23 replies to this topic

[chuck bennett]

I have been looking for used engraving equiptment. I finally located a used GRAVERMASTER II . It has been priced to me at $500.00. What I would like to find out, if this is in the ball-park for pricing. There is one shaft and head(tool-holder) and nothing else.
Thanks for any help.---Chuck Bennett

[Jim Kelso]

Without knowing it's condition, it's hard to say, but that's about half of a new one so seems like in the ball-park. Have you seen the Lindsay tools?

Lindsay Engraving Tools

[chuck bennett]

HELLO JIM K. I enjoyed looking in on the AIRGRAVER SITE. The kicker is I do not have any idea, how I will be on engraving. I am wanting to do simple engraving on spurs and maybe cowboy type work on my knives. I have done a little with hand gravers and am not impressed with what I have done. I had a hard time keeping the graver moving. I hate to lay out a bunch of money, to start with. If I knew I would eventially be able to do decent work, I would not not mind the cost of new equiptment.

Chuck Bennett

[DFogg]

I bought a used Gravermeister and paid $500 for it. They are very reliable machines and can be maintained through GRS. If it fits your budget, go for it.

[Jim Kelso]

Chuck, I agree with Don. The Gravermeister is a rugged machine that will last a long time.
It will allow you to see, with not too much outlay, how your engraving will go. And you can probably sell it if it doesn't work out.

[chuck bennett]

HELLO, JIM /DON Thanks for the input. I called about the engraver. It was still there and I bought it. I has one handpiece and the foot/control.
We will see what I can figure out with it. I hope y'all don't get tired of the questions. THANKS----Chuck

[Patrick Hastings]

Jim Kelso, on Feb 4 2005, 01:42 PM, said:

Without knowing it's condition, it's hard to say, but that's about half of a new one so seems like in the ball-park. Have you seen the Lindsay tools?

Lindsay Engraving Tools

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Lindsay was my first choice when I was in the market for a unit. Unfortunatly Lindsay was taking a break from manufacture at the time and couldn't help me. I ended up forking out the $$ for a Graver Max since I knew I would be in this for the long run. I am very happy with it, but I still wonder about the lindsay. They just seem like a very elegant design being self contained like they are.

[DFogg]

I got a chance to see one of the Lindsay engravers while at a show in Reno recently. It is an elegant piece of machinery. The unit I saw was being run from a small CO2 cylinder that an engraver was wearing on his belt so it was totally portable.

The speed and stroke are controlled from the ferrule on the unit and was very subtle. The handpiece fits comfortably in the hand and seemed a more natural way to hold the graver.

I am just beginning with the carving and engraving, but this is the unit I am going to save for. It reminded me of those incredible minature steam engines, pure function and almost magical machinist's skill. I know it would be a joy to use.

[Jim Kelso]

I've had my GraverMax for about 15 years and it's still going strong, so I can't complain about it.
Knowing Steve though, I'm itching to try his out. I do wonder if it would have the highest power that I sometimes like from the Max. I know he has two versions. I'll have to ask him.

[Patrick Hastings]

DFogg, on Feb 9 2005, 06:01 AM, said:

I got a chance to see one of the Lindsay engravers while at a show in Reno recently. It is an elegant piece of machinery. The unit I saw was being run from a small CO2 cylinder that an engraver was wearing on his belt so it was totally portable.

The speed and stroke are controlled from the ferrule on the unit and was very subtle. The handpiece fits comfortably in the hand and seemed a more natural way to hold the graver.

I am just beginning with the carving and engraving, but this is the unit I am going to save for. It reminded me of those incredible minature steam engines, pure function and almost magical machinist's skill. I know it would be a joy to use.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Did he have a ball vice sitting on a cigarette tray and parade up and down the rows saying "get your engraving here".
Seriously though that is rather neat. I was impressed with the tool without ever having handled it. Perhaps when my engraving skills are good enough i will still try to pic one up for finer work. In the mean time My GraverMax is pretty versitile. I have 901QC and a large impact hand piece which serve me well so far. I have the newer ultra high speed rotarty tool running off the variable air supply(nice tool btw) So the machine and its attachments cover allot of "ground" hehe.

[Patrick Hastings]

Jim Kelso, on Feb 9 2005, 12:59 PM, said:

I've had my GraverMax for about 15 years and it's still going strong, so I can't complain about it.
Knowing Steve though, I'm itching to try his out. I do wonder if it would have the highest power that I sometimes like from the Max. I know he has two versions. I'll have to ask him.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I was wondering about power aswell. I told him I do allot of deep gougeing in steel and ask how the unit would do at that. I did not expect him to expiriment and take pictures to send to me. Very nice fellow. He made some pretty deep gouges on par with my 901 (with the heavy spring installed).

