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Old 12-12-2006, 02:08 PM
Ray Cover Ray Cover is offline
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Missouri
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Default Re: engraving equipment

To answer the first question;

I prefer the palm control. Mainly because it is much more intuitive for me than trying to co-ordinate my hand, foot and eyes. Now I only need to work with Eye -Hand co-ordination. I also really love its portability. You can carry your entire engraving tool in your pocket and if you have an air or CO2 supply you can engraver ANYWHERE easily. Another advantage is that you can run the palm control off of CO2 tanks It cost about $3 to have a tank filled that you can work all day off of or $6 to have a tank filled you can work a week or two from. No need for a compressor.

To answer the second question;

I engraved for several years with a gravermax and did good work with it. But to do good work with it I had to work with the machine and tune it and add aftermarket parts to make it as smooth as I wanted it. Now with their new machines they have taken care of a lot of that by upgrading to the better parts so you don't have to do it. However, with those machines you still don't get as smooth a start (in my oppinion) as you do with the non-spring Lindsay design. Those machines still have a control box you have to find space for. They also have all the power cord and airhose speghetti to route and keep untangled. THe palm control has one hose.

Another advantage is the power range. With the air graver you can get a very wide range of power by changing out the piston to a lighter or heavier piston. To get the same power range with the other machines you must buy at least the 901 and monarch handpieces.

As I said, I have done very good work with both. But I find it much easier and more intuitive to do good work with the palm control airgraver than any other equipment I have tried (and I have tried them all:D ).

Ray
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School of Fine Art Engraving

http://learningtoengrave.com/
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