Making engraving tools

[AeroE]

I'm tempted to make some engraving tools to get my feet wet before I buy commercial manufactured tools.

I'm thinking about getting some piano wire from a hobby shop and maybe grinding some nails to try on brass or copper.

Has anyone else done this?

Wouldn't you know it, I sold my forge two weeks ago, now the muzzleloader build bug has bitten again.

 

[rich pierce]

I chase with the hammer and no longer push or hand engrave. I like bigger tools with more mass and length than the gravers we can buy. 01 tool steel drill rod works well for gravers. It's possible to use stock removal method (file and grind) or forging to get the shapes you want- square, round, flat. I harden to straw and see how they work. If they chip I draw them back more and if they dull too easily I re-harden and go to light straw at the cutting edge. I leave the rest of the tool annealed.

 

[Powderhorn]

I buy 1/8 inch square cobalt steel. It doesn't cost too much and keeps its edge longer than regular steels. Grind one end at a 45 degree angle and you can engrave a lot with it. I put a handle on it and chase it with a light hammer. using a graver is difficult and hard to control.
Hornman

 

[Bill Bounds]

Hey:
I've cut old chain saw files in half and used the tang end for engraving. That end is already annealed and just needs shaped and heat treated. I use handles made from some old chair rungs laying around. There's some web pages where a guy uses concrete nails, I haven't tried those but I take it that you can heat treat concrete nails.
Bill

 

[Bill Brockway]

Bill -

I do a fair amount of engraving, mostly on guns, but a few knives as well, and have come to the conclusion that, since gravers last such a long time, it's false economy to bother with substitutes for the real thing.

So, just what is the real thing?

I like MoMax blanks, which are a cobalt alloy high speed steel. They stay sharp longer and cut cleaner than anything else I've found. They are 3/32" square and 4" long. They are also pretty pricey at $16 plus apiece. One blank will last through 4 gun jobs if you're cutting steel. That makes the price $4 per gun. If you're cutting brass, they'll last even longer.

My second choice is cobalt lathe tools. They are 1/8" square, but only 2 1/2" long. The good news is they only cost 3 or 4 dollars - $1 per gun. For that price, I can afford to take the time to solder an extension of 1/8" key stock to the tool, making it 4" long. I use high temp silver solder, which is mostly brass. It's a little extra work, but 1/4 the price of the Momax. I can't tell the difference in the way one tool cuts compared to the other.

I turn my tool handles on a lathe, but you can also buy small file handles which work just as well. A word of caution here - don't get the handles too small. Select them to fit your hand. Drill a pilot hole to drive the tool in, and bury about an inch or so in the handle.

I also keep a couple of handles with brass brazing rods fitted in them, extending an inch or 1 1/2" from the handles. The ends of the brass rods have been drilled so that I can drive the 3/32" tools into the brass extension a quarter inch or so when they become too short to use in the wood handle. This allows me to use up all of the tool, except for, perhaps, the last 1/2" or so.

Bill

 

[THOM]

If ya wanta practice; get those fluted concrete nails..
or the square taper nails for flooring..
these are already hardened, and you
can learn a lot for cheap .. eace: eace:
Then if you get Momax like Bill said; you've got the best..
When you grind a 45 degree angle on the front; it's a good idea to hone the bottom of the heel ever soooo little.
This actually keeps the point from digging in too deep; and lets you ease out of your graving line..
:front: :front:
I use pieces of mop or broom handle - something fairly big - drill a hole and bury the other end of the graver in it..
That way when I'm tapping the chasing hammer, I don't have to keep looking at where to hit.. I can focus on the pattern and lines on the metal..
I still stink at it; but it's fun to practice.... :shake: :haha:
you will find brass ( patchbox , etc. ) a lot softer than steel ( lockplate, etc.. ) - gives one a lot of respect for those that can do this really well - ( and you all know who you are !! ) :RO:
spring forward
limpin' frog