Help, please: Heels on different graver shapes

[Rsepton7230]

Hello everyone. I am very new and am a bit confused on graver geometry for a few different graver shapes. I understand the 45° face, but when it comes to adding a heel, some things don't quite make sense on different shapes. Flat, knife, and round gravers to be precise. Wouldn't adding the 15° heel just change the shape? And where do you put the heel on a flat graver? On the sides or the belly? Wouldn't putting a heel on a round graver make it beveled instead? Sorry for the silly question.

 

[John B.]

Some things are a bit difficult to understand at first
Take the flat graver.
The heel follows and parallels the bottom, knife sharp front edge of the graver.
It is usually ground with at least 15 degree angle of lift, extending back from the bottom, flat forward cutting edge. It can be ground as short as a couple of thousandths inches back from that cutting face or more, depending on the use the tool will be required to perform. And the 15 degree can vary with expected use.

Same thing with the round graver. You correctly described it when you called it it a "beveled" graver.
It is usually a round bottom graver with the heel or lift cut again following the cutting edge formed there the face cut meets the bottom of the round section.
This cut is often set at 15 degrees of lift also.
But that can vary due the expected use of the graver.
Also the length of this grind, back from the front cutting edge, again will vary with the expected work the graver is expected to encounter.

If you work with and understand the the lift or belly angles of the V graver, the flat and the round
I believe the knife graver bottoms will be no problem for you.

Hope this if some help.
Best wishes with your engraving future.

 

[allan621]

I went through the same problem many many years ago. Luckily I was with a working engraver who took the time to explain how to sharpen each tool correctly. Its one of those things that I think is hard to describe but easy to understand if you can see it.

I recommend buying Sam's instant download - The Experts Guide to Graver Sharpening at WWW.Masterengraver.tv

I think its about 50 dollars but it will save you a lot of time and grief trying to find a starting point for sharpening every graver shape.

Allan

 

[monk]

as a rank beginner, i'd advise just starting with a 90 square with a short 15 degree heel. i think it's important to at least get comfortable with one basic tool. once you become adept with practice on the square, by all means experimenting with other shapes/geometries will simply expand your capabilities.

 

[mtlctr]

as a rank beginner, i'd advise just starting with a 90 square with a short 15 degree heel. i think it's important to at least get comfortable with one basic tool. once you become adept with practice on the square, by all means experimenting with other shapes/geometries will simply expand your capabilities.

Yep. Monk is correct don’t put the cart before the horse. You can do all the cutting you need with a square graver. Putting alternative angles on a tool won’t teach you anything, get cutting decent with a square before experimenting Imo.
kent