Newbie popping into view

[KCSteve]

Hi folks!

Met several of you at BLADE - I'm the guy whose ever-indulgent wife bought him a GRS system. Got it last Monday night and have been watching my DVDs and doing some practice.

So far I can draw a fairly nice spiral but can't do a leaf or other adornment worth cutting (getting closer though). Did get one of the little flowers in the back of the GRS manual to come out OK and I'm having much fun.

Been lurking here and absorbing as much of the good info as I can.

Decided to try doing something more like a project but since I can't do a decent scroll yet I had to fall back to a geometric design a friend and I came up with way back when. For you younger folks, this is the sort of thing math geeks did back before we had personal computers to play with.

In therory there are only straight lines in this. In actual practice there are some curves among the many, many flaws. Got some good practice doing lines though and if you're far enough back it looks pretty nice.

Have to see how I'm doing after another week.

(now to figure out how to attach the image)

 

[Tira]

Congratulations Steve - You're hooked. Keep cutting and posting so we can follow your progress. You'll get a lot of help from the people here!

 

[monk]

looks like you were playin with your mandelbrot generator or sumptin. nice cutting for straight lines anyway. mathman if you extend those lines far enough into space, you know they will become scrolls ! good luck

 

[KCSteve]

Monk

Actually this pattern just predates at least wide knowledge of Mandelbrot - about 1978 is when a math geek buddy and I came up with this pattern. It's just a simple thing that you construct - kind of half-way between a tiling and a Mandelbrot.

The next thing I have planned is essentially the same plate but with a brush-script 'W' floated over it (my ever-indulgent wife's initial). I'll sketch the W and outline it, then start on the background pattern. A test sketch I did looks pretty good so I'm thinking the plate will as well.

Waiting for a couple of new gravers to arrive - right now I only have one square graver which I've left square. When the new ones get here I'll make one a 120 and see how those lines compare for this pattern (I expect them to be slightly nicer).

I should be pretty good at straight lines and intersections by the time I finish the next plate - then it's on to scrolls!

 

[BrianPowley]

Steve, you're displaying some nice,balanced design talent....even if they are straight lines.
The thickness of your lines are pretty consistent---demonstrating good tool control.
As close as you are to Emporia,KS, you need to spend a week down there.........man, what a difference that'll make.

Keep scratchin'

 

[KCSteve]

GRS is full up for the year but as soon as we pay off what I've got I'll probably get on their waiting list. Being able to just pop over makes that a lot easier than for folks who have to worry about last-minute airline tickets.

 

[monk]

you want to keep at it, but toss yerself some curves. the powley man said it your cuts look fairly consistent in width/depth. don't waste that plate. fill the spaces with curves. have some fun. the plate has 2 sides, don't let the other side feel neglected. learn to draw- it's ab sa lute lee krit a kull !

 

[KCSteve]

I've been practicing my curves on other plates. Curves themselves aren't the problem. It's getting something nice looking out of them.

But that's what more practice is for.

Picked up a metal shear last night so I can cut some practice plates out of the sheets / strips that are available locally. Of course, my package with some practice plates from GRS will probably arrive today so I won't need it for a while, but I know I will need it and it's always fun to go to a Cummings Tool store (Harbor Freight has stores in town but Cummings is just a few miles from my house - it's even on the way home from work).

 

[sdcoxx]

Hi Steve,
Practice, practice and practice some more.
However, a GRS engraving class will cut five years off the learning curve. Fully equiped classrooms and instructed by World Class engravers.
I highly recommend.
Stephen

 

[KCSteve]

I'm on the waiting list for the Combo class in early August so hopefully there'll be an opening.