help me between microscope and pneumatic engraving

[RichardNy]

hi .. i have th base tools. rolling mill, micro-motor, ultrasonic, steamer. opt-visors 2x to 3.5x . ball vise. smith-little torch. the base i have.. so i wanna invest in some more .. and in this stage im stuck to decide which is more importante between microscope and pneumatic engraving system.

i like to do setting with small stones like 1.2-1.5 i have a hand punching graver .. 3 of them .. but my finish is not good enough.


which one should i invest? and why?

thank you all in advance.

hope everyone be well and stay safe.

[china]

Well just to make your decision more difficult, most serious engravers use a microscope the microscope can be use for a variety of jobs, so can the engraver such as stone setting and general bench work, personally I would go for the microscope, in my situation I have all my quality engraving performed by a super top quality engraver, I suppose it depends on what you do most at this time, engraving or general bench work.

[RichardNy]

Well just to make your decision more difficult, most serious engravers use a microscope the microscope can be use for a variety of jobs, so can the engraver such as stone setting and general bench work, personally I would go for the microscope, in my situation I have all my quality engraving performed by a super top quality engraver, I suppose it depends on what you do most at this time, engraving or general bench work.

OMG xD but if could buy only one..? still was gonna be the microscope?

[china]

Yes personally I would buy the microscope

[ps_bond]

Scope. Look at Jason Marchiafava's videos for some hand-pushed training using a scope.

[josef1]

Microscope for me too. I think its one of my favorite things , Its probs the best thing I have purchased to improve my setting

[ps_bond]

I've just used mine to take a couple of thorns from the szechuan pepper bush out of my fingers (and earlier I was doing some board rework under it).

[alastairduncan]

It's the microscope for me as well. As an alternative style of engraving take a look at Malcolm Appleby's work.

https://www.instagram.com/malcolm_appleby_engraving

He uses a scope as well as Leica surgeons magnifiers. He is old school push engraving as well as hammer and chisel, very different style to Jason Marchiafava's work.

[RichardNy]

Scope. Look at Jason Marchiafava's videos for some hand-pushed training using a scope.

wow this guy do a really fine work! he use only pushed graver? no pneumatic?

[ps_bond]

This should work...


https://vimeo.com/ondemand/ornamentalengraving/328537972

Malcolm Appleby's style is very different - what's shown here is more of a focus on the (dare I say more basic) fundamental decorative engraving motifs.

[RichardNy]

This should work...


https://vimeo.com/ondemand/ornamentalengraving/328537972

Malcolm Appleby's style is very different - what's shown here is more of a focus on the (dare I say more basic) fundamental decorative engraving motifs.

basically i need the graver to make the cuts on pave setting.. and surround stones. and i dont have the hammer handpiece.. because i use a micromotor .. and only the handppiece is a price of a engraving system or a microscope.

[ps_bond]

Flat, onglette, round scorpers (if you're raising beads rather than cutting down around them). Everything in Jason's video is, IIRC, done with an onglette & a flat.
I still use my "basic" gravers & scorpers as well as the Airgraver.

[RichardNy]

Flat, onglette, round scorpers (if you're raising beads rather than cutting down around them). Everything in Jason's video is, IIRC, done with an onglette & a flat.
I still use my "basic" gravers & scorpers as well as the Airgraver.

so its possible do it?
without air graver?>

12709

[ps_bond]

Seriously? People have been engraving and setting with gravers & scorpers for centuries. Powered engraving tools are a very recent development by comparison. Yes, they make a few things easier, but there's nothing can be done with them that can't be done by hand.
Have a look at the Art of Setting by Grether for some advice on traditional setting methods.

[RichardNy]

Seriously? People have been engraving and setting with gravers & scorpers for centuries. Powered engraving tools are a very recent development by comparison. Yes, they make a few things easier, but there's nothing can be done with them that can't be done by hand.
Have a look at the Art of Setting by Grether for some advice on traditional setting methods.


Hoo thats great! I will check and study them..


So come the next thing..

Is the old microscope like 8 years old are functional as new ones?

A friend told me to buy a leica a60 but is way too much for me.


Advice for a microscope with a maximun budget of 550$ ? Used or new ... wich ine should i take?

[china]

This is the piece my engraver completed, at the end of his apprenticeship and presented the the Goldsmiths Hall, it is entirely had pushed
12710 a example as to what can be achieved by hand

[ps_bond]

There are better optics around, there are worse. My Nikon is from the early 80s, IIRC - and I've not come across a reason to upgrade it. Amscope get sneered at by "proper" engravers, but I know a number of jewellers who swear by them; a couple of years ago Meiji were the "only" scope to use, now it's Leica.

This has more detail - and pretty much everything said then is valid now:
https://engraverscafe.com/threads/stereo-microscopes-to-buy-and-to-avoid.3451/

[ps_bond]

This is the piece my engraver completed, at the end of his apprenticeship and presented the the Goldsmiths Hall, it is entirely had pushed...

And I doubt he was using a scope either :)

[RichardNy]

And I doubt he was using a scope either :)

The Leica sz4 would work for the job? I dont need any fancy right now

[ps_bond]

So long as you have enough working distance under the objective - it has an objective of 0.7-3x, so with 10x eyepieces it's a decent range for setting/engraving. Might need a Barlow lens though, in which case your max magnification will be reduced.
Make sure you get a suitable stand as well - normal microscope stands aren't useful in this, some sort of boom arm will be needed.
http://www.science-info.net/docs/leitz/Leica_Stereozoom_Series_Microscopes.pdf

Or go with Amscope.

[alastairduncan]

I have an Eakins scope that looks like the components come from the same factory as the Amscope. A review can be found here:

https://youtu.be/sZqCsk0kGm8

I'm more than happy with it, and it has a good working distance.