John Barraclough's very clever gravers

[sam]

John mentioned these homemade gravers in a previous thread, and graciously sent me some samples to try along with a nice description of how he makes them (attached photo). Using his method you can turn 1/16" (1.6mm) burrs, drills, or round stock into handy gravers, punches, stippling tools, etc. Not only that, but the square brass tubing they're soldered into allows them to be clamped and sharpened in a graver sharpening fixture. Obviously you can clamp round stock in a sharpener, but when it's time to resharpen there's no way to quickly orient the tool back to its original settings. This is where the square tubing comes in.

Thank you John for this great tip! I'll be testing the gravers this week. / ~Sam

 

[Andrew Biggs]

The reason John Barraclough has very clever tools is because he's a very clever man.

These gravers work great either by hand or air assist. The idea of the brass tubing for indexing round stock is great.

Cheers
Andrew

 

[msar24]

John,

Any chance some of these could make it to Reno for a first hand look?

Kevin

 

[John B.]

Hi Kevin.
I will bring a graver or two to Reno for "show and tell."
Also the raw stock, tube and drills.
Look forward to seeing you, stop by my stand.
John.

 

[Ray Cover]

John where are you getting the tubing?

Is this the same 3/32" o.d. brass tubing tha the model railroad guys use? If so is the i.d at or close to 1/16 or do you to build it up?


Ray

 

[NJhandengraverRon]

John

Way to go.

Question are the dills carbide from end to end?

God Bless
Ron Proulx

 

[John B.]

Hi Ray.
These were on my previous post, I think Sam moved it to one of the Stickys.
The tube is made by K&S Engineering, Chicago, Illinois.
It is also available from Micro-Mark Co. www.micromark.com
It's a tight interior fit as is for 1/16 inch round.

Hi Ron,
The 6 inch long aircraft drills are COLBALT and hard from end to end, unlike most drills.
They are from Enco, #891-6748, price $3.01 each.
Hope this is what you need.
John B.

 

[Ray Cover]

Thank you very much John. Your experience and creativity are a great resource. Thanks for sharing them.

By the way the steel wire inlay trick you posted ont eh knife network a while back saved my bacon recently.

Ray

 

[Mike Cirelli]

I was wondering if they have something like that with 3/32" I.D. so I could utilize my old setting burs.
Mike

 

[Ray Cover]

John,

Would you happen to know a good source for 1/16 carbide stock?

Thanks,
Ray

 

[Glenn]

Yesterday I went to a hobby store and purchased 3/32 square brass tubing. 12 inch pieces were about $1.25 each. I used a 1/16 drill shank and it slid into the tubing very nicely. I was thanking John B. from start to finish for the time and material saving tip. Thanks again John.
I'm soldering a piece of nickle silver into this tubing for a scraper to remove excess gold on inlays into blued gun parts. I'll let you know how it works.

 

[John B.]

Hello Ray.
Gesswein used to carry, and maybe still does, some very good micro fine carbide blanks in 1/6 inch round.
These cut gold, silver, carbon steel or stainless just fine.
My catalog is out of date and I haven't bought them for a few years because I kinda bought a lifetime supply at one time.
Getting short of them now......musta lived longer than I figured!
Maybe they have a catalog on the Internet?
Have also heard of some people using carbide rod made for welding.
I have some but find it's not as good as the micro grind carbide for cutting steel.
Works OK for cutting gold though because the chips don't stick if you give them a good polish.
Glad the wire trick got you out of a jam. Soft iron wire can cover an ugly mistake sometimes.
Best to you and yours, and regardless of what Andy S. says keep those dogs under the bench.
John.

 

[John B.]

Hi Glenn.
Glad you like this way to make gravers and punches.
Starting out with 1/16 inch round saves a lot of material and grinding to get a nice small tool.
Look forward to seeing you in Reno.
Andrew and I will be at Safari on Wednesday, good Lord willing.
Maybe run into you there, too.
Best regards, John.

 

[NJhandengraverRon]

Ray

I've seen that tubbing or something like that at hobby stores the ones who have a section for miniature trains the only reason I know that is I've picked it up wondering if there was anything I could use it for now I know.

John

Thanks for getting back.

God Bless
Ron Proulx

 

[sam]

John: I've been testing the gravers you sent and they cut beautifully. They're very small and delicate and do a nice job. To be able to index them in the sharpening fixture makes resharpening easy as pie. I think I'll make some sculpting punches using your square brass tubing idea.

Iron wire: Lynton advised me once to build a small wood fire and place an assortment of soft iron wire in it. After the fire burned out and cooled, the wire would be dead soft. I did this years ago, and have inlaid the iron wire on a few occasions. It inlaid very well. The last time I used it was to cover the joint on a double barrel shotgun that had had the barrels sawn off and reattached (I believe it was rechambered).

 

[Ray Cover]

I ended up using the wire to "fill in" some ugly proof marks on a browning I am engraving. The proofs were right smack dab in the middle of where my scroll design we supposed to go...And we can't have that.

I just used the wire out of a bread sack tie. Not real high tech but worked fine.

Ray

 

[John B.]

Hi Sam.
Glad to hear that you like the little gravers, thank you.
I have soft iron binding wire in all size rolls from .0010 to .0025 and find it very handy.
It really looks good inlayed into stainless steel and blued for a mysterious flush black line.
Covers up mistakes in carbon steel just fine too.
Some of the jewelry supply outfits have it for very little money.
It comes dead soft on a nice spool and is mostly used by jewelers to position things for soldiering.
Unfortunatly, a lot of it is now being made out of stainless.
If you can still find it in carbon steel buy a lifetime supply for just a few dollars.
Another source is the little twist ties from the supermarket.
Just strip off the paper or plastic and you're good to go.
Test 'em first though, some of these may have stainless wire inside.
Sorry Sam, I realize you know all this but I thought it might be a help to others.
Best, John B.

 

[John B.]

I was wondering if they have something like that with 3/32" I.D. so I could utilize my old setting burs.
Mike

Yes Mike, you can get the tube with 3/32" I.D.
Only problem is that the O.D. of that tube does not fit in all the smaller power handpieces.
I use it with 3/32" damaged burs to make punches and scrapers.
Also with 3/32" cut off cobalt aircraft drills to make round, flat, oval and onglette gravers for sculpture.
Much of the time I am using these with a hammer.
But I also use them in some of the bigger handpieces and in the flex shaft rotary.
Love seeing your wonderful work Mike, best regards John.

 

[Mike Cirelli]

Thank you John, Your work is a pleasure to look at and study.
Are you saying that the 3/32" tube won't fit in the quick charge end? This is just what I've been looking for. Thanks for the tip.
Mike

 

[Glenn]

Yes, j.c. I considered your suggestion of 4 equal flats. The challenge is in the words equally and simply.
How do you grind yours.