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With great trepidation I am soon to begin engraving inlay on a headstock and fretboard. I purchased some gravers from StewMac and not to sure how to prepare and sharpen them. Help please! Anthony Z38631.7285532407

Flat piece of something and some 400 grit paper, sharpening as soon as it goes a bit dull, worked well for me. I think that's what Craig told me to do. If it was more complicated than that, I forgot and/or repressed it.

Of what little I know regarding sharpening any type of blade, stones are for re-shaping, fine sandpapers are good for sharpening. I know we have knife experts here so chime in please.


I take my onglette graver and simply rub it out on 400 grit papers until it digs into my fingernail and grabs
(a-la Grit-Laskin method) If it sticks it's ready, if not keep going. It DOES work very well for me that way. I don't re-shape any of my gravers either, as in cutting out little areas underneath, etc.. as many books on engraving will tell you to do. I use them directly from Stew-Mac the way they are sent.

Craig L.

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www.handcraftinlay.com

Hi Anthony,
I have a book called The Art of Engraving by James B.Meek,It is mostly about guns and knives but does touch on MOP.He goes into painstaking detail about how to sharpen all the different type of gravers.It's a really incredible work. Published by Brownell and sons.
If you like I could copy the pages on the sharpening and send/fax them to you.
Brad

There is more to it than just sharpening the tip. I have read several good articles about it, including a very good one in a GAL magazine that I am still trying to find!
As far as memory serves me (which is sometimes not so far) Folks like to shorten the blade so it fits the hand better- the handle should rest in your palm, while the cutting edge should be at your fingertips. And I recall seeing the graver heated with a torch to soften it, then shape it, and then harden it again and sharpen. There was also something about putting a flat at the tip, so that when you agled it up off the flat then it would cut in....darn, I wish I could remember where that article is.....

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Mark Swanson
Swanson Guitars
http://www.MarkSwansonMusic.com

Most of that heating, shaping, flating out the tip, etc.. is for engraving metals (Meeks' book). They don't give like pearl does. pearl is much much softer (obviously). Grit is considered the best general graver out there for inlay, however, David doubilet (spelling?) is a full time pro engraver that did the million Martin. I have seen his works and others recently. I am sure he can give a definitive answere. His works are way more than just lines, shading, etc.. Does anyone have his contact info?

Craig L.

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www.handcraftinlay.com

Thanks all for your responses. Brad I picked up a got a copy of “The Art of Engraving” many thanks for the tip. Mark I think the GAL article you are referring to is issue #72, Winter 2002 by John Greven.   

I think I got it figured out as I just sharpened an Ongelette and Flat graver using a Crocker style graver holder on a Japanese Water Stone.   Craig I followed your advice and didn’t bother attempting to temper/re-temper.

The diagram below illustrates what I did, is this what you folks do?


Anthony Z38632.753287037

Yes, I just found the article and that's it, Anthony! Thanks. It's a really good article, too. It also goes through how to make several of the most used cuts.

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Mark Swanson
Swanson Guitars
http://www.MarkSwansonMusic.com

[QUOTE=clavin] David doubilet (spelling?) is a full time pro engraver that did the million Martin. Craig L. [/QUOTE]

Craig, I think the David you are talking about is David Nichols of Custom Pearl Inlay. David Doubilet is an underwater photogragher who shoots for National Geographic Mag. Unless there are two of them.

Here's David Nichols contact info, Custom Pearl Inlay

Your half right..
The marine biology side of me remembered the name as Doubilette (or however it's spelled) The marine photographer.
But the guy is definitly NOT Dave Nichols. No doubts he can engrave inlay, but I'll look into the other guy. Larry R has him on his site in the million Martin pages.

Craig.

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www.handcraftinlay.com

He says he works with Larry R. alot.
This guy is solely an engraver. His work is bank note quality. It's absolutely awesome. I saw some small examples of it at the ASIA symposium. He is a true engraver in every sense of the word.

He would have a definitive answer.

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www.handcraftinlay.com