What are the results of 'FLAT graver cutting?' => 10 photos

 Here are some interesting results of using the Flat graver.

In my vast inventory of gravers, I lean heavily towards the #40 size of blade.

 Although this photo shows how rusty these blades can get. As long as the bottom edge can be cut cleanly, there is little concern about its overall appearance.

 I initially started to cut with an Onglet graver. As I was preparing to cut a serious line for my FLAT graver.

Any cutting for a FLAT graver must be thought ahead of time. There are three words: "WHEN, WHERE, HOW." 

 The graver must follow certain routes in metal. The graver MUST ALWAYS BE 100% HIGHLY POLISHED.

 

This diagram explains the exact result of each contour in the metal. This is 'not a game of chance'. Every series of cuts must be well coordinated and planned well ahead of time.

 Here, you can nicely see just how a simple line cutting will result when finished. I, with a touch of (English) humour, make every FLAT GRAVER LINE shine like the "Hubble Telescope". 

 Every Onglet 'graver line' has to be well prepared with much clarity. With this engraving, there is no second chance. I will just sit back and prepare a picture in my mind as to where each cut will be made.

 My engraving tools must be kept in pristine condition 100% of the time.

 With a highly polished graver, these cuts will be like a mirror in metal. In this one photo, you can see two steps of finishing the 'inverted V'. Every cut must be like an artist sculpting in metal.

  I will plan many steps ahead and THINK, our tools are the 'paint brushes'. Mistakes never enter our minds.

 Every line MUST BE A WELL COORDINATED SERIES OF CUTS, AND THERE MUST NEVER BE ANY 'FACETING' IN THESE CUTS. The angles must never differ from one to the other.

  I 'found' this diagram on the internet, as it displays the cutting widths of some of the Flat gravers. My Flat graver has a width, unfortunately, not in this diagram, pity.

Do you use a "FLAT" SHAPED GRAVER? => 14 photos

This FLAT GRAVER is a well-used metal cutting tool. It has been shaped to cut into the most delicate areas.

 

  There are many shapes of gravers; we will be dealing only with the 'Flat Shape' in this essay.

 Many stone setters will prefer a short & wide blade. I prefer the shape as seen in the first photo. 

 These blades, as shown in these photos, are completely without any form and can eventually be used for stone setting.

  As you see, this graver (made by another manufacturer) is also 'HSS'. All that remains is to use your 'bench grinder' and shape the front of the blade.

There is much interesting information embossed on the blade.

1. "HSS" is the tensile strength of the steel.

2. "Swiss Made" means where the graver was produced.

3. "N 4" refers to the width and its numerical size.

4. "Vallorbe" refers to the municipality in Switzerland.

5. "Glardon" was the original owner in 1898.

 All gravers that are manufactured these days are 'HSS', which means that they are created to last for many months. The 'HSS' means that the steel blade has been modified to be of "High Speed Steel". The #2/0 & #4 refer to the width of the blade.

 Here are a few common designs of blades. My preferences are the commonly used Onglette & Flat. The Knife, Round and Bevel are mainly used in engraving designs in metal.

 You can see on the bottom blade, the jeweller, or stone setter, shaped the graver blade to their exacting proportions. He did his 'graver shaping' on the bench grinder.

  Here is my favourite handle that holds securely any graver with two screws. One screw might get badly worn that will render the device useless. I always buy a 'two-screw' handle, as shown here.

 Any Flat graver will be instrumental in any decorative metal cutting.

 Here are some examples of metal cutting that both the Onglette and Flat gravers can achieve in unison.

 

 One side of this heart pendant was carved with the Onglette, while the right side was finished with a Flat graver.

                                 

 This particular information on the side of this Flat graver tool refers only to the company name and the specific size of the blade.

What size of saw-blades would you use? =>5 photos

  With such a wonderful question, here are the important answers for you. Print them out and refer to them whenever you need the concise and detailed information.

 I constantly use a #4/0 saw blade for repairing claws and for (advanced) stone setting.

