engraveing question

[hortonstn]

i'm trying to learn to engrave and i have a question, what finish do you like to use to engrave on?
after cutting a design what do you go over the cutting with to shave off the burrs
thanks
paul

[Dave B]

Paul, I like to use a base of 220 grit. I use a stylus to scribe my design as I go and the satin  surface make it easy to see. I know that the goal of most all professionals is to take it right to the final polish then engrave. Those really good leave no burs and only wipe down the engraving for the final finish of the metal. I am no where near that  I use small squares of 220 to knock back the burs. I have a long way to go but here is a tang engraving I did on an Georgain English pistol



The touch up with 220 was just done on the surface

[WadePatton]

/drift alert/
Dave that's awesome.  If i never got any better than that-i'd be pleased.  I'm nowhere near starting, but kinda already see that's where i'm headed if i live long enough.

/carry on/

well, and also DB, about how many hours do you have in the tang?

the interested bystander

[Captchee]

 myself i like to take  the finish down to at least  600 and most time i even stone past that to 1200 before i start my cuts .
  that way i dont have to worry about  blending in un even surfaces .
  all thats needed is to then  use  engraving white or  other coloring. then place the design .

   IMO you need to at least get you back ground to a consistent  surface that will not hold color 
 this isnt finished yet . still working on back ground removel


this is the side plate on the same rifle



still alittle more work needs to be done , but its coming along

[Acer Saccharum]

I always scratch the surface somehow when working, so I don't try to make a super perfect finish. Probably around 400 grit max is good. At least you know the metal prep is good at that point, and there are no surface flaws that will rear their ugly heads later on. I always end up polishing after engraving. But after polish should be kept to a minimum, because the more you polish, the more engraving you erode.

[Dave B]

Wade Thank you for the complements. The time i get to work on my projects is so broken up its hard to judge time spent on some thing. If I were to guess this part would be some where around 20 hrs may be less. It really is therapy for me and it never seems like I spend much time at it at all but when I look at the clock 5 hrs has pasted.

[kutter]

Polish the surface up to what ever you will be needing for the final finish.
Don't try to polish it brighter after it's engraved, you'll only round off the fresh cuts.

Most of the stuff I do that'll be rust blued or case colored goes to 400 or so.
If there's a few 'snag hooks' left on the surface after the pattern is complete, you can go over it and cut them off individually if they are really offending. Use a small flat graver.
I know one guy that used to lightly plannish the engraving down with his engraving hammer. What ever works!

Cut correctly, the pattern should have some 'feel' to it when you glide your hand/fingers over it. That tells the person looking at the work that it's new work or well preserved old work.
If there are sharp edges all through out the pattern, the tools are most likely sharpened incorrectly. An extra long heel on the gravers  & faces of the gravers that aren't at 90degrees to the tool will leave furrows that you can feel.
If they aren't too bad, one of those 'pink pearl' pencil erasers with a worn piece of 1000 or 1200 grit wrapped around it will take the sharpness off w/o doing much else to the engraving.
Don't over do it though..

[Captchee]

Kutter is dead on . You don’t want to polish past the final intended finish . If you do you will get inconsistencies in your final work
 Polishing after engraving has an effect , just as  was also mentioned .
BUT remember that  polishing and deburring are 2 different things .

 Unless your doing  relief work  your  engraving is going to be sub surface from your original finish level .
 Burrs will thus be higher . The use of a flat stone or diamond block  of the same  grade as your original finish , will nick the burrs off .
 BUT you do not want to actually try and continue the polish  or you will begin to  effect your engraving .
 Think of it as  doing relief or incise carving on a stock  then went back and tried to block sand across your carving ..

[hortonstn]

thanks for your help
paul