[Jewelry making - Article 00005] - [Orchid] Engraving on my own

[Jewelryartschool]

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    Yes, you can learn to hand engrave your inscriptions  and you can
    learn to do it well, in a pretty reasonable time frame. Things have
    changed quite a bit over the past 30 years, with the advent of power
    assisted pneumatic engraving  tools. When this technology first
    became available, hand engravers (myself included) pooh poohed the
    "machines". We all said that engraving done with the  aid of the
    "machines" was not "real hand engraving". Time has proven that 
    wrong. 

    I personally purchased a GraverMeister (serial #238  28 years ago)
    that  sat under my bench where no one could see it. These early tools
    were pretty crude. The original handpiece that came with the
    contraption in those days was awkward  measuring 7 or 8 inches long
    and an inch in diameter. Youcouldn't use  it for much and it was
    uncomfortable to hold onto for long periods of time. I  used it once
    in a while to stipple backgrounds, and the only real use I ever
    found for it - was to chip the putty off windows and grout from
    between tiles! I  must admit that it did do that well! 

    Nowadays there are tools designed by an engraver who makes his living
    from what he engraves with the tools that he makes and sells. With
    these tools you can cut as much as 70% of the time you would have to
    invest in learning to control a palm pushed wooden handle burin from
    the past. There are new methods available to sharpen the tools
    rapidly, precisely, and exactly. All of this has  added up to a
    Renaissance in hand engraving. There has been an explosion of
    incredible talent in the past ten years. There are more truly
    excellent" artist"  hand engravers (most of whom use the new
    pneumatic tools) than ever before in  the history of the planet. 

    You cannot just go out and purchase one of these modern day wonders
    and "be" an engraver. You still have to learn the skills and practice
    applying the skills. You just learn faster, destroy less material
    doing so, and rarely if ever slip enough to get seriously hurt. You
    can produce at least triple what you  could do with what we had 30
    years ago. 

    I can still teach you the old methods  palm push or hammer & chisel.
     There are students who want to engrave at Renaissance Fairs and
    Black-Powder Shoots. They need the old time realism to match the
    period they are trying to recreate. 

    Most professional metalsmiths and even hobbyists coming into hand
    engraving prefer to learn it faster and be able to engrave quicker
    and better than they ever could've done just a few years back.
    Thirty years ago we were using 8 track  stereos. I'll bet most of you
    have passed through the cassette stage and moved  on to the modern
    day disc players. Same reasoning - hands down, it's better. 

    Over the years I have had 3 carpal tunnel surgeries, 2 elbow
    releases, and shoulder surgery caused by repetitive motion injuries
    I got while engraving. I am completely convinced that had the tools
    I've described existed early in my career, most  if not all of these
    injuries would have been prevented. 

    If anyone engraving out there still doubts what can be done with the
    new fangled  "machines"  go and have a look at lindsayengraving.com.
    Can YOU  match that? With what? Hammer & chisel or palm pushed burin?
    How long does  it take you? I'd love to see it. 

    There is a price to pay for this convenience. The simplest of these
    tools  is around $500. A week with me will cost you $750. You'll have
    a skillthat will last the rest of your life. A competent engraver
    charges $60 or more an hour these days. There is no lack of work. 

    You CAN learn to do it all by yourself. I did. There were no real
    teachers available back then. It took me many years to become
    proficient on my own. In my  view taking a workshop/class should save
    you enough time and money to more than  cover the costs of the
    workshop. You should leave with a solid understanding and  enough
    skills to take yourself to the next level on your own. You should
    choose  a teacher who has engraved for a living. Teaching old
    methods/techniques won't  help you much, unless you plan to earn a
    living reenacting history. 

    The 2005 schedule will be out next week. Every hand engraving tool 
    ever made is available to try here, and you should try them all
    before you  spend your money. (I do not sell any of them, all I do is
    teach) If you are  interested, contact me off forum. 

Brian P.  Marshall
Stockton Jewelry Arts School
Stockton, CA 95209  USA
209-477-0550  Workshop/Studio
instructor AT jewelryartschool.com
jewelryartschool AT aol.com

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