Mark Twain on blue steel

[zippy]

Got to get better at taking pictures I want.

 

[Ray Cover]

Hey Zip that's pretty cool. I like the negative effect.

Ray

 

[monk]

to say the least, that's very nice. you should do this on a "shape". this is ready to sell !

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

Looks great Zippy, I suppose it is Bulino ?

arnaud

 

[zippy]

Yes it is bulino, I can see as far as I want in dark background my vision seems to stop on silver surface if that makes any sense.

 

[leroytwohawks]

Great job zippy!!! You got to love Twain.

Kevin

 

[eastslope]

Super job Zippy! Looks great.

 

[jfava]

wow that is a great job and effect!

I don't think I understand how you got this to work, but it is very cool. As far as being bulino... I'm not sure how that works either given that the cuts, and tool geometry create "dark" cuts... not white.

dude I think your on to something, and I hope you continue to develop it and get recognition for it.... I certainly haven't ever seen anything like it before.

 

[zippy]

Good morning Jason, all this is is seeing it in your head first, then with a soft hand just start cross hatching lines the blueing will start to turn gray and you go from there.

 

[mitch]

one of the toughest/weirdest jobs i ever did was engrave a bull elk on the objective bell of a Burris scope. it was going to be black anodized, so i had to cut the 'white' lines while it was still bright polished aluminum and the engraving would be filled with white paint after coating. i essentially had to cut a negative image. as if that wasn't a big enough pain, the anodizer ruined it and i had to do another one.

like engraving in a reverse universe...

 

[KCSteve]

one of the toughest/weirdest jobs i ever did was engrave a bull elk on the objective bell of a Burris scope. it was going to be black anodized, so i had to cut the 'white' lines while it was still bright polished aluminum and the engraving would be filled with white paint after coating. i essentially had to cut a negative image. as if that wasn't a big enough pain, the anodizer ruined it and i had to do another one.

like engraving in a reverse universe...

Wouldn't it have been easier to coat the area with something dark, like a black Sharpie and engrave through that?

Wouldn't have helped with the anodizer messing it up, but at least you would have had an easier time visualizing the effect of your work.

 

[mitch]

i tried all sorts of stuff- they even sent me a scrap tube to play with. the main problem was the mirror polish, compounded by the curvature, so the reflection was constantly changing . even black shiny is more shiny than black. a matte blasted tube would definitely have been easier.

ultimately, it ended up being like acquiring any other odd skill- reading/writing upside down or with your off hand, etc. after awhile i just started thinking & seeing in the negative. if i ever had to do a lot of it (heaven forfend!), eventually it would be pretty easy.

 

[KCSteve]

Hmmm....

Can't help but try and think of an answer to the problem (compulsive puzzle solver, that's me).

So the polish level was the main problem then? That means you needed something to cut the reflectivity both by darkening (so you wouldn't be working in the negative) and by temporarily messing up that very smooth finish.

You know, one thing I've noticed using the thinned Damar varnish for transfers is that it also forms a nice dulling film over the metal. I'll bet a batch of thinned Damar with something added to make it blackish would have done the trick. You'd still have had to get your design on their with something that would show.