If you cannot afford a sharpening power hone I would suggest you look up easy lap. They have diamond stones that are good and also economical. http://eze-lap.com/
Personally, I do my best not to buy anything made in China.
The best place to buy practice plates is GRS. I thought I would just go to the sheet metal shop and have them cut some. WRONG!
They are not as consistent in hardness and just don't seem to cut as well. The older I get the less I tend to save on prices. Every time I bought a cheap tool I...
I agree with John B. Too much thinking. I want my gravers to have a certain geometry and do whatever it takes to obtain that shape.
There is a old theory that says you should have a long heel to engrave a straight line. I don't know where this came from but in my opinion it's totally wrong...
I use to make all my own equipment but one day I had to decide if I wanted to make guns and engrave or make tools. Soon I made enough money on engraved guns to buy anything I wanted, including a nice big victorian house. I just let GRS make the tools.
I would look for a Meiji EMZ5 with a .5 or a .3 objective lenz.
I have a Meiji EMZ5 and a Leica both and can't tell much difference except the price. a .75 lenz isn't too good either. I would go for a .3 or a .5 objective with10 power eye pieces.
If you use Chinese white you are only supposed to apply a very thin coat. You are applying too heavy of a coat. You only want a thin grey looking coat. Personally I never use it. I just put a very thin coat of regular motor oil on the surface and draw with a .010 pencil. I learned this from...
One thing I notice is that they do not appear to have a heel on them. They do not look like they were ever used at all. Just because they have graver looking handles doesn't mean they were gravers. Could have been meant for wood carving but never used.
Check out the HP store for a printer that uses the 62.https://www.amazon.com/HP-Wireless-Printer-Mobile-Printing/dp/B0799VCLMK/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=%22hp+envy+5540+printer%22&qid=1606597148&sr=8-4
OR.