[chris g]

Hello,
I am looking for cobalt gravers to carve extra fine lines in beef bone. The ones I have seen and the work done with them is a little too big for my layouts. So, I ask the question, "Is there a minimal limit for beef bone line carving do to the grain?" I dont think so, therefore I need finer tools. Now where to get cobalt quality gravers? Any feedback is greatly appreciated. ~Chris

[Janel]

Welcome to The Carving Path Forum Chris,

We have had multiple discussions on tools here. As I recall, Stephen Myhre used cobalt steel in the tools he shows in his book "Bone Carving". If you go to my web site Book Store and click on his book link to Amazon, you will have a chance to see the book and if any are available.

If you use the SEARCH function you will find topics and posts that refer to his tools, as well as discussions about tool shaping and use.

In Getting Started and resources, you will find a little video of how I personally use tools shaped in the spirit of SM's tools.

Best of luck to you on your quest. Please share your successes and failures with us here, to help us to learn more!

Janel

[Ed Twilbeck]

I did a Google search with cobalt gravers. Found several listings for them.

[chris g]

chris g, on Apr 27 2009, 12:37 PM, said:

Hello,
I am looking for cobalt gravers to carve extra fine lines in beef bone. The ones I have seen and the work done with them is a little too big for my layouts. So, I ask the question, "Is there a minimal limit for beef bone line carving do to the grain?" I dont think so, therefore I need finer tools. Now where to get cobalt quality gravers? Any feedback is greatly appreciated. ~Chris

Thanks Janel and Ed. I have purchased and read some of the book and also googled "cobalt gravers". The google serach didnt turn up anything too useful. Maybe I am looking in the wrong place. I am hoping to get in touch with SM to see what he suggests.

I am still looking for a place to purch cobalt gravers. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

[tsterling]

I've been using Steve Lindsay's M42 3/32 inch square gravers. You can only buy the blanks, but he also sells a brilliant sharpening system, with numerous templates for various shapes of gravers. These M42 gravers are designed to fit in his pneumatic Airgraver, but he also sells a manual handle fixture. Of course, if you have some basic metalworking equipment (ie a drill press) you can pretty easily make the same handle, and the other type of extension for use with hand-held hammers (both are pictured on the sales page link).

Here's a link for a description of his sharpening system: Lindsay Sharpening Templates

Here's a link for the sales: Lindsay Graver Sales

I have this sharpening system and it's absolute magic - foolproof even for me. I would suggest the Carl Bleile Deep Line & BankNote templates for fine lines in bone.

Now for the bad news: I've only done a little engraving in ivory, bone and antler, but in certain directions (directions more or less across the grain) gravers can produce some tearing, often just on one side of the line. Repetitive, light cuts can help.

Hope this is of use!

[fkvesic]

I've just fixed together a graver and a small mushroom handle. It's a 1.5mm onglette and the 'blade' itself is about 8cm long. I've tried it on wood, bone and hard plastic and find that if I rest my index finger about 1 cm in from the cutting edge and hold the graver almost parallel to the material I'm working on, it cuts fine lines well and regularly. Steepening the angle causes it to gouge into the material.

Thanks for the info. on making the v gouge, Clive. I'm guessing that would be useful for a wider gouge in the material than the onglette makes.

[Ron Scupham]

Go to any engineers supply house, the ones that supply to machinists, the have round cobolt steel down to 4-5mm. Then its a matter of shaping to your needs.

[Ron Scupham]

Hey also I have made these for hair. I got a hold of some needles from a nuematic descaling gun (needle gun) These are used for cleaning scale off of steel & or chipping flux off of welds. They are 2.5 - 3.0mm in dia. and are really tough. All I did was heat and bend them to an angle that was comfortable then sharpened them into cut 2 different directions. In other words to cut to the left and another one shaped to cut to the right. I find this technique allows for a better control. See this picture

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