Author Topic: Engraving instructions?  (Read 2693 times)

Mikecooper

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Engraving instructions?
« on: March 21, 2016, 11:12:17 PM »
Are there any good DVD videos that teach the basics of engraving?   

Offline Mark Elliott

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Re: Engraving instructions?
« Reply #1 on: March 21, 2016, 11:40:20 PM »
Wallace Gusler has an engraving DVD.    Jack Brooks has a video on beginning engraving.   You can also still get the Lynton McKenzie series although they are expensive.   John Schippers has a huge spiral bound book on engraving that I believe is also available with a DVD.   

 I can recommend both the Gusler and McKenzie videos.   The Gusler covers just about everything you need to start and is a lot cheaper than the McKenzie videos.     However,   If you have no other instruction,  you are going to need the McKenzie video to really begin to understand sharpening. 

 I was taught his method of sharpening gravers by Mark Silver long before I knew it was his method.  I also took a class from John Schippers, although I don't have his book.   I do engrave "backwards" like John Schippers taught me just because it works better for me.   I tried the other way and still use it sometimes, but I can see what I am doing better with John's way. 

I am still not a very good engraver, although I am putting more time into learning these days.  I think I need practice and patience more than instruction at this point.   My poor eyesight is going to limit my results until I can afford a microscope and proper lighting.  It is rather hard to cut what you can't see. 

Just know that you are going to have to put a lot of time into cutting before you get good at it.   The good news is that you don't have to be very good to match most of the work on the original longrifles.   That said,  you are in competition with a lot of guys on this forum who are much, much better engravers than the original makers.       

Mikecooper

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Re: Engraving instructions?
« Reply #2 on: March 21, 2016, 11:51:39 PM »
Thanks for the info.  I'll look those up.   I would at least like to do something like you see on old originals rather than the super advanced artwork that you see on the high end moderns. 

Offline bama

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Re: Engraving instructions?
« Reply #3 on: March 22, 2016, 07:18:26 AM »
 Do a search on the net for the "Engravers Cafe" there is a lot of info there. You can join FEGA (Firearms Engravers Guild Assoc.) you get a good bit of how to material plus an awesome magazine when you join plus they have a tips section on their web site.
Jim Parker

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