"How do you hand-polish gravers"?....(at a very low price) - 17 photos

 Instead of spending 'tons of money' on a rotating 'honing wheel' flat disk, I can show you how to get the same results for less than $10.00. 

This Level of Difficulty is about 4 on my 10 Scale, YES, I wrote "4-10".

 Go to your local paint store or any hardware store and purchase a few paint-stirrer sticks. Then buy sheets of your preferred 'Polishing Papers',
Would you believe that's all you need? DONE!!!

 I'm not displaying the 'oil-stone sharpening process' in this essay, just this just a 'paper-polishing' technique. Although they both need to be mentioned, this essay is only how to polish your gravers without any ultra-expensive "power hone" polishing tools.

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 With my "Soft-Core Drafting Pencil", I explored different methods of filling in the pores of the paper to accept the process of increasing the texture of the paper.

 This paper was #1,200 and is now equivalent to #1,600 grit without any additional expense.

 With the same pencil, I've increased the paper grit from #800 to almost #1,100 grit with not one penny more spent extra in additional costs.

On the 'pencil-rubbing section' is where I'll place my Onglette graver.

 I'm rubbing my Onglette #2 against a paint-stirrer stick that has been wrapped with #1,200 grit paper. The only 'contact' that I have to the graver, is as shown in this photo.

 Of course not forget how nicely shaped the graver point is. 

 I don't want any 'large amount of unused graver metal' to interfere with my delicate Bright-Cutting processes.

 For convenience I'm now using my preferred "Adjustable Graver Handle" why this style of handle?

 I can place a long blade inside the core of the handle and leaving only the working section of the blade being exposed.

 I use two colours of handles as the 'wine-coloured' is always holding my Flat graver. This is used solely for quick graver identification purposes. 

 Now comes the 'polishing aspect of this essay', I'll lay the front section of graver and  gently hold the graver to the paper.

 The 'rubbing' will put a more tactile and smooth touch to the HSS steel.

 You can see here just where the graver is being polished, with an extra emphasis to the underneath section of the Onglette.

 

 What you are seeing now is just how far up the graver length the 'rubbing action' is being used.

 I applied a soft-core pencil to this paper and by rubbing on the paper, this process literally imbeds the pencil-lead into the pores of the paper.

 In essence, this soft paper now has the equivalent of #2,000 grit.....IS THIS EASY, OR WHAT? I'm emphasising the 'added pressure' to the graver, just where the cutting will soon commence.

 In the beginning of this exercise, I'm using a 'rough texture' of paper #240 grit to initiate the smooth texture. I need to have a clean area for my graver to cut, but not yet!

  Instead of buying multiple 'honing-disks' costing astronomical amounts of money. 

Each sheet of new paper 'could be' about $4-5.00 EACH, including taxes. Which is cheaper?

 The next paper is this series, is getting softer and smoother metal for cutting.

  For "Bright-Cutting" and other designs, such as 'ornamental metal sculpturing', it's imperative to have an excellent Onglette blade.

 I always use two blades as seen here. HSS (High Speed Steel) Onglette graver. The thickness is seen in the numbers shown, #0 is thin and #2 is slightly thicker. 

 On the #2 tool, is great to use, as I can easily modify the side of the graver so it'll be easily used in Bright-Cutting. Only ONE SIDE OF THE GRAVER WILL BE USED FOR THIS STYLE OF CUTTING.

 As you can see the ONLY THE POINT OF THE GRAVER HAS BEEN HIGHLY POLISHED. It is unnecessary to highly polish further along the shaft of the graver.

 The shiny area has never seen any 'honing disk' nor will I attempt to allow any flat disk to touch the graver.

 I WANT TO KEEP THE 'GENTLE CURVATURE' OF THE BLADE. If I put this graver to a flat honing-disk, the 'gentle curve' will be ruined or lost, therefore preventing me from getting a smooth and gentle cutting finish.

I can now use these Onglette blades in "Fish-Tail", "Gypsy Setting"& "Bezel Setting".

 I use this style of 'adjustable handle' to ALL OF MY GRAVER HANDLES. When the graver gets shortened from constant use on the bench-grinder, all I do is to extend the graver out of  the handle.

 In closing, if you still want to buy those honing disks, the decision is yours. I have never bought any nor do I wish to. My email address is "gerrylewy18@gmail.com"