Andrew Biggs - Tips for New Engravers

Andrew Biggs

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Joined
Nov 10, 2006
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Location
Christchurch, New Zealand
Hi KCSteve

Here are a few more tips for you and other novice engravers just starting out. I'ts a few observations I made within the first few weeks of my engraving journey.....................................

1. Engraving tools do not understand English. No matter how much you curse and swear at them under your breath they simply do not understand what you are saying.

2. Learn to breath. Holding your breath for long periods of time doesn’t improve your engraving skills. In fact it can leave you feeling exhausted.

3. Relax when holding your tools. Holding gravers in a death grip until your knuckles turn blue doesn’t improve your engraving skills either. Let your knuckles return to their natural colour before you start engraving and then there is more of a chance of the graver going where you want it to and not slipping.

4. Just because you make one really fantastic cut doesn’t mean the next one will be any good. Chances are you are probably becoming over confident at this stage which is when the graver tries to regain control and skid all over your one and only fantastic cut. So keep your guard up at all times.

5. Your engraving tools do not follow the direction of your tongue. In fact they go in the opposite direction so you may as well relax your tongue as well.

6. The same applies to your toes. For some reason they go out in sympathy with your knuckles.

7. Check that the metal chip has indeed come off the metal before flicking it away with your fingertip. Otherwise you end up with rather nasty cuts.

8. Blood does not make a good darkening agent for you engraving cuts. Paint works much better. (see number 7)

9. Those little white bits on your engraving that look like bread crumbs are in fact your skin. So make sure all the burrs are gone before you wipe vigorously with your fingertip. (again see item 7)

10. Make sure that you tell your wife/husband/ partner that you belong to this forum and that it is really interesting an informative. Otherwise they may mistake your compulsory late night excursions on the internet as something more sinister.

11. When you start to learn how to engrave your friends and relatives go deaf. Because when you tell them that you’re learning to engrave they never, ever hear the word “learning”. Immediately every bit of jewellery, watches, guns and knives magically appear in front of you with the comment “Could you please just put so in so’s name on this, it will only take a few minutes!!!” When you politely tell them to “bugger off” they get all offended.

12. Be prepared to lose friends and have relatives never speak to you again. (See item 11). In some cases this can be a good thing.

13. Engraving time is different from normal time. There is no such thing as “I will only be 5 more minutes engraving and then I’ll come to bed” Your partner stopped believing you after the first 10 times you said it. 5 minutes in engraving time is really more like 2 hours in normal time.

14. Make sure you have a very understanding wife/husband/partner. Just because you know that practicing engraving is far more important than mowing lawns, painting houses and other work related things around your house. Your partner may need a little more convincing.

Cheers
Andrew
 

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