Lathe Part II: Prepping a Graver and Making Initial Cuts

[@terryshuya1098]

Enjoyed your - just dive in and try it attitude. I agree you might want to use a softer metal like brass to first start out on, and reduce the amount of material sticking out of the collet to reduce chatter. You might also want to check out a video by the late W.R. Smith called graver making and hand turning. Lastly, the burnishing tool is meant to harden and polish the material, like when you are polishing pivots on a clock. Instead, you could use a regular file if you just wanted to smooth out the end to get rid of the nib. Bravo for your bravery, that is how you learn!

[@watchoffthecuff]

Thank you for the nice feedback. I think just about every other video I have done has been after I have mastered something and done it sometimes hundreds of times already for customers. I will check out the W.R. Smith video! Great advice - I do think in retrospect that the steel I used was hardened, so I will either soften it first, or more likely do exactly as you suggest use brass... I also have some unhardened steel that I used to make a pair of hand levers. Anyway, thanks for the encouragement and for seeing the video in the light that it was intended - to show people that some of this stuff is difficult and that there is a process of trial and error, disappointments and triumphs! I will have to do a part 3 showing me taking your advice and getting better results. (well HOPEFULLY better results) Thank you! Colin

[@jjver]

Seems very hard material. No rod of brass to test on? Thanks for the csmera work.

[@watchoffthecuff]

Yes, I do have some brass stock... But I had lots and LOTS of steel stock, so I didn't feel like I was wasting anything. Looking back that was a mistake. I will have to try again with some brass stock! Stay tuned! Hahaha

[@01Gator]

Too much stick out on the part is causing it to flex and make your tool slip under the part. You should be working right up close to the collet. Something isn't right with your tool or that rod is super hard. You should be removing way more material with way less force than it appears you are using.

[@watchoffthecuff]

Thank you! I will choke up on the collet to remove flex! Great, great advice. The rod may be pre-hardened as it was bought as pivot wire, but it seems not right to have the pivot wire pre-hardened so to make it difficult to work on. As always, thanks for the insight and great advice! Appreciate the help, it's always a risk to just "put it out there", you can get backlash instead of support! Anyway, can't tell you how much I appreciate the advice! Cheers, Colin

[@01Gator]

@@watchoffthecuff Glad to try and help. Yeah, I'm not sure how hard that pivot wire is. I'm leaning toward the graver being soft. Maybe he only used the graver on brass. I'll second what the other person said. Get some brass to practice on. You can refine your tool sharpening/shaping techniques because just about anything will cut the brass. Then maybe get a known quality graver for going back to steel.

[@watchoffthecuff]

Again, great, great advice, I will order a new graver ASAP!

[@eXactModellbau]

Oh Mann! So viel Gequatsche! Einfach mal machen! Du tust mit deinem weißen Kittel so, als wärest du ein Uhrmacher. Und dann weißt du nicht mal wie man mit dem Handstichel umgeht?

[@watchoffthecuff]

Great advice thank you! You are right I was probably not doing myself any favours by being hesitant! Thanks! Cheers, Colin