art transfer

[Ron Smith]

Yeah Sam, your input is always valuable, come on, try again!!...We want to hear what you have to say............Ron S

 

[Marrinan]

My 2 cents worth-Hand engraving is a passion with me like it is with most of you-I don't engrave for a living but I do engrave full time-as Jim Small says an inch (or more) a day-I purchased and use the computer transfer solution that many here use-I was very excited to try it and it works wonderfully-with those practice transfers which came with the soultion I engraved a very respectable lion and Washington, trouble is I can draw niether-My understanding of shading improved little if at all but you can certainly tell it is Washington on the other hand through practice drawing and cuting my scroll is flowing rather well and it reaches all the way to the border if that is what I intend-I draw directly on the metal and do very little scene work as my art skills are weak but my scroll improves with every layout. just my experiences-Fred

 

[Joe Mason]

I also use the computer method for transfering designs. I always scribe the lines because it will be a more accurate line to engrave by. I draw the scroll backbone with shore dashes. I do this to make sure I am on the right line. Things can get confusing under the scope when there are vines crossing each other.

Joe

 

[fegarex]

I think Ron summed it up the best. Do what you gotta do to get the job done. As a beginner, transfering designs may be faster and easier. I know it was for me. As time goes on, you'll find it is easier to draw the design directly on the metal. I made a point of the transfered lines not being accurate enough for me. I will clarify this a bit. If I am engraving the same pattern on both sides, I will make a smoke pull of the backbone lines and transfer it to the other side. Because the lines were "engraved" the lines are too thick to follow well. Plus, I have never found both sides of a gun exactly the same and some "adjusting" must be done to the scrolls to look right. Modern transfer methods do allow for thin lines but they are only as thin as the original drawing. Keep that in mind when doing the drawing.
All that said, I do what ever is quickest for me at the time. If you are a beginner or hobbyist, the transfer method will help you with a design but as you progress, don't let it become a crutch.

 

[SamW]

OK, one more try (5th). If no post after this message you know I am off doing something that works!!! S

 

[D.DOUGLAS]

I also like Rex find the lines very large sometimes! Andrew is there a trick to shrinking them very thin like the ones you get with the transfer fluid? All this is great advise. I think i will try and draw more diretly on the piece from now on.Example, if i do an advanced layout on paper i seem to do a lot of erasing but the finished drawing is perfect. Now i have to go back over it again and trace it to remove all that leftover lead on the original tracing paper. scan it -print it. I would have removed three steps by drawing directly. If your doing multiple pieces transfer is the way to go. As every one says each has its spot in the engravers bag of tricks and only time spent will give you the answer for shure. D.Douglas

 

[SamW]

So, this time my "server" serviced me by dropping my connection just as I was going to post. If I ever get back in the mood, I will email my stuff to Sam and let him post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! S

 

[monk]

use an old ballpoint pen. the ball is very hard, it rolls instead of scratches, and produces a very smooth, clean looking layout line. the ball will not hang up and skip and jump like the sharp scriber point.

 

[Tira]

D.Douglas, I use the Corel program a lot for my motorcycle layout. Here is what I do to avoid the very thick lines. I hand draw the design on white paper with a small black felt tip pen and then scan it into Corel Trace. If I am using a jpeg or other artwork from a client I bring that into Corel Trace. In this program you can convert a regular scanned image into a series of vector parts that can be manipulated and changed. If you start with a good contrast black/white drawing it works relatively well. Once the image is "traced" you can bring it into Corel Draw and manipulate each element. This is where you can change the size of the line to the "hairline" setting.

 

[Andrew Biggs]

Hi D.Douglas

I do a similar thing to Tira with Corel Draw. Slightly different but essentially the same. There are two ways that work for me.

First way...............

1. Get smoke/ink pull into CoreDraw and outline.
2. Enlarge on paper as big as you can and draw design in pencil.
3. Using tracing paper, carefully outline drawing with a .25 steel nibbed technical pen (Rotaring/ Staedler) The reason for steel nibbed is the felt ones get bigger as they wear out. The steel nibs stay the same width no matter what.

4. Scan into CorelDraw and trace in Corel Trace (Just as Tira descibes).
5. Reduce drawing to actual size and transfer.

Second method (this is more acurate than the first method and you can get in a lot more detail on leaves etc)..............

1. Steps 1 & 2 above.
2. Scan drawing into Corel Paint or Photoshop.
3. Using a Wacom digital tablet set up another layer and digitally trace over drawing using a size 4 paintbrush (this gives a very thin line when reduced)
4. Export into Corel Draw and trace with Corel Trace
5. Same as first method. Reduce size etc.

Pictures from photos etc.

Either method above. Trace only main cuts. Use dotted lines for main shade areas. Don't use to much detail.

It looks like a lot of work and sounds complicated but in reality is pretty quick and straight forward if you are used to the computer programs.

The latest FEGA (www.fega.com) video/DVD of the seminar I did in Reno earlier this year covers all of the above.

Hope this helps explain the process.

Cheers
Andrew

 

[SamW]

DARNEW, to answer your question, I use clear acetate and scribe the design/animal into the acetate with a sharp round scribe. Any flats on the point will make the scribe hard to control. It is just a light scratch which I then rub fine black powder into. I pick this up with clear Scotch tape, smear a thin layer of bowstring wax on the polished metal, and place the tape on the metal. A light burnishing will aid in powder transfer. I now have a nice thin line to follow as I very lightly scribe the design into the steel.

I now redraw and refine the design until I am satisfied it is as correct as I can make it. Drawing is King and the key to success. You need to practice drawing every day for at least the first 30 years! I do not consider transfers as the finished "ready to cut" drawing. It is to me just a means of getting all the elements of a design in the proper place.

Here are some of the fine points noted over my years of work using this technique. I polish the metal to 600+ grit. This will make a very fine scribed line easy to see with good lighting and also easy to burnish or polish out as needed. The burnisher becomes my eraser. The scribe must have a round point as mentioned above or the line will be off to OZ (for you Andrew).

When I want large scroll spirals on say a barrel breach, it is easier to outline on paper the area to be covered and draw the scroll on the paper while flat. Then transfer as above and refine to make a smooth spiral. I also draw in the inner elements of the scroll which can be done before or after cutting the backbone or spiral. If you are doing complicated overlapping scrolls you best draw it all out before cutting.

There were a couple of other items in my earlier attempts at posting but escape me now. Maybe I will think of them again. Hoping this works............................

 

[SamW]

Just remembered one...I usually draw a design on paper first, just the scroll backbone layout and any scene placement and lettering. On the metal I first scribe border lines. I then draw the scroll design on the metal with a pencil and refine this somewhat. Then I use the pencil drawing as a guide to draw the scroll with the scribe. I like to have a very fine line to follow when cutting. With me it helps accuracy.

 

[Sam]

This is another GREAT thread that will be added to the Tips section.
Thanks folks!! / ~Sam

 

[SamW]

DARNEW, here is an example drawing and cutting as I explained that I do. S

 

[Don Cowles]

Sam W., I offer the following suggestion for potentially long posts:

Create your post/reply in a word processing program (Word, or even Notepad), and save the document. Then you can copy the text you wrote, paste it into your post, and if the post doesn't take for some reason, at least your original work is not lost. You can keep copying and pasting until it does go through. Once you are sure the post "took", you can delete the document you saved. Works for me- I've been there!

 

[SamW]

Thanks Don, I'll give that a try. Usually I haven't that much to say...just shy I quess (quiet in the background there).