 I inserted this diagram again as a safety measure.

Why is a Diamond Setting apprenticeship essential? (my history) 11 photos

 In the year 1960 (65 years ago). I started my apprenticeship with a jewellery company. I learned first-hand how to use my Onglette and Flat gravers. This apprenticeship lasted for 9 LONG YEARS, with another 5 years refining the multitude of new techniques.

 In the past years, I've had telephone calls from individuals wanting to learn diamond setting. When I replied that it took me YEARS to learn, not weeks, they gasped and hung up on me.

 From my L-O-N-G apprenticeship, you can see a multitude of 8,250 photos that now appear in my extensive blog.

Anyone can place a stone in a 4-claw setting. This doesn't mean that they are a fully qualified stone setter.

 One of the most important levels of my training was to fashion a new graver. This took me 2 MONTHS to learn & not make any errors or mistakes.

"In the real world, knowledge is demanding & essential!"

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              This little paper box is as old as the date printed on it.

 This is just another exercise in metal carving.

 These two brass plates were the forerunners of my training in using an Onglette graver.

You think that cutting lines in brass is easy, you gotta try it yourself. This alloy is like 10 karat-steel. The most difficult aspect of learning to cut into this metal was not to slip. That alone took months to master.

 This example of 'cutting & stone setting' was completed towards the completion of my training.

 

 What are these 'dots' for? I still, to this day (65 years later), using my Onglette graver to learn how to 'raise beads'.

 Imagine using a graver to cut a semicircle in (hard) brass and not slipping. This was 'beyond difficult'. My hand and fingers were working as a team.

  Shortly afterwards, I advanced to gold setting, finally, eh!

 This was not a C.A.D. (Computer Aided Design). This was the 'ultimate test' that I gave myself. This was a flat piece of silver with stones to be set afterwards. 

 BTW, no one taught me how to do this (insane) metal cutting. Why? After my training, this ability was ingrained into my brain.

 The 9 years of training were extremely valuable. There isn't a book that will show how to execute such precision metal cutting.

 "In-person, one-on-one" training is the best route to take. 

This picture was taken when my teacher "Stan Levine" (of Blessed Memory) visited me in my office.

YOUR "Polishing papers" (2nd edition) 12 photos

 With the advanced level of steel gravers, we've dealt with the preliminary steps of cleaning the steel blade. Now comes the 'finishing stages' to this delicate and exacting process.

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 We will be dealing now with only the very fine paper that has a texture as smooth as silk. But I go one step further by rubbing a graphite drafting pencil across the surface of the paper.

This technique will advance the paper texture from #1,200 grit to at least #1,600+ grit. There is no cost to this improvement to the 'polishing paper'.

 You can easily see how shiny the surface of the #1,200 grade of paper is. This is simply the graphite lead being impregnated within the pores of the paper.

 After the basic cleaning of the steel graver, we are not finished, but much more work is left to be done.

 I WILL CAREFULLY RUB MY GRAVER ONLY WHERE THE PAPER HAS BEEN TOUCHED. 

 As this is an Onglette graver with a bevelled (semi-rounded) surface, it is important to gently rock the steel blade across the ultra-smooth paper. An #800 grit paper is still good, but not as smooth as a #1,000 grit paper.

Even if you have only a #1,000 grit paper, you can still achieve a 'soft surface' by rubbing the paper with the graphite pencil.

 Here is the graphite pencil being used to increase the texture of the grit.

Only where the 'rubbing took place' is where the graver should do its polishing.

 

 I never leave any graver untouched or not modified. This technique is very important in the first step of "Bright Cutting".

In this photo, you can now see where the steel blade has been used.

 I've been using this procedure constantly on all of my new graver blades. Even if the blade has been recut, I will again polish the steel where required.

 You can easily see where the fresh, new blade has been improved after the grinding has been completed.

This essay is a 'review' of earlier tutorial essays, but it's always good to review with newer photographs.