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Old 09-28-2009, 10:54 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Tennessee
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Default Re: Gold inlay script and block lettering on a custom rifle

SG,

The tip is tapered to a tiny, blunt screw driver like tip. The width measures at .02" on my digital caliper. If it is sharpened to a fine, lethal point it with either break or bend over depending on the hardness of the steel being undercut and the type of material that the graver is made of (HSS etc.).

The size (width) of the tip also depends on how small of an inlay you are doing and how tight of a turn you need make when inlaying scroll, flourishes or script. A wider tip is better for straight inlays as it requires less plunges into the channel. That saves time of course.

You'll have experiment a little ... that's the fun part . I use Steve's template for a 90 degree square graver to rough hog a graver to shape then a dual angle sharpener to fine tune the tip and knock off the bottom edge of the "V". So .... you can either knock off the bottom "V" edge of a bulino graver or flip a regular square graver upside down and knock off the top "V" edge.

Have fun .....
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