Inlaying copper

[Ryan Lockhart]

John What do you think are the best ways for sharpening carbide gravers for mirror finish and what would you say the best sharpening stones are to use

 

[Sinterklaas]

For sharpening my gravers to a mirror finish I use diamond wheels for my micromotor/ pendant motor. You can buy them at most jewelry supply houses. Also in the UK. There are 3 grits.

I use them after I have made the shape of the graver I want on my powerhone. Then I switch to the diamond wheels under my Microscope. Recently brought a Bofa air filtering unit so I wont be breathing in the carbide and metal dust.

Here is a link to 1 UK supplier:

Edenta CeraGloss/SuperMax Wheels | HS Walsh and Sons

Edenta CeraGloss/SuperMax Wheels products category, Mounted Abrasive Wheels and Points | Jewellery Tools & Equipment, Clockmakers & Watchmakers Tools, Horologists | HS Walsh

www.hswalsh.com

I got the Yellow, Green and Blue ones. From EDENTA, not the mounted one for 14 quid!

 

[Ryan Lockhart]

For sharpening my gravers to a mirror finish I use diamond wheels for my micromotor/ pendant motor. You can buy them at most jewelry supply houses. Also in the UK. There are 3 grits.

I use them after I have made the shape of the graver I want on my powerhone. Then I switch to the diamond wheels under my Microscope. Recently brought a Bofa air filtering unit so I wont be breathing in the carbide and metal dust.

Here is a link to 1 UK supplier:

Edenta CeraGloss/SuperMax Wheels | HS Walsh and Sons

Edenta CeraGloss/SuperMax Wheels products category, Mounted Abrasive Wheels and Points | Jewellery Tools & Equipment, Clockmakers & Watchmakers Tools, Horologists | HS Walsh

www.hswalsh.com

I got the Yellow, Green and Blue ones. From EDENTA, not the mounted one for 14 quid!

Cool mate I'll take a look at those I just bought something similar on ebay a yellow and white rubber impregnated diamond wheel do you add any micron paste to yours also what's your thought on a ceramic sharpening stone as I don't have a power hone I use the pillar drill and diamond wheel until I can afford one

 

[John B.]

Hi Ryan, Sinterklaas gave you some info on sharpening and polishing carbide so I won't confuse you with more.
What are you engraving that requires you to use polished carbide gravers?

As you asked, I have lived in the Los Angeles, California area for the last 70 years.

 

[Ryan Lockhart]

Ok thank you bud and wow what a beautiful place to live we are just coming out of a long dark wet winter bring on the sunshine I say lol

 

[Sinterklaas]

Hi Ryan, No paste is needed with the Edenta wheels. The diamond is already in the wheel. With each color having a different grits.

I dont have a ceramic stone and with the Edenta wheels you wont need them. Because both are for polishing the gravers and the Edenta wheels are way cheaper than a ceramic wheel, plus you have to add diamond powder to the ceramic. So I stick with the Edenta wheels under my microscope.

I have brought some diamond laps for my powerhone on Aliexpress. They can also be used with a drill press. If you have an arbour to fit them on.

 

[Ryan Lockhart]

Thanks bud I appreciate your help saved me alot of time money and mistakes it's all very helpful to me

 

[MoldyJim]

From back in my moldmaking days, I have a fine ruby whetstone that works great for polishing gravers.
When I bought it, it cost more than gold per ounce.

Now you can buy this for $7 US?

Sugoyi Portable 100 x 50 x 10mm Sharpening Tool, 4 x 2 x 0.4in Whetstone, Cutter for Sharpen Kitchen Knives Shave Knife Scissors(3000#Red) - - Amazon.com

Sugoyi Portable 100 x 50 x 10mm Sharpening Tool, 4 x 2 x 0.4in Whetstone, Cutter for Sharpen Kitchen Knives Shave Knife Scissors(3000#Red) - - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

 

[AllenClapp]

From back in my moldmaking days, I have a fine ruby whetstone that works great for polishing gravers.
When I bought it, it cost more than gold per ounce.

Now you can buy this for $7 US?

Sugoyi Portable 100 x 50 x 10mm Sharpening Tool, 4 x 2 x 0.4in Whetstone, Cutter for Sharpen Kitchen Knives Shave Knife Scissors(3000#Red) - - Amazon.com

Sugoyi Portable 100 x 50 x 10mm Sharpening Tool, 4 x 2 x 0.4in Whetstone, Cutter for Sharpen Kitchen Knives Shave Knife Scissors(3000#Red) - - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

This particular stone may be red, but I seriously doubt that it is a ruby stone. If it was, it would say so and cost more. Look at ruby sharpening stones on the Amazon site and Gesswein site. A FINE ruby stone will put a mirror finish on a pistol sear, which is where I first used them. They are expensive, but they last forever with proper care. ALWAYS use them with appropriate lubricant, so that they don't load up.

 

[MoldyJim]

Perhaps, but technically, ruby is just aluminum oxide with minor amounts chromium in the crystal structure.
The chromium is what gives it the red color. Otherwise it would be sapphire, (of any other color than red).
So to be picky, any aluminum oxide sharpening stone is really made from sapphires.
I am surprised no one has picked that up as a marketing ploy.

My Gesswein ruby stone is superb, but if I needed a new one, I'd risk $7 to at least try one of these out.

The first set of diamond burrs I bought from Artco cost close to $100 in 1980 dollars.
They weren't any better than the $5 set you can buy at Harbor fright today.

 

[Aventuraal]

I've had a Degussit ruby stone (cut in half) for over 30 years, with no appreciable wear, and an utterly flawless surface. That said, I ventured some 7-8 dollars on the Chinese version recently for a final edge modification stone (I wanted the size, nothing from Degussit came close.) Surface out of the box was very poor, I had to cut it in half (diamond wheel and hand grinder), then polish the one with the other, using silicon carbide grit. Surface finish improved, but lots of porosity in the surface. I use it to touch the very tip of the graver, ala Frank Hendricks, for a final near-90 point. They work, but I keep noticing the porosities, as the tip catches in them. You get what you pay for.

 

[Ryan Lockhart]

Here are a couple of inlays I am doing one finished one in progress thanks to John sending me a couple of onglette gravers its made the job alot easier thanks very much john barraclough your a diamond