Drawing project

[rbaptiste]

Few people ask me to know how make a project.
I show you my method with Photoshop.
Of course you can start with a picture of part of knife or other. Here is a part of gun.

1 when I make the extern line of my part to engrave, I begin to draw with pencil.
http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/684/t1jp5.jpg

2 When my extern line is finished I scan the picture and I complete the background with black paint with photoshop
http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/5094/t2dg8.jpg

http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/8381/t3tr3.jpg

3 When is complete, you print this picture and you draw the shadows lines with pencil.

http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/4441/t4je8.jpg

This proceed is for me easier and clean.
Now I hope see your beautiful project ;-)

[kcrutcher]

Very Nice Roland. You do very beautiful work. I would like to see your project when finished.
Kenneth Crutcher

[Daniel Houwer]

Thank you Roland! Very nice indeed.

Greetings,

Daniel

[rod]

Roland,

This is an excellent and very clear posting!

Thank you

Rod

[Tim Wells]

That's it, I gotta get Photoshop. Nicely done Roland!

[NevadaBlue]

Roland, do you then freehand the engraving, just looking at the layout? Or do you transfer it somehow? I find having a large print of the thing I've transferred helps me, but the freehand is still way beyond me.

[rbaptiste]

Nevadablue, I draw with free hand and after if it is possible I transfer it with laser transparency and Dammar.
When the metal who must be engrave is curve is difficult to transfert it and I must do with free hand ;-)

[kcrutcher]

Roland

You must have a very steady hand to make such fantastic drawings.

When you do laser transparency and damar transfer do you use acetone.

Or does the Damar itself pick up enough of the Image.

I have done laser and damar transfer using mirrored image on plain paper and applying acetone to back side of paper with fairly good results.

Would you mind giving a step by step the way you do it.

Kenneth Crutcher

[rbaptiste]

You can see a few transfer method here http://www.EngravingSchool.com/private/transfers.htm
Me, I used this one ;-)
Materials needed:

· Laser printer and clear acetate paper (or other papers)

Process:
Modify a laser printer by disabling the heat rollers that the paper goes through before it exits the machine. The heat is used to melt the toner onto the paper, and by disabling the heat, the toner will not melt and set itself to the paper or acetate. When the paper exits the machine, the toner is just laying on the surface of the paper and can be easily wiped off. You are on your own disabling the heat to the rollers in your printer. Each laser printer is a little different, with "smart" sensors that seem to know if something isn't working like it should. I haven't been successful disabling the heated rollers on my HP 4P laser printer, but on the old HP 2P machine it was possible.

Rather than disabling the heat rollers in the printer, it will also work to just shut the printer off before the paper gets to the heated rollers, or you may open the toner cartridge door on the printer to stop the paper (or acetate) before it gets to the heated rollers. It takes some experimenting to know when to open or shut it off, but when successful, the powdered toner will be unset and just laying on the acetate or paper.

Make sure to print the design in reverse. Next, put a fine coat of damar varnish or shellac on the metal where you want the design. Carefully tape the acetate (with the toner face down) into position. Use a finger nail or a plastic burnishing tool, and rub on the back of the acetate. The toner will stick to the varnish.

[thinair33]

Roland,

Thanks
for taking the time to do such a marvelous tutorial. I appreciate your efforts.
Great scroll design.

James

[kcrutcher]

Roland

Thanks for the transfer explanation.

Now I just have to figure out how to disable the heat rollers in my HP Laserjet printer.

Kenneth Crutcher

[SVD]

I wonder if you can manage to put a switch in to manually enable / disable the fuser - that way you can use the printer for 'regular' printing as well.

[thinair33]

I am wondering if you could put a switch and a resistor in so the printer thinks the heater is on. I know a few models have sensors on the load side of the rollers for heat, jams, and toner presence.
You would need to figure the load of the heat function and use the switch to bypass and load on the resistor.

Maybe....

[rbaptiste]

In my printer, the furnace is torn off and it is necessary to extinguish the printer after each impression because it is put in error after impression.

[SVD]

thinair33's suggestion of switching in a dummy load would make the printer think it was operating correctly (as well as letting you flip the switch back so it is working normally).

But as much power as those things draw you probably need an old-fashioned wire-wound resistor that can sit safely inside a screen enclosure and act as a space heater.

[mckeenh]

thanks Roland, We can all use a little more info in all aspects of this field. I don't think any of us know it all from photography to drawing inlay to carving to engraving, It is all a part of our art and takes many hours in each field to excell.

Neil:yesnod:

[rbaptiste]

Yes Neil, I think the engraving it isn't only engrave but it is all: sensibility, photography, knowledge,... it is a work for a life.

[SEngraver]

Morning RolandBaptist,
You have good drawing skills and hence the good sketch.Where can one get Dammar varnish or shellac,I`ve tried not easy,and once you have it is it something used straight from the pack?I seem to get different ways of using the dammar.

[rbaptiste]

Uou can desolve your Dammar with therebentine maybe 2/3 Damar 1/3 Therebentine
You musn't put a lot varnish just a little

[Roger B2]

Mohd,
You can get the Dammar Varnish at art suppliers without too many problems.
Aussie Roger

[SEngraver]

Thanks Roger,Thanks Signor Baptiste,
I got some on ebay.there is two types a yellowish or clear type.Its available in liquid or crystals.I prefer the liquid,and its not expensive,but i am think I might have to experiment with the concetration to use for transfers,
Mo

[rbaptiste]

It is this http://www.talens.com/francais/products/detail.asp?subID=8&mc=004&artikel=24280081
Now you desolve it in 2/3 Varnish with 1/3 alcool or therebentine ;-)