[chuck bennett]

I thought I would check back in. I have the Gravermax and it works just fine. I had to replace some dryed out hoses. Every thing else is in good shape. Now I need to get some gravers,Grin.

Chuck

[DFogg]

When I first got mine, I ran it out of oil or nearly and didn't know what to use so I called GRS. They sell the oil for the machine, but told me what to use instead. I think it was transmission fluid, will have to go to the shop to check though...getting old. Anyway the point is that they were very helpful and even offered some advice on maintainence of the old machine. That kind of support and help has cemented the deal for me and when I do upgrade, I will be going to them for my next machine.

Still want the Lindsay too, but the Gravermax has such a good reputation as a workhorse and with the rotary combination would be hard to beat.

My question is about sharpening. I built myself a rotary diamond hone using a really slow gear motor out of a surplus dialysis machine. What is the opinion on the jig that GRS sells?

What are the most useful graver shapes? I will be doing more carving and inlay than engraving.

[Patrick Hastings]

DFogg, on Apr 26 2005, 04:20 AM, said:

When I first got mine, I ran it out of oil or nearly and didn't know what to use so I called GRS. They sell the oil for the machine, but told me what to use instead. I think it was transmission fluid, will have to go to the shop to check though...getting old. Anyway the point is that they were very helpful and even offered some advice on maintainence of the old machine. That kind of support and help has cemented the deal for me and when I do upgrade, I will be going to them for my next machine.

Still want the Lindsay too, but the Gravermax has such a good reputation as a workhorse and with the rotary combination would be hard to beat.

My question is about sharpening. I built myself a rotary diamond hone using a really slow gear motor out of a surplus dialysis machine. What is the opinion on the jig that GRS sells?

What are the most useful graver shapes? I will be doing more carving and inlay than engraving.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thats good advice Don. The folks at GRS are extremely helpful. It would be good to contact them in regards to the oil thing. My Graver Max came with instructions to never oil the machine and to filter any oil from the air line.
The gravers I use are Flat, diamond, knife, Lozenge, Round, modified bull nose(roundish) I also have a variety of planishing and textureing tools I use in the same hand piece. Most of the tools are set to run at low angles because of the heavy cuts I make. Still learning, I just expiriement with geometries until I get what I am looking for.
I also want a diamond power hone, but I have been getting by with hand shaping and sharpening. To do really nice as cut engravings the gravers really need to be shaped perfectly and very sharp. If your going to dress the cuts in some way you can get away with more primitive edges. I regularly use my belt grinder to shape and sharpen. It works.

[Jim Kelso]

I've never used a sharpening hone. I did use a jig and stones as described by James Meek in
The Art of Engraving when I first started out until I visited Leonard Francolini. He convinced me to hand shape by eye using a grinding wheel and stones. Perhaps it is necessary to use mechanical aids when starting out until you "grok" the geometry but I don't think it's a hard and fast deal. I can shape a new tool and keep them all sharp so quickly, I can't imagine going back to the mechanical aids.

Please see the thread - Tools and Technical > Gravers - started by Janel. I did a little tutorial there on how I shape my gravers. The basic idea can be used to make whatever shape you need. The main idea is to make a sweeping heel rather than a faceted one. I found out later that this is essentialy how the Japanese chisels(gravers) are also, except they start with forged squares rather than round rod. The sweeping heel is the same.

Useful shapes are those that will do what you want. Don't mean to sound flippant, but that's what it comes down to. Like wood carving the possibilities are so vast that it resolves to making the tools that will carve the shapes of your design.

[Jim Kelso]

Oh yes, now I use rubberized abrasive wheels(Cratex or other) on the foredom for the final shaping and pre-polish, then final polish on synthetic ruby stones. The geometry is ultra important, the finish less so, depending on the finish you want in the cut(not always mirror). If I'm roughing something out, I'll quit after the cratex.

[chuck bennett]

I have made some tools for the GRAVERMAX. I don't even know what to call them. Some have worked and some not so well.Grin.
You folks do not have any idea, how much people like myself, appr. the comments and ideas that you put forth.
Thanks a bunch. First time I have checked back, since getting the graver.

Chuck

[Jim Kelso]

Chuck, glad you're making progress. The ones that don't work can be more instuctive than the ones that do. Thanks for the appreciation.