Hello

[Sam Salvati]

Hello, my name is Sam Salvati, I am a blacksmith and toolmaker and bladesmith. I am looking to learn more about engraving, I took a class offered by the NC black company, at Peter's Valley Craft Center in NJ, I became reinterested in it through a desire to try my hands at making some simple tools to use for rusty shovel type gouging of steel in a very poor mimic of engraving type decoration for ornamental iron and tools. I would like to refine it a bit, for some basic but cleaner looking work. I am here to see beautiful work and learn from it, and to learn techniques and maybe meet some folks to learn a few tips and tricks. Anything I know I will freely share thank you for allowing me to learn from you folks.

I have only in the past couple of days started trying out different things, I realize my biggest hurdle so far is lack of precise and repetitive angles on my gravers. I am engraving steel. I bought the Scroll template set from Ngraver, and am teaching myself scrolls, which I look forward to trying in steel.

[JJ Roberts]

Sam,to the forum,theres an engrave the first weekend in May 3th 4th & 5th in Wilson N.C.its a gettogether of engravers that meet once a year.Give me a call and I'll give you more infomation I live in in Manassas Virginia 703-330-0448. J.J.

[Roger Bleile]

Sam,

Try holding your chisel like the engraver (Jean Francois Dubois) in the picture below. This is called the European or side hand method. Alternatively you can try the "Asian" method pictured at the bottom of this page: http://www.engravingglossary.com/Han...ossary%20A.htm

[JJ Roberts]

Sam,I forgot to mention I have a school here in Virginia and I teach the traditional hammer & chisel while standing at a vise mounted on a pedestal.Engraving at a stationary vise mounted to bench is a waste of time,standing and walking around your vice you can cut a scroll in one pass,no wasted motion.I also teach the Lindsay Airgravers. J.J.

[Sam Salvati]

JJ thanks for the offer! I will have to look at money and schedule to see about making it! I am working at a stationary (not very actually) vice on a stand now, and walk around it just like that.

Roger, when I took the class, I was shown those two grips, and prefer the "Asian" grip, for me it offers a better view of things. I find myself doing other weird grips, still having trouble getting in the habit.

[redgreen]

I noticed you're looking for repeatable graver points, a very good idea. I have recently purchased a used Lindsay Universal template and graver holder, I obtained it with the thought of lending it for set periods to those looking to get into engraving but could not afford or could not justify spending money on a dream they were unsure of. I was intending to put together a kit that could sharpen and heel HSS for the Universal graver point but have not gotten that far as of yet. What I'm getting to is would you find use for the template? It requires 3/32 square graver blanks and sharpening stones set at 1/2 inch above the floor of the template. Nothing you can't figure out or find out about. I won't receive the template until the end of the week but if you're interested you can be the first user, let me know and we'll get you going with repeatable graver geometry.

Bob