Barry Lee Hands... works in progress

[Steve Lindsay]

These are a few photos Barry Lee Hands recently provided to help promote the AirGraver. The photos are some of Barry's work in progress with the tool. Thanks again Barry!

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Lee Helgeland Hagn System single shot with large scroll



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Jerry Fisher Bolt action Mauser with small tessellated scroll



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1911 colt grips made of pearl decorated with guilded pearl



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Drilling the holes for stone settings in a new 'I' model Steve Hoel knife with gold overlays.





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[mrthe]

fantastics photos thank you for share , one question, wich point is this used in the first photo and how is it sharpened? i can see that is very small

[SEngraver]

Hi,

Great pictures and very good clarity .The raised inlay can be seen.Thank you for the pictures.

SE

[rod]

These are quite lovely examples of work and tool in progress, Barry and Steve!

As ever, the quality of photography is a match for the work, and each frame is very interesting and beautiful. In particular, the first photograph shows the perfect way to cut the transition between relieved background and foreground. Quite often we see pictures of good design and cutting, marred only by the lack of any clear, sharp distinction between background and foreground. This situation results by cutting the background right up to the edge of the foreground, and after some form of darkening, either blackened or stippled, the engraving outline devolves to a rather ragged cliff edge, albeit it very tiny ragged edges. Now look here at Barry's treatment, his backgrounds are cut with 'Rolls Royce' precision, and in no way mar the equally precise angled 'beauty' cut so nicely giving the sense of depth to the foreground. The trick is to have this boundary survive the negative space removal. I am not saying that only Barry achieves this, but his photo here is the best I have seen in showing very clearly what some of us are missing in our cutting of an otherwise good design. Even when we understand the process well, achieving Barry's tool control that delivers the result is pretty darn impressive.

Thank you!

Rod

[Tom McArdle]

Good observation Rod. One way to have the beveled cuts "survive' the background removal is to go over them again after the back ground is finished. Sometimes you may want to just cut the out line fairly lightly first, then cut heavier after the background is finished. Either way, it takes time and a careful approach.

Tom

[Ray Cover]

Beautiful work Barry.

[rod]

I agree, Tom,

Outlining with light cuts, then background, followed by full deep perimeter does seem to be a preferred approach. Would you agree that trying to 're-shave' with a thin touch up on existing full perimeter cuts takes more skill. Most of you pro's recommend, if you do full depth perimeter before background, you must first do a heavily outward-leaning safety zone cut to separate the two zones? No?

Rod

[276ccm]

It really looks amazing! :-)

[Bert Edmonston]

Love the scroll on the mauser. Is this still considered English scroll as it seems larger than what I typically think of as English scroll?

[Tim Wells]

In all the close up photos over the years of him cutting guns in the white, one thought keeps recurring in my mind each time and that is that it looks like jewelry. The cuts are always sharp, crisp, and gleaming. Tool preparation, tool control, and know how!

[redgreen]

Hello,

I’ve went back to look at the background removal as rod suggested and examined it carefully. I’ve noticed the perimeter is cut lower than the field and that the removal seems to be done with a line graver cut very close together. Was the perimeter cut lower to start with or is it a result of backcutting? I am asking because I was thinking if it was cut deeper than the finished removal it may be to aid in starting and ending the cut, or am I over thinking this? Was the line graver used to darken the background or only to remove the metal? Lacking knowledge and experience I was thinking it may be possible the perimeter was cut deeper to insure the stippling did not push metal into the edge, is this why it was done? Wow, I thought I only had one question.

Bob

[rod]

Bob,

Best to have Barry answer that himself, however others certainly choose to have a slightly lighter cut coming into a deeper one as it is a nice way for the chip to meet the deeper gully and drop of automatically.

Rod

[bram ramon]

Absolutely beautiful!

[DiamondCactus]

Wow that is amazing work.

[Barry Lee Hands]

Wow, I am impressed by all the interest, thanks everyone.

Thanks MRTE, I think it is a Lindsay universal parallel point, sharpened with the template.
If not, it is a 45 degree square graver sharpened with a 1/8 rod on a 2000 grit diamond stone.

Hi Rod, I am glad you like the background, a simple "Brummie" (Birmingham) style parallel line background.
You see it a lot on the Holland Singe shots.
I cut the scroll, then use a straght edge to draw some guide lines across the work with a fine feltpen, then I cut them by eye, spacing them as the tool wishes to cut them.
Never fight the tool, the tool is your friend.

Yes Tom, that works.

Thanks Ray, love youir work.

Bert, what we usually call english scroll is actually german scroll, they have been doing it for hundreds of years.
I call this " Small Tessellated scroll"as it is laid out in a tessellated manner, (It is laid out on a hexagon, can you imagine it under the scriolls?) an ancient greek technique often associated with traditional Islamic ornament, I'll bet the germans got it from the turks, who got it from the Arabs, who got it from the Greeks hehe.
So maybe it is really small Greek scroll. . . . .
In any case, you dont really see it much in England until 1850 or thereabouts.

Yes Tim, experience helps, and as this is ornament, and jewelry is ornament, this is jewelry.

Redgreen, I couldn't really say whether I recut the edge or not, when I go through the first time , it is full depth, if I go through again to knock out burrs, I just kind of slide through, and dont try to widen everything, because if you do, you need to recut everything.
It is just best to be neat and tidy where required from the start.

[myazel]

First of all a thank you to Steve for posting this and Barry for being so open with his technique! Now a question about the scroll work on the mauser action, I see some shade lines cut following the arc of an adjacent scroll near the center of the image and some to the right side that are just straight cut. Obviously you use both sense that is what is here and was wondering how you approach the use of what where? Coming from an art background I would just intend to use what I thought was needed wherever but wonder if you have a better plan or just look at it as a work of art? I guess the reason for my question is I always tend to feel there is more "order" in engraving than art in general.

[Barry Lee Hands]

Thanks Myazel, I just wing it.
After a while you get a sense of what goes where, and how to be consistent.

[Titian]

Thank this post... I love it...

[Bert Edmonston]

Originally Posted by Barry Lee Hands

Bert, what we usually call english scroll is actually german scroll, they have been doing it for hundreds of years.
I call this " Small Tessellated scroll"as it is laid out in a tessellated manner, (It is laid out on a hexagon, can you imagine it under the scriolls?) an ancient greek technique often associated with traditional Islamic ornament, I'll bet the germans got it from the turks, who got it from the Arabs, who got it from the Greeks hehe.
So maybe it is really small Greek scroll. . . . .
In any case, you dont really see it much in England until 1850 or thereabouts.

When you make your design layout, do you just draw it on the object or are you using a transfer method of some sort? I'm assuming you draw the scroll design on paper first?

Thank you so much for answering all the questions.

[Barry Lee Hands]

Bert, when I lay it out, I use a fine tip felt pen to sketch it in. I don't do many transfers. I will try to find a pic of the layout on that one when I get a chance. I am in an airport at the moment.

[myazel]

Thanks for the info Barry! Is the entire design cut with a single point or are the wide cuts on the leaf done with a round?