[BenTurner]

This looks really great! I have never done deep relief sculpting before. Are you peening the metal with a burnisher or something?

 

[Artist007]

This looks really great! I have never done deep relief sculpting before. Are you peening the metal with a burnisher or something?

Thank you. Pretty much peening. Sam Alfano's video really does a good job of showing how to create the tools, and how to use them. It's worth the money. But basically ends up being like a tiny jackhammer.

 

[John B.]

Nicely done classic design.
John B.

 

[Artist007]

Nicely done classic design.
John B.

Thank you John.

 

[AllenClapp]

What were your final settings?

 

[Artist007]

What were your final settings?

FYI, I have three different hand pieces. I have the Monarch AT (palm controlled), the 901 Standard (foot controlled), and the Magnum Palm (foot controlled). I haven't even used the Magnum yet. I have just been using the Monarch and the 901.

When I have the settings set for doing shading and outlining with my Monarch (running through auxiliary 1), for sculpting I will switch over to my 901 (running through auxiliary 2), switch the Gravermach AT over to foot control, and start raising the PSI (knob directly under the green power button). It takes about twice the PSI than a Monarch hand piece used for standard cuts like shading. Eventually I'll start hearing the hand piece start tapping, same as when you're setting PSI for any other hand piece. Keep raising the PSI slowly, just until the tapping barely fades away. This will allow the proper range of foot control. Afterwards, I find a nice medium piston speed for hammering. Not too fast, but not too slow. It's really a feeling and a preference. You should be able to feel a good speed that works as you're sculpting.