opinions please

[Travis_UT]

Looking for opinions from other experienced engravers. I am doing this geometric pattern, if you were cutting it, would you cut each circle and let the pattern develop or would you cut each small arc?

 

[monk]

i think you would save time by doing the circles first.

 

[SamW]

Agreed...as long as you get them properly located/placed.

 

[Crossbolt]

Looking for opinions from other experienced engravers. I am doing this geometric pattern, if you were cutting it, would you cut each circle and let the pattern develop or would you cut each small arc?
View attachment 49584

I'm guessing it depends on the desired outcome. Ideally the cut would make no difference but I suspect that given human variations cutting circles would produce a subtly more geometric result while cutting arcs a more "floral" result. Do 2 and compare

 

[AllenClapp]

I suspect that doing circles would produce more uniform line widths. However, if you wanted to let the line widths vary to produce a shading effect, you could start a little before the midpoint of each petal arc and increase the depth (line width) as you approach the end of each petal (center of each flower). by starting each half cut before the middle of each arc, the second cut can start in the previous cut and keep the line widths in the center of the arcs relatively uniform. This is a very different look than using uniform line widths for all lines.

 

[oniemarc]

I would cut the whole circle at a time. The flower of life pattern is build up in circles...it is supposed to look uniform. At least the lines. If you are looking for something extra, you could always do selective stippling.
Just my humble opinion though...in the end it all comes down to personal preference and therefor what look you are hoping to achieve.

Marc

 

[allan621]

I would cut the smallest element in the piece. One pointed petal at a time. The reasoning is that cutting all circles you would be constantly cutting one line after another and some of the cross over cuts may not be as deep as the other giving it a non uniform look. Oniemarc is right in that the beauty is in the uniformity so as the eye looks at it, it sees one element and in continued looking can see three or four more.

The other reason is that in cutting the smaller element you are less liable to get a bit of wobble then cutting the circles continuously and may be hard to follow the line when there are so many crossovers. Plus cutting one petal at time you can start from the border and work you way in.

Take your time, no rush and it will look beautiful in the end.

Allan

 

[oniemarc]

I guess in the end it comes down to personal preference. Test cut some pieces of scrap in different ways. See what gives you the best result. All options seem to have solid reasoning behind them.

Marc

 

[Travis_UT]

Thanks all for you input. I ended up doing a bit of both the full circles and the individual arcs.

 

[monk]

looks good to my eye