Wiggle Line Tool

[horologist]

A question for those who have used a wiggle line border on their rifles…

I attended John Schipper's engraving class at Connor Prairie this past October and he let us all try the wiggle tool he had made out of the ball from a trailer hitch. Perhaps I needed to spend more time with the tool but I didn’t like the mass of it. One of the guys at my bench really wanted one and rushed out to buy a ball, as he didn’t have a lathe I volunteered to make the tool for him.

Wiggle Line Tool DSC03980r by galoot horologist, on Flickr

Having done so, I’m not sure I’m willing to make one for myself. Well, at least out of a trailer hitch. Instead I was thinking about making the shaft from some brass rod and the ball from some sort of wood. Is this a waste of time? Is all that mass really necessary?

[Shreckmeister]

Mass or hand pressure. Mass is probably easier on you

[okieboy]

 A flat graver in a wooden graver handle works very well and is probably consistent with what was often used, plus you could purchase the graver and handle for less than the investment in making this ball hitch tool.
 Wiggle or wriggle engraving is common on Leman rifles, look at the ends of the ramrod pipes and other hardware. The Leman wiggling is generally about .090-.100" wide.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

When I first learned about wriggle engraving, I took a piece of chain saw file ground the end just so, set it in a piece of broom handle and that's it.  I haven't seen the need to for fancier yet, but I don't engrave like Mr. Schippers either.

[Hungry Horse]

 Mine is a home ground cutting tool made from a recycled piece of chainsaw file. Its epoxied into an old hardwood drawer knob. It works for me.

      Hungry Horse

[horologist]

Thanks guys. Looks like the mass may be helpful but isn't required. I suspect John was more interested in using the trailer hitch to save wear and tear on his palm and not so much for the weight of the tool.
I think I will make mine from brass and wood.

[tim crowe]

Ask John Shippers why he used the ball hitch he was always ready with a reason when asked why he did stuff the way he did. He could show more ways to do something and why.

[Seth]

Good idea .


Shippers has the hand the size of a Sasquatch.  Probably works well for him.

Not historically correct.  Unless I missed the class on George Washington's ball hitch.

The historically correct folks can decline to use it.

[David R. Pennington]

How about a tutorial on how to actually produce the wriggle lines for some of us who haven't tried it?

[Hungry Horse]

 really! thats like having a tutorial on how to write your name. Wriggle engraving is the easiest process in engraving. Get a chunk of brass, make a tool, and go at it. Its a lot of fun. It has its little tricks, but practice is the key. All the tutorials in the world won't teach you what you'll learn just fooling around with a wriggler.

  Hungry Horse

[horologist]

Besides, considering my 15 minutes of experience with hand cramped by 3 1/2  8am to 5pm days of intensive engraving I don't think any tutorial I would make would be all that useful.

I have sent the wiggle tool off to its new owner and will eventually get around to making one for myself. I will make one with a similar shape but the shaft will be brass and the ball from wood. Turning that gummy steel Chinese trailer hitch just wasn't much fun. While I do have a nice assortment of small files, none of them are ready yet to be turned into gravers. Also, I do like the idea of using the 1/8" lathe bits as I can grind several of different widths and use them in the same handle.

For anyone thinking about taking the engraving class or any of the other courses offered at Connor Prairie you will not be bored or leave feeling like you didn't get your moneys worth. It was probably the most exhausting vacation my wife and I have taken since our back packing trip on Isle Royale.

Troy

[David R. Pennington]

Consider me engraving illiterate.

[JTR]

Hold graver in hand.
Hold pointed end into metal at about 15/20 degree angle.
Push.
Roll hand to right while pushing.
Roll hand to the left while continuing to push.
Speed of rolling hand controls how Wriggly the line is.
Practice with various variations until you like what you've done.
John 

[David R. Pennington]

how is the tool ground? What does the point look like.

[Hungry Horse]

 Mine is shaped like a blade screwdriver, with a sharpened blade. It is short, about four inches long including the drawer knob. I put mine in the palm of my hand, extend my index finger so it can ride just behind the cutting edge, and start walking it corner to corner as I move across the surface.
 If you visit the local saw shop, and ask for any worn out chainsaw files, you will probably wind up with a lifetime supply of graver material.

   Hungry Horse