hi from new zealand

[karuhi]

hello everyone,i have always been interested in gun engraving, and for awhile now i've wanted to try. i have an arty(ish) background, with a bit of added bonecarving and now some knife making. will be having a very hard browse through the site trying to collect some information on tools and techniques. would like to engrave/carve guns using maori motifs. if there are any kiwis,aussies (or anyone from anywhere!!) who can help with sourcing tools down here then PLEASE drop me a line - would love one of those airdriver thingies. ka kone ra - justin

[Roger B2]

Hi Justin,

G'day and .

There are a few Kiwis and a few more Aussies who have made themselves known on the forum.

Are you based in the North or South Island?

Many before me will have suggested that the best tools are available from this forum - if you can't spring for the airgraver yet (the exchange rate isn't helping much) I would consider starting with some of the hand gravers (or pehaps the hammer and chisel) and blanks rather than the traditional tools which won't fit into Steve's sharpening templates.

Let's hope you can find someone local to help you along the way.

Roger

[Titian]

Hello I'm Panja from Thailand.

[karuhi]

hi all, thanks for the replys - roger b, where down our way can i buy the hand tools? - yep looked at the airgravers prices - ouch and ouch again, great bit of kit but with the exchange rate like it is i can't see an airgraver coming for a long long time, or one of the vises. i'm starting to wonder about this as a hobby option - justin

[Roger B2]

Karuhi,

Steve doesn't have an agent in this part of the world so you would have to order from him directly.

Look about halfway down the page

http://airgraver.com/Hand_Engraving_Tools_Overview.htm

to find the manual push kits and starter sets but I would also look at getting all of the diamond stones to grind down and polish the gravers. Later you can expand the range of sharpening templates. As I said before if you were to get some traditional gravers (ie. lozenge, knife, flat or round) they will not fit the sharpening templates and one of the greatest problems newcomers have is the ability to sharpen a graver to a consistant angle.

There are numerous posts from newbies wanting advise - try this one


http://www.handengravingforum.com/showthread.php?t=2365

Don't forget to keep looking on the forum as occasionally someone has to let some tools go - but be prepared to pay for freight - same goes for ebay.

Good luck,
Roger

[SVD]

Andrew Biggs is a New Zealand engraver who does Maori themed work.

Partly because you'll have more trouble getting with someone for them to show you things you really want to get Steve's sharpening setup. The template based system is just about fool proof. I say 'just about' because you can make mistakes. I now know that unless there's a detailed 'how to' posted for a template that it's best to start with the small 'shaping' template (if there is one), do a little shaping and then switch to the main template and 'finish' the point. It'll be far too big and not what you want but it keeps you from doing things like making flats upside down.

Once I know how it really looks it's a lot easier to go back and make it right the first time.

Also, very important: make a permanent mark showing which side is 'up' (as viewed from the notch in the holder) on the blank. Some points are impossible to figure out when you go to resharpen them. I use a little diamond file to mark a line across the 'up' side (usually more than one just to be safe). You just need something that can't wipe off.

[karuhi]

thanks everyone for the help and replys , i actually emailed andrew biggs last night after seeing his web site. roger b - i live in the far north of nz, if i lived closer to christchurch i'd ask andrew if i could come and have a look at him in work, he's about two days drive from me !!. roger you say keep my eyes peeled for kit that comes up on the forum - is there a buy,sell and trade section on the forum? i couldn't see it. i may not be too bad at sharpening (maybe) i'm a chippie by trade and do a bit of knife making so have done a fair bit of sharpening, although nothing as small as a graver. SVD thanks for the tips on sharpening,i can't really see what you mean at the moment,but as soon as i get some gravers in hand i'm sure it will all be clearer. do the airgravers of steve's ever come up for sale second hand as people get better models? i see on ebay another couple of brands that i won't mention as this is Steves site. cheers - justin

[SVD]

Go up to the top of the page and click that rec "Engraving tools" link, them the Lindsay Sharpener link.

[chickenscratcher]

Hi Karuhi. I was trained using the push hand style engraving and have to say you may be able to cut steel that way you will not be happy with the results. The hammer or air powered systems are 10 times better at creating the look. That said I use the GRS tools and they work fine but I am thinking of adding Steves Paulm system because I would like to go portable someday and I would have spent the same money. I just knew of GRS before Steve. GRS does have handpush system at good price and you can do a lot with that method. The new skill my make it possible to afford the upgrade. See my test plate I did on copper ( all done without hammer or power equipment. Sharpening is the most important thing, and I think each of us find the angles that suit them, get them using the graver design sujestions we find in the education we seak out to learn what we should be doing from these master craftsmen that we meet here and elswhere. Good luck, chickenscratcher

[Roger B2]

Justin,

It is not so much that the kit will come up as used tools but some of Steve's tools in general will appear - sometimes when engravers upgrade or find that they don't have the time to put in to learning.

Your first post mentioned getting a vice. Some started with half a bowling ball with a vice bolted to it, the old timers used a leather sandbag.

Roger

[Roger B2]

Justin,

Have sent you a PM. Look at the top of the page to retrieve it.

Roger

[MASAYOSHI YOSHINO]

KIAORA MR KARUHI
KEI TE PEHEA KOE?
IF YOU LIVE NEAR AUCHLAND,YOU MIGHT WANNA CHECK THIS OUT.
http://www.magrette.com/
THEY DO NICE ENGRAVED MAORI WATCHS.
HAERE RA

[karuhi]

kiora Masayoshi,tena koe.
ka nui te ora
nice work on the maori - how or when did you pick that up?
the magrette watches are carved by andrew biggs here in new zealand.
i have spoken to him a couple of times now and he has been very helpfull, its a shame but he's at the bottom of the south island and i'm at the top of the north.
ki kite ra - justin

[MASAYOSHI YOSHINO]

Kia ora karuhi!

I was taking visial arts course at whitireia community polytechnic in welly for couple of years.
I took a bit of maori class for a while.however my vocab is very limited.

Right,sounds great that you have spoken with mr andrew biggs.
I thought he was in auchland for some reason but is my misunderstaning.
Oh well,the carved magrette looks stunning anyway!
Keep in toutch.

Hei kona
rangi rua(my maori nick name)