Power less... during storm, but can still engrave with AirGraver

[Brian]

3 huge trees fell at the end of our street yesterday evening. The power and cable companies came and cut the services. Said they'd have equipment out to untangle the wires and put up a new pole within hours...

Guess the equipment got tied up elsewhere. Still no power early this morning.

Not a problem. Using 2 battery powered LED gooseneck lamps (not my favorite, but they got me by) a Palm Control on a CO2 bottle, and Steve's newest manual sharpening system to tune up a couple gravers - I got 4 hours of work done before they hooked us back up...

Try THAT with any other pneumatic system out there!

Brian P. Marshall
Stockton Jewelry Arts School
Stockton, CA USA
209-477-0550
instructor@jewelryartschool.com

P.S. Perhaps I should clarify that I am a cripple - I think that most folks on any of the forums are well aware of that by now... but just in case: I no longer have the options of using a hammer/chisel because I am missing a shoulder muscle. I can still hand push a little, but not for any length of time. Those four hours would not have been possible without Steve's "electricityless" power assist.

[Dave London]

Thanks Brian
Good info I keep a 20lb bottle of CO2 around so I can take the PC on road trips and also can keep cutting with out the compressor. Not as banged up as you are but I feel the pain as well. Take care Dave

[truehand]

Brian,
Love to hear about the freedom of Lindsay equipment. I tell ya, Steve must have been reading my mind when he came out with the Palm Control and now the sharpening system because I have been dreaming of the day I can set up on my sailboat. Now I can! I am busy converting my nav station to an engraving station.
(Well, I still need to purchase the sharpener and have one of my Airgravers converted to Palm Control ..but that's the easy part, now that the products exist!)
Thank you Steve!!

[Steve Lindsay]

Brian,

We had an ice storm about this time a year ago that knocked out power here for a week. I was still engraving for several flute manufacturers at the time. One of them was Brannen Brothers which turns out around 30 to 35 hand made flutes a month. Each one has logos and serial numbers to be engraved. In order to keep up during the ice storm, I did like you and attached a PalmControl to Co2. There was no way I could have used hammer and chisel and do the same quaility of job, plus it would have taken a half a day to try and cut one by palmpushing, not to mention the increased chances of slipping on a round tube of a flute. I did engrave for Brannens since '94 and but recently stopped. The AirGraver and PalmControl were developed while working for Brannens. Their flutes were what I would test new design protype airgravers on. Before that time I used a machine my father made that uses blow pulses together with a spring in the handpiece. In '94 when I began engraving Brannen's flutes I timed myself cutting one with the blow pulse spring design handpiece. It took 2 hours. When the Chasing AirGraver was made in 2000 I could cut them in 1 hour. When the redesigned nose of the airgraver was developed so it was isolated from the body and the stroke adjustment ring the time I could then cut them was 45 minutes. Finally when the PalmControl was developed I could them cut them in 30 to 35 minutes. This video (link) is of engraving one from start to finish with the PalmControl. Thinking back on this, if I wanted to make money at this there was no way I could go back to the past power tools designs or manual hammer and chisel.

I recently gave up the Brannen flute engraving. Andy S. and Tim A. are now cutting them. I have spoken with Andy. He is using a PalmControl and he can also engrave them in around 30 minute time too. Anyway, during the week without power I was able to get some work done with the PalmControl and Co2. Without it I would of fallen behind trying to keep up with Brannens 30 to 35 flutes a month.

Steve

[Rich Hambrook]

Brian,
Excellent story. One never knows when they will be in that predicament. When hand engraving is your livelihood, every minute counts. There has been debates on other forums on how a different hand piece can or cannot make one a better or faster engraver. I believe that will be a never ending story because people are really partial to their equipment in hand. I am one to stand up proudly to say this Palm Control is absolutely fascinating from several different angles, and your story is just one of the many angles. Steve's Palm Control, I believe, has made me a better and faster engraver. I am capable of accomplishing great strides in my work much easier and faster. I am using "power" where I couldn't before in delicate area's where only a push tool would do. Then with the simple twist of a ring, hog out huge amounts of steel. Do all that with absolutely no power to the house or even "while sailing!" Nothing short of fascinating. Thanks for sharing your story.

Rich Hambrook

[mckeenh]

With the ability to use CO2 and the intuitiveness of Steve's tool I don't know how the other guys stay in business. May be they just hollar louder.

Neil:yesnod: