Question: deburring?

JakeW

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I am a jewelry designer and metalsmith by trade and have been doing engraving for a couple years. I really enjoy engraving but I make jewelry from carving wax's to the stone setting, so I don't have as much time as I would like to focus on engraving. Then I only get to do it when it is called for in a design. I typically only engrave Platinum,Gold, or Palladium, so when I do there is burs along the side of my engraved line. When I get rid of them by a hard felt wheel I lose some of the detailing. How do I get rid of the burring or what do I need to do different to not have these burs? I am hoping to take Sam's class this August at GRS if the boss will send me. Thanks for the help!
 

Sam

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Jake: It's not uncommon to have a slight bur on engraving. I normally sand with 4000 grit paper BEFORE shading and only IF it needs it. After shading it's pretty much impossible to debur without ruining the fine lines. As you gain better graver control the amount of deburring will be less. Of course this is assuming your gravers are properly sharpened. If not, then you're going to have substantial burs.
 

Brian Hochstrat

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Not sure what graver geometry you are using, but the narrower V angles like 90 deg. and narrower naturally seem to create a tiny wake of raised metal along the edge of the cut and do this more noticably in softer metals, especially if you have a habit of putting down pressure on the graver while its cutting. The wider geometries like 110 or 120 are less prone to do this. So if you are using a narrower V angle sharpen up a 110 or so and see if that makes any difference. Good Luck.
 

jerrywh

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Sam-- Where do you get 4000 grit paper? and what geometry do you use for shading? especially on silver or soft metals like gold?
 

Sam

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Sam-- Where do you get 4000 grit paper? and what geometry do you use for shading? especially on silver or soft metals like gold?

Brian makes a good point (no pun intended) about the wider geometries. I use a 120 for shading and my 4000 grit wet or dry paper came from an automotive supply store somewhere (in Kansas I think). Google will get you tons of results. Your goal should be to stay sharp, cut cleanly, and use deburring as a last resort.
 

rod

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Jake,

As the other replies say, 120 degree has less burr than smaller included angles, like 90 degree, but burring should be very minimal, so first suspect your tool geometry and also your technique. On silver and other precious metals, you may want to be going deeper for "beauty" cuts that are bright, reflective, and wide, so a 'uniform heel' or flat graver may work best (remember a flat graver is, in fact, a uniform heel tool).

Let us assume that you have engraved a piece in precious metal, even steel, and the cuts are ragged, but the deed is done, and there is no going back, maybe it is a complicated engraving with a lot of good work on it and then the graver slips giving an unsightly scratch ( that local burnishing will not heal) on otherwise good work. So how to rescue this situation? As Sam wrote, light sanding with super fine 4000 grit paper backed with a hard flat surface will smooth edges with little damage, but coarser sanding and anything other than the lightest buffing will often contribute to losing the crispness of good engraved edges. If you absolutely must do something to salvage the work, then flood the surface with superglue...do this with several light coats, allow it to harden, then sand carefully the whole surface until the surface metal shows through everywhere, but the glass-hard glue is still in the cuts protecting the crispness of the engraved edges. Take the surface down to whatever fine finish you desire, and hopefully any scratch from a graver slip will also be eliminated in the sanding and polishing. Now soak the piece in acetone for a few hours, and the glue will dissolve out of the engraved cuts, leaving a very smooth feel yet crisp edges.

Please note, this is a rescue operation, and it is much faster to get it right first time!

Rod
 
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rod

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Hora,

We had some damage yesterday in the local fisherman's wharf from a tsunami surge that swelled up and turned the normally placid rivermouth into a very wild river. As you know the tsunami travels at about 500 mph and unnoticed in deep oceans but slows and gains height in shallow coastal waters.

It is a mistake to use logarithmic scales when talking to the public about earthquake strength. An 8.8 quake in Japan does not seem much bigger than the bad one in Christchurch, in fact, the Japanese quake was 8000 times stronger, according to the scientists.

Japan is in very big trouble as the epicenter and with huge damage, yet a nuclear power station meltdown will reach Canada and the US very quickly with jet stream winds prevailing to the East:

http://www.rense.com/general93/Radioactive.html

We live in a risky planet, my good friend!

Rod
 
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JakeW

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Thanks for all the help! I have been using the 90 degree graver but will try the 120.
 

jerrywh

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I just did a bolino pheasent on a silver buttplate within a gold lattice. There is no way that can be sanded at all. I just touched it with 2000 grit and it still didn't look right. That real light crosshatching just wipes right off. Best not to sand at all.
There is something about the idea of a 110 or 120 deg. graver that intimidates me some. I guess I will just have to experiment with one. Thanks Sam.
 

Simone

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Hey Jake
I haven´t tryed Rod´s way but it sounds good.
The last step for good and nice engraving - pollish your tools ( again and again)and be very mean, Sam told me that at the Faire in Munich a couple of years ago and it helped me a lot.
Simone
 

Marcus Hunt

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Hora,

We had some damage yesterday in the local fisherman's wharf from a tsunami surge that swelled up and turned the normally placid rivermouth into a very wild river. As you know the tsunami travels at about 500 mph and unnoticed in deep oceans but slows and gains height in shallow coastal waters.

It is a mistake to use logarithmic scales when talking to the public about earthquake strength. An 8.8 quake in Japan does not seem much bigger than the bad one in Christchurch, in fact, the Japanese quake was 8000 times stronger, according to the scientists.

Japan is in very big trouble as the epicenter and with huge damage, yet a nuclear power station meltdown will reach Canada and the US very quickly with jet stream winds prevailing to the East:

http://www.rense.com/general93/Radioactive.html

We live in a risky planet, my good friend!

Rod

It makes one think the lunatics really have taken over the asylum when they build a nuclear power plant in a known earthquake area.....and we worry about the Iranians getting their hands on nuclear technology :rolleyes: The whole world is barking!!!

Excellent rescue tip, by the way, for those who need it.
 

Sam

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Rod, thank you for the superglue idea. I've never heard of that and shall keep it in mind.

The last thing anyone needs is a nuke meltdown. What a terrifying thought, but one that must be considered. :(
 

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