graver for bezels

[camalidesign]

I just love seeing these home made tools that very talented people have made themselves in the past. I think we "new" people are too hung up on fancy gadgets and tools sometimes!

There is obviously room for improvement on everything and I am all for any tool that makes my job easier, but sometimes I wonder whether we try to take shortcuts a little too easily!

Carin

[enigma]

what a good idea!

[camalidesign]

Seriously Nick, do you have a GRS BenchMate perhaps? Suttons do an engravers block with attachments here: http://www.suttontools.co.uk/grs-mic...ers-block.html quite a lot of money admittedly, but I guess if you are serious about it perhaps it might be a goer. I'm not sure if it attaches to the GRS bench bracket, but I assume so. Perhaps someone on here have it and can give some advice?

Also, a lot cheaper and something I found recommended (http://www.engraverscafe.com/showthr...graving-Blocks) was PepeTools engraving blocks, perhaps worth looking into?

Just realised that both of these are of course just for holding the work, not turning it.... or maybe the GRS one can be spun around like e.g. the ring holder??

A quick afterthought, if you do have a BenchMate you could just use the flat plate, set the piece in some ThermoLoc and then fasten the plate into the ring holder, that way you get a spinning platform to work on. Not sure how good the Thermoloc is to hold pieces for engraving but it does work for stone setting!

Carin

[Nick martin]

I like that a lot James, and as always you're an incredible source of information. Even with my extremely limited carpentry skills I reckon I could make one of those. Out of interest what kind of wood do you suggest using?

Nick

[Goldsmith]

I like that a lot James, and as always you're an incredible source of information. Even with my extremely limited carpentry skills I reckon I could make one of those. Out of interest what kind of wood do you suggest using?

Nick

Any hard close grain wood will do, I have a collection of hard woods that I bought from a woodturning supplies company, http://www.stilesandbates.co.uk/brow...on/261/level/3 as I also use filed hardwoods held in a bench vice for hammering some shapes on.

James

[Tabby66]

Very useful, thank you James!!

[Nick martin]

Hi Carin,

Thanks for those links and suggestions, but unfortunately I dont have the whole GRS Benchmate system although it may be a future purchase at some point.

I think that the clamp idea James has suggested should suffice for now, and I've purchased a leather sandbag etc along with the book that was recommended. Makes for excellent reading and also references the same kind of clamps that James mentioned, so thats good enough for me, especially as engraving is a totally new discipline to me.

Cheers,

Nick

[camalidesign]

No worries, Nick!

Those clamps do look good, James is so generous with his knowledge!

What's the book you've got? As I too am a complete beginner when it comes to engraving, it would probably be useful for me to get it as well.

Cheers,
Carin

[Goldsmith]

Check out this book Carin, "Engraving on Precious Metals" I learned a lot from it when I first started using a graver; http://www.amazon.co.uk/Engraving-Pr.../dp/0719800226

James

[camalidesign]

Thanks James!

Carin