Practice Plate

[Gene Tru]

I've done more than my share of practice plates it seems, but this is the first one that I've felt is worthy of sharing. Until about a week ago my sharpening method was pretty archaic and my work showed it, then I received my Lindsay system and boy am I pleased. I know quite well I'm still a struggling beginner, but I think I'm seeing a little sliver of light at the end of the tunnel now. This is not my original design and I know I really butchered it....so my apology to whoever it may concern. Next thing I have to work on is my photography technique....hope this is viewable. Crits or comments are highly welcome. Thanks, Gene

[Roger Bleile]

Gene,

I don't see anything butchered on your plate. It looks great. Now take a smoke lift off of this one and cut it again on a curved surface such as a piece of pipe. When you can do as well on the curved surface as you did on the plate you are ready to move on to objects of some value.

Good luck,

Roger

[Gene Tru]

Roger, thanks for your comments and suggestion. I've only worked on flat practice plates up to now and hadn't thought to engrave on a piece of pipe. Your idea of doing a smoke print is also a good one...I now have to read up on how to do that. Since I scratched this out on a piece of sand blasted mild steel, will the smoke rub off of the sand blasted surface to pull a good print do you think? Gene

[Steve Lindsay]

Hi Gene, This plate you posted is super! Looking really good... shading and everything.
Roger is right, if you can do the same on a radius that would be a good test and give good practice as well as confidence.

Steve

[Roger Bleile]

Your idea of doing a smoke print is also a good one...I now have to read up on how to do that. Since I scratched this out on a piece of sand blasted mild steel, will the smoke rub off of the sand blasted surface to pull a good print do you think? Gene

Gene,
To transfer a smoke print prepare the surface of the pipe (or old gun barrel or whatever) with a white solution such as chinese white or flat white Rustolum, stencil paint or whatever you use to lay out your designs with pencil. Then hold your engraved plate above a candle flame until a soot deposit covers the plate. Next, using transparent tape (I prefer 3M packing tape) put the sticky side of the tape over your smoked design and lightly rub with the edge of a card or burnisher. Lift the tape then place it down on the prepared surface of the pipe. Burnish well. Lift off the tape and the design should be seen in negative on the pipe. Cut away.

A good source of material for this project is to go to a gunsmith and ask if he has any cut off shotgun barrels where he converted someone's pump gun into a riot gun. You can do lots of practice on one 6" length of barrel and will also get the opportunity to practice on real gun steel instead of dead soft plates.

Let un know how it turns out.

Roger

[NevadaBlue]

I like it! I hope it is ok to copy your copy. :D
Thanks for the info on smoke transfer too.

[Tom McArdle]

very nice!

One suggestion; try to see if, on another try ( I would try these suggestions first on another flat plate BTW), you can get your shade lines a bit lighter, and some of your main cuts a bit heavier. The contrast between main cuts and shade lines is important. It will help your work look livelier, and avoid having it look like an etching, or as if it were cut by a machine.

keep up the great work!

take care,

Tom

[Gene Tru]

Thanks a lot fellas for the comments and suggestions, it really helps to have someone else's comments that know what it's all about. Since the initial posting I have been practicing on a piece of steel pipe like Roger and Steve suggested. I have found this to be a challange in itself. Having to keep the tool at the proper angle as I move over the crest of the pipe to prevent it from skipping is totally different from working on a flat plate. I'll post some pics later on if I manage to cut a design that doesn't show all my slip marks. What a good excercise, I recommend it to everyone starting out. It seems the key is a really sharp graver and continually being aware of the angle of attack.
Tom, since you mentioned to keep the contrast between the main cuts and the shade lines, has caused me to be more aware of that. Even in reviewing some of my older practice plates I can see that I haven't been doing that and everything seems to have been cut at the same depth.
Nevada Blue, you're welcome to copy my copy since my copy doesn't really look much like the original that I copied. I'm humbled that you would ask.

Excellent ideas and help, I appreciate all. Gene