script lettering question

[KSnyder]

Hello everyone,
My question is, when cutting script with a flat chisel are the lines of beauty cut with one pass? What about the posts on the letter "t" for example?
Or, is it better to use a 120 chisel?
And does everyone use a "pick" cut at the top and bottom to square up the posts?
I have used a square & a flat and the results are about the same, passable but.........I would like the work to look as clean as possible.
thanks,
Kent

 

[Sam]

Kent: You can cut script with a square, 120, or flat. Some engravers shape onglettes to cut script. I prefer a flat for cutting the brightcuts and a 120 for hairlines. I also engrave beauty cuts in one pass with the Gravermach, which is difficult to do by hand pushing. Nothing wrong with the traditional way of 2 cuts though. I also do a squaring-up cut (pick) at the bottom of all bar cuts so that they are flush with the guidelines. This produces a very nice professional look.

 

[Cody]

I also do a squaring-up cut (pick) at the bottom of all bar cuts so that they are flush with the guidelines.

Huhhhh?????

 

[Sam]

Here's an example of squaring-up cuts. They are probably referred to by other names as well.

When making bar cuts, as a flat or V graver enters the metal, it rarely enters flush with the guideline. In order to make nice, flat tops or bottoms on bar cuts, a tiny triangular cut or 'pick' is made inside the cut. The image shows a row of squaring-up cuts by themselves, followed by two bars with squaring-up cuts applied.

When doing these tiny cuts, plunge the graver into the metal while watching the cutting action at the guideline. When done correctly, the cuts will follow the guideline perfectly and produce very crisp, professional looking lettering. Note how I failed to follow the guideline on the first cut on the far left. If this happens in a letter, you should recut. This example is about 1/8" (3mm) high.

~Sam

 

[Cody]

Ahhhhh yes, Thanks Sam. Wasn't sure what you meant. I find lettering to be EXTREMELY frustrateing. I don't know WHY, after all, it's nothing more than a series of cuts like anything else but....... Bah!!. How do you treat elemants like the trailing leg of an "n" where it's curved top and bottom??

Cody

 

[KSnyder]

Here's an example of squaring-up cuts. They are probably referred to by other names as well.

When making bar cuts, as a flat or V graver enters the metal, it rarely enters flush with the guideline. In order to make nice, flat tops or bottoms on bar cuts, a tiny triangular cut or 'pick' is made inside the cut. The image shows a row of squaring-up cuts by themselves, followed by two bars with squaring-up cuts applied.

When doing these tiny cuts, plunge the graver into the metal while watching the cutting action at the guideline. When done correctly, the cuts will follow the guideline perfectly and produce very crisp, professional looking lettering. Note how I failed to follow the guideline on the first cut on the far left. If this happens in a letter, you should recut. This example is about 1/8" (3mm) high.

~Sam

Sam , I got the picks down after alot of practice but just seems to always take me more than one pass to cut the bars and the the cuts look faceted or have grooves. Is this normal?
Thanks for the "n" example.
Kent

 

[Sam]

Kent: Actually it's not an N, as a lower case N has a double-cut bar to produce a curved top and bottom (per Cody's question). Ideally you should cut lettering shade strokes (brightcuts) in one pass. The more passes you make, the more you run the risk of introducing irregularities in your cuts. As your control improves you'll be able to do this, but sometimes even pros have to cut something more than once.

I'll cut another one and show you the double-cut. In the mean time, I can tell you that the cut starts in the center and cuts one direction, then the work's flipped around and it's cut from the center going in the opposite direction. This produces the small radius at the top and bottom of the double-cut.

 

[Sam]

These three images show the sequence of cuts for double-cuts in lower case script. As is always the case, all cuts made from bottom to top are cut first (or vice versa...doesn't matter), the work is flipped around and cuts made in the opposite direction next. As you can see in the first photo, a bar cut is cut followed by half a double-cut.

In the 2nd photo the work has been inverted and cuts made from the opposite direction are completed. Double-cuts are characterized by opposing cuts with a slight peak between them, and they reflect light differently than a standard bar cut. This is normal for the double-cut.

The 3rd photo shows squaring-up cuts and hairlines which complete the lettering.

The letters in this example are 1/8" (3mm) tall. Brightcuts were made with a flat graver and hairlines cuts with a 120° graver.

 

[Tim Wells]

http://www.engravingschool.com/handengraving.wmv

Here is a link to Steve lettering a golden flute. (sounds like a line in a fairy tale don't it?) At the start he does some script for the monogram and on the down strokes he employes that two direction beauty cut. So there's an easy way to see how one guy does it anyway, and there's some relaxing music playing along with it so turn your speakers up.

 

[Sam]

There are some advantages to cutting script the way Lindsay does it in this video. 1.) it produces a letter that's raised in the center. This can really sparkle. 2.) it wears better than a flange-cut (brightcut) because both sides of the cut are deep. 3.) Engraving large brightcut script on a tight radius can be risky, and making opposing cuts like he's doing is considerably safer.

I especially like the sparkle factor.

 

[deazyner]

Sam,
Could you please describe the graver grind that you use to "pick" the triangles at the start of the letters.
Thanks,
Keith

 

[Eddi]

Where can I buy the soundtrack!

 

[Sam]

Keith: A common flat graver, square, or 120 can be used to cut the triangles.

 

[KSnyder]

These three images show the sequence of cuts for double-cuts in lower case script. As is always the case, all cuts made from bottom to top are cut first (or vice versa...doesn't matter), the work is flipped around and cuts made in the opposite direction next. As you can see in the first photo, a bar cut is cut followed by half a double-cut.

In the 2nd photo the work has been inverted and cuts made from the opposite direction are completed. Double-cuts are characterized by opposing cuts with a slight peak between them, and they reflect light differently than a standard bar cut. This is normal for the double-cut.

The 3rd photo shows squaring-up cuts and hairlines which complete the lettering.

The letters in this example are 1/8" (3mm) tall. Brightcuts were made with a flat graver and hairlines cuts with a 120° graver.

Sam, thanks for all the time you spent to explain the technique it makes sense now.
Tim, the video was very helpful to see the actual cutting.
Kent