SharpGraver
Elite Cafe Member
I bought some of those pencil stones and was wondering if someone could advise about how to shape them into usable shapes.
Gesswein pencil stones
- Thread starter SharpGraver
- Start date
David: I use one of those GRS Gator diamond laps. It's not one of their engraver's laps, but one they provide to the machine tool industry. It's very coarse and has ridges on the surface. It's great for shaping Gesswein stones, but it does leave an awful mess of stone dust and particles around your sharpener if you do a lot of shaping. Ray's sharpening stone or a bench grinder nearby might be better.
SharpGraver
Elite Cafe Member
Thank-You Ray and Sam. I'm wondering if I can reduce the diameter of the stones and put them in my quick change collets to work like a profiler or will that tear up the stones?
David
David
Try it and let us know, David.
SharpGraver
Elite Cafe Member
Weii I ground one of my pencil stones down to fit in my handpiece collet and promptly broke my stone. So I guess the answer to my origional question is No.
Steve Adams
Elite Cafe Member
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2007
- Messages
- 320
David,
I use stones every day in die making. A grinder works well, but slow the speed down to keep from loading the wheel, or just dress your wheel when needed. Oil soaked stones grind well and don't load the wheel as much believe it or not. Ruby stones will have to be shaped on a diamond wheel. If you want to use stones in a handpiece, try mounted stones. Hope this helps.
I use stones every day in die making. A grinder works well, but slow the speed down to keep from loading the wheel, or just dress your wheel when needed. Oil soaked stones grind well and don't load the wheel as much believe it or not. Ruby stones will have to be shaped on a diamond wheel. If you want to use stones in a handpiece, try mounted stones. Hope this helps.
Billzach
Elite Cafe Member
David, i use gesswein pencil stones mounted in grs QC holders and use them in my monarch handpiece...they are very useful in tight corners carving coins, i use them on every coin i carve.
SharpGraver
Elite Cafe Member
Bill must I increase the diameter of the quick change collet hole or just drastically shorten the stone?
I'll try again coin carving was what I had in mind.
I'll try again coin carving was what I had in mind.
Seems to me that Steve Ellsworth figured out a way to do this on a Lindsay Air graver but I can't remember how.
There looks to be enough room to open up the hole on the GRS QC collets and maybe just round the corners of the stone and make it work. Maybe hot glue them in rather than applying pressure with the set screw.
Ray
There looks to be enough room to open up the hole on the GRS QC collets and maybe just round the corners of the stone and make it work. Maybe hot glue them in rather than applying pressure with the set screw.
Ray
Billzach
Elite Cafe Member
David, i put my pencil stone in a power drill and hold it level with my power hone with the 260 wheel and turn my drill on while my power hone is running until the diameter of the stone is right size for QC holder.. This makes the shaft of the pencil stone uniform and fits perfect in QC holder.The honed down end is about 3/8 inch long..
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SharpGraver
Elite Cafe Member
Ray and Bill Thank-You for your replies. This will be one of my projects for the morning.
Doc Mark
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Bill,
Which type of stones do you find most useful? I bought the sampler set of pencil stones from Gesswein which has one of every type of stone they make. Do you use an oilfilled stone or the rapid breakdown types? When you say the "hone-down" end is 3/8 in. I'm assuming you mean the part that enters the QC holder. What about the actual length of the stone beyond the holder?
Ray,
I really liked your idea of making a firm holder for the stones. It would protect them from breakage. Perhaps a "U" channel square stock of the correct inner dimentions for the stone to slide into. Then solder a piece of round stock to one end of the "U" channel to mount in the QC holder. I might try this over the weekend if I can find the correct size stock.
Mark
Which type of stones do you find most useful? I bought the sampler set of pencil stones from Gesswein which has one of every type of stone they make. Do you use an oilfilled stone or the rapid breakdown types? When you say the "hone-down" end is 3/8 in. I'm assuming you mean the part that enters the QC holder. What about the actual length of the stone beyond the holder?
Ray,
I really liked your idea of making a firm holder for the stones. It would protect them from breakage. Perhaps a "U" channel square stock of the correct inner dimentions for the stone to slide into. Then solder a piece of round stock to one end of the "U" channel to mount in the QC holder. I might try this over the weekend if I can find the correct size stock.
Mark
Billzach
Elite Cafe Member
Mark
I use the fast cutting 400 and 600 mainly, i do have a few more make up of other stones that i,ve forgotten what they started as..Yes the honed down end goes into the QC holder.I leave about 1 inch protuding out of holder..I forgot to mention, after i get my end make up for my holder, i flip it around in the drill and use my powerhone to get a fine point on stone, as before i,ve drill and powerhone running...Also i haven,t had a problem with points breaking make like this..
I use the fast cutting 400 and 600 mainly, i do have a few more make up of other stones that i,ve forgotten what they started as..Yes the honed down end goes into the QC holder.I leave about 1 inch protuding out of holder..I forgot to mention, after i get my end make up for my holder, i flip it around in the drill and use my powerhone to get a fine point on stone, as before i,ve drill and powerhone running...Also i haven,t had a problem with points breaking make like this..
SharpGraver
Elite Cafe Member
Hi Bill I tried your method today and am having fabulous results Thanks again.
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