Cleaning up design

[beegee]

I am planning to engrave a Zippo pocketknife as a first project. I traced the outline of the knife and spent several hours drawing the scrolls. After several attempts,I finally got a design I like. (Whether it's a good design remains to be seen, but I like it for now.) I may do a partial practice plate to see how it flows. Anyway, the problem I have right now is that I did it on computer paper with a 5mm pencil, soft lead, and it's pretty smudgy. What is the best way to clean it up...really hard pencil on tracing paper or mylar, vellum, or what? I'll probably make a photocopy of the final design and use acetone to transfer it.

 

[Andrew Biggs]

Hi Beegee

A really quick way is to use tracing paper and a fine nibbed black pen like a Rotoring .25mm. Make sure you use a steel nib. The felt ones squash at the end and become a lot fatter very easily. Failing that a fine ball point pen will do the trick.

Cheers
Andrew

 

[fegarex]

If you are drawing a design it makes it easier to increase the size by 2X and then reduce it when you are done. As Andrew said, use a fine tipped pen or at least a very sharp dark pencil.

 

[monk]

andrew: what is the rotoring pen. permanent ink, fiber tip ? where do you buy these ?

 

[joseph engraver]

The best solution

the best solution to your dilemma is to redraw to design one more time, practice,practice,using a 03mm pencil HB lead on thin mylar,most likley your sense of touch will be too heavy and the lead will snap.When you can control your touch, redraw the design again and the rest will be easy.I wish you sucess.

 

[PS_Bond]

...a fine nibbed black pen like a Rotoring...

The Isograph or Rapidograph series, for example?