Monogram techniques for beginner

[Big Ed]

After a couple of weeks of learning to make and sharpen tools, and practicing lines with hammer and chisel, I decided to see what I could do on a practice project. My ultimate goal is an inlaid monogram. Below is my first attempt, sans inlay. The D is one inch tall.



I have made 3 gravers so far: square, knife, and 1mm flat. I plan to make a couple more flats of various widths and an onglette.

For this attempt, I used the following technique: I scribed the letters, cut hairlines and double lines with a square, hollowed out the space between double lines with a flat, and cleaned up the line intersections with a knife. I tried cutting double lines with a flat alone, but can't keep it straight yet. My sole flat was about half the width of the double lines so it took multiple parallel passes.

Obviously I still need to work on straight lines and smooth curves. When cutting straight lines or tracking a scribed curve, should my eye be behind the graver to keep it lined up, or broadside to watch the tip track the scribed line?

If I screw up and dive too deep on a hairline, like I did at the top of the B, is there any way to recover other than widening the rest of the line so the edge is straight?

Any other advice to focus my practice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[monk]

lookin real good at this point. your straight lines look good. the flat areas on the d & b could be corrected with additional, careful cutting. i look at the line and tip. one develops a 'feel" of sorts, to keep things on track. it's difficult to say, really-- when doing cutting, i go into a "zone" where not too much cerebration takes place. at least for me,once a graver is set and begins to cut, hand/eye coordination just happens.
from the looks of this, i think you will achieve your goal in short order.

 

[Big Ed]

Thanks for the feedback. When you look at the line and tip, do you place the tip on the far side or near side of the scribed line, relative to your line of sight?

 

[N1RIO]

I like to cut right on the scribed line. If you don't some of the scribed line is going to show. If your lines are straight your cutting will be. Practice makes perfect

 

[monk]

i violate all the rules ! i stay on the line ( or at least try to ). as long as i am cutting in the black, i'm good to go. which side of the line should you cut ? i think it would depend on what the line was for. a scroll, a letters' edge, a border line. in sams' videos, he shows cutting up to, and just "kissing'his layout line. when i'm done cutting, i know i've screwed up if i can see much of the original layout line. ymmv

 

[Big Ed]

My transfer method might be part of my problem then. I am coating the surface with blue sharpie and lightly scribing the lines with a carbide scribe. Makes an extremely thin line that is impossible to stay "in the black". I was trying to keep the edge riding right on the line, but don't have enough magnification on my optivisor to do that reliably. What kind of transfer method would you suggest for a monogram like this?

I am also probably going to reduce the size of the letters and the width of the double lines. I tried inlaying with copper last night, and I pounded a lot of material into that D. I also filed a lot of copper away to get it flush. Not keen to waste gold like that. Copper was a total PITA, by the way. Wound up having to flatten it with a ball peen hammer, anneal, then fix in place with steel punches. Sure hope gold is easier, because I made a lot of dings on the work piece.