working with foot pedal

[pierre]

Hello all,
I recently try a pneumatic system with a foot pedal, just what i can said, congratulation (this is not insolent)to all who use this system, it was realy difficult to me to make a simple line with this device
I think that you have to work a lot with it to dominate the beast

 

[KCSteve]

It can be pretty tricky at first.

I was fortunate in that I picked it up pretty quick but I think I know why - my mother taught me to sew so I was already used to the idea of using my foot to control the speed of my work.

One tip that another member of my Basic Engraving class at GRS came up with: put something under your pedal to keep it from moving around. She went and got some 'shelf paper' - material designed to put on the shelves of your cabinets to keep the dishes in place. The stuff she bought was like an open weave rubber mat. Still have my piece under my foot pedal.

 

[jimzim75]

Hi,
Straight lines eh. If you take a steel ruler and scotch tape pennies to one side,
and then rest the ruler on the pennies. You raise the ruler up about a
one millimeter. I you rest the side of bur shank against the rule while it's
turning. You can make an exact straight line. You do the same with
templates.
Talk to ya later,
Jim

 

[Ed Davet]

Hey Jim,
Thanks for that neat simple trick!
Will save a lot of buggered up edges.
I think Pierre may have been refering to a pneumatic graver though - but your trick with the pennies is a jewel!
Ed

 

[jimzim75]

Just putting in my two cents worth, or four maybe.
Jim

 

[Sam]

Hello all,
I recently try a pneumatic system with a foot pedal, just what i can said, congratulation (this is not insolent)to all who use this system, it was realy difficult to me to make a simple line with this device
I think that you have to work a lot with it to dominate the beast

Hi Pierre. I've taught a lot of students with GRS systems, and I've not noticed any foot pedal probems with students. They seem to adapt relatively fast, so I wouldn't be too concerned if your first efforts didn't get the results you were expecting. For first time drivers, the accellerator or clutch in an auto takes practice, but after a short time it starts working without having to think about it.

Cheers / ~Sam

 

[pappy]

Re: foot pedal

I too had problems with my foot pedal, even though I TIG weld with a pedal and can do some sewing and use the sewing pedal. Another problem is the pedal gave me back pain. I sit longer to engrave than to weld or sew. I LOVE my airtact!!!

 

[jimzim75]

Free-handing stuff can be tricky. Remember to keep your speed up.
The faster the bur goes the smaller the bite it takes.

Keep your strokes short, you are not super man yet. Not many of us are.

Don't try to take to much at a time. If you are cutting more than half the diameter
of a ball bur. It could be to much and you will either dig in or go racing
across the metal. Burs can act like snow tires.

There's more but that's enough for now.
Talk to ya later,
Jim

 

[pierre]

hi all,
perhaps i was to impatient to obtain a result with the pneumatic graver
it's a new way to work and when you have an other way to do, it's difficult to change
but it was funy to try it.
Some of the students school try it without the pedal system ( they said to me that's was easy) and next time i'll ask to try this way maybe i'll be more lucky.
however what i don't feel whith the pneumatic system, it's the fight with the engraved matterial.
thank's for your comments
see you late Pierre

 

[fegarex]

Hi Pierre,
I think the big problem for you was the graver itself. I think you were used to a much different angle/style. Usually experienced engravers are used to a certain angle to hold the tools and it is hard for them to change that quickly. Try it again perhaps with one of your own tools. I stopped by your booth to say hello but missed you. Hope to see you again next time!
Rex

 

[allan621]

Hi Pierre,
I think the big problem for you was the graver itself. I think you were used to a much different angle/style. Usually experienced engravers are used to a certain angle to hold the tools and it is hard for them to change that quickly. Try it again perhaps with one of your own tools. I stopped by your booth to say hello but missed you. Hope to see you again next time!
Rex

I have to agree with what Rex said. I had been engraving about twenty years when I took a GRS course with Sam Alfano. Everyone who was inexperienced had a much easier time than I did adapting to the tool. It was one of the most frustrating weeks I had in a long time. Hang in there with the tool, once you get the hang of using it, you'll wonder how you got along without it.

Also. if you are using one of the older GRS tools, make sure you tune or adjust the handpiece to the air supply before you start engraving. Its a simple procedure and should be in with the manual. I was emailing an engraver in Spain who was having troubles using an air powered tool. I sent him the instructions and it took a lot of the frustration out of using it.
Allan