Someone has just approached me that would like me to engrave on the inside of the bowl of a spoon. So before i agreed to this job I got a junk spoon and tried it to see if i could do it and make it look nice. I could not get an even cut because I had to attack the inside of the bowl at to steep of and angle. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on how to go about this.
Engraving a Spoon
- Thread starter BlaineA
- Start date
Tira
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
BlaineA, Concave surfaces are very challenging due to the steep angle needed on the graver. You may try moving the heel angle up to 20 or 25. Another way to try this, depending on the angles in the bowl, is to bend the graver into a "j" shape before putting the heel on it. It is a frustrating trial and error process, but if you keep with it you will not only know how to do the next one - you will also start adding to your graver/tool collection.
GRS has an inside ring graver part #022-820 for $7.49 listed in their new products catalog. I looked on their site and did not see a picture to post here. I use this modified "j" shape graver for some concave surfaces. You may still have to grind it down to be useful for your project - but it gets you close.
GRS has an inside ring graver part #022-820 for $7.49 listed in their new products catalog. I looked on their site and did not see a picture to post here. I use this modified "j" shape graver for some concave surfaces. You may still have to grind it down to be useful for your project - but it gets you close.
Jim Sackett
Elite Cafe Member
Up side down bent liner.
Hi Blaine
When I worked at the trophy engraving shop we used bent line gravers for most of our work. They contrasted nicley with the polished surface of the trophys.
To engrave on the inside of watch cases we would turn the bent liner up side down, put an angle on what would normaly be the face of the graver. The angle 90 t0 120 degrees. And there we had a square graver. It really worked cool.
I will send a picture.
Jim Sackett
Hi Blaine
When I worked at the trophy engraving shop we used bent line gravers for most of our work. They contrasted nicley with the polished surface of the trophys.
To engrave on the inside of watch cases we would turn the bent liner up side down, put an angle on what would normaly be the face of the graver. The angle 90 t0 120 degrees. And there we had a square graver. It really worked cool.
I will send a picture.
Jim Sackett
Jim Sackett
Elite Cafe Member
Photo of bent line graver.
Here is the pic of the inverted line graver.
Jim Sackett
Here is the pic of the inverted line graver.
Jim Sackett
Blaine, The "old way" to attack this is to bend a graver in a "z" shape sort of, except curve it to compensate for the curve of the spoon. That is the heel portion and it should be parallel to the shank of the tool. Then you can use it just like a regular graver providing you can get it sharpened properly, but I did it (sharpening) by hand. I am not sure if you can heat high speed tool steel and get a good result. You will have to do this to bend the graver to shape. I used carbon steel gravers and they will still work if you know how to heat treat them for engraving. You could find that process on one of my comments some time back. I explain the proceedure for heat treating carbon steel gravers. You can use this graver for any con cave surface and if you get the angles right, it woudn't be too difficult to use.
Ron S
Ron S
KCSteve
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
It suddenly occurs to me that you could use another of the tricks I've learned here: a variation of John's clever little gravers.
Get some 3/32" brass rod, bend it into the 'Z' shape and then use a bit of 1/8" square brass tubing to attach a short piece of graver to the end. That's basically what I've started doing with the leftover bits from when I make a graver - they're too short by themselves but by sticking an 'extension' on the end I get two gravers out of one blank. On my first test I cut the 1/8 square tube to the length I need to extend the graver, then cut the 3/32 rod to put about 1/4" of the graver inside the tube. Since I use QC holders I wound up grinding the square tube off of the rod for the part that goes into the collet so all future ones will just have about 1/2" of tubing covering the 'joint' between the graver and the extension.
I'm going to have to try making a 'Z' graver this way - assuming I get enough other stuff done to get some bench time!
Get some 3/32" brass rod, bend it into the 'Z' shape and then use a bit of 1/8" square brass tubing to attach a short piece of graver to the end. That's basically what I've started doing with the leftover bits from when I make a graver - they're too short by themselves but by sticking an 'extension' on the end I get two gravers out of one blank. On my first test I cut the 1/8 square tube to the length I need to extend the graver, then cut the 3/32 rod to put about 1/4" of the graver inside the tube. Since I use QC holders I wound up grinding the square tube off of the rod for the part that goes into the collet so all future ones will just have about 1/2" of tubing covering the 'joint' between the graver and the extension.
I'm going to have to try making a 'Z' graver this way - assuming I get enough other stuff done to get some bench time!
I'd rather be whipped in the face with buzzard guts than engrave inside of a spoon. I've done 'em and I've hated every dadgum one of 'em!
~Sam
~Sam
Sam, I almost fell out of my chair 
BlaineA, I tried a spoon once. What a pain. I gave up and put my design on the back. The convex side.
I think the only way to go is with the bent gravers and then a lot of practice. Make sure your design avoids cutting inline with the handle or take that into account and bend your gravers high enough. The handle can be a disappointing surprise.
Good luck, Post the finished piece.
Jeff
BlaineA, I tried a spoon once. What a pain. I gave up and put my design on the back. The convex side.
I think the only way to go is with the bent gravers and then a lot of practice. Make sure your design avoids cutting inline with the handle or take that into account and bend your gravers high enough. The handle can be a disappointing surprise.
Good luck, Post the finished piece.
Jeff
Tira is right, the way to engrave script inside the spoon is with a high heel square tool; I've used as high as a 35 degree tool. Sharpen it with a very small heel. The high heel may take a little getting used to, its one of those mind over matter deals, but once you get the hang of it will allow you to follow the contours of the spoon a lot easier. The real trick, if there is one, is not to try and layout lines with a ruler, even a c-thru bendable one. Unless its a very small spoon, trying to use a ruler may drive you crazy. Instead eyeball the lines and just draw them in by hand.
Allan
Allan
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