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Written by William L. Howard
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Page 4 of 6
HELPFUL TIPS: If your Xerox transfer smears, you either got it too wet or your copy moved during the rubbing procedure. This transfer will not resist heat like soapstone lines will for cutting purposes.
Once you have a good pattern, you only have to follow the lines until you have cut them all to your satisfaction. Beware brushing off your work surface with your hand as the burrs you have raised at the end of your cuts will cut lines in your hand until they are removed with an exit cut. (SEE ILLUS. ) This is designed to get rid of them and save your hide from damage. While cutting, your graver acts like a plow or a wing according to the angle of attack. Steep angles cut deep and vice versa. The more taps per inch of line cut the smoother your cut will appear. Numerous light taps will work better than heavy blows for delicate line work.
If you find that the shank of your graver is bending it is because it got too hot during forging or some other part of the process and didn't get hardened later. Heat the center and quench to try and remedy this. Take care to keep the ends cold or you will have to fix them next.
Engraving and penmanship have much in common. Everyone has a different style so experiment with face shapes and angles as well as heel angles. Use the bottom and sides to create compound or beveled cuts and tapered lines etc.
These tools can be hammered, which is the usual method for cutting steel or they can be mounted in handles for cutting softer metals and fine work in steel by hand. The plates for printing our money are hand cut in steel for example. This is highly advanced work not recommended for beginners or amateur counterfeiters. A clever combination can be had by mounting your shaft in a handle you can use and including a short steel striker of smaller diameter which contacts the shaft through the other end of the handle. This allows you to cut by hand or hammer cut with the same tool.
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The Elektric Anvil