Advice on larger scale letter engraving

[mostyn]

Hi Folks

I'm about to embark on a job for a friend and neighbor, it's a fairly large nameplate for outside his house (he's an Alexander Technique teacher).

I've designed the scroll and lettering and transferred the design to the brass plate so am ready to go. I've never cut lettering this size before; the plate is approx 8" x 6" and letters around 1 1/2" high.

What would people suggest, I thought maybe ribbon cut letters (think that's the terminology) where I just cut progressively wider with each pass of graver to give the impression of a wide deep cut.

Or I have an Omega Bronze as well as my Classic, perhaps this would give me more grunt and enable me to go for it and just cut progressively deeper with each cut?

Also would you recommend using a square/flat or 120 degree graver for lettering?

Any help gratefully received

Many thanks
Mostyn

[Jroettger]

Mostyn, In the book ' The Art of Engraving" ( available in most tool catalogs) he explains very well how to make 45 degree slant lines with a square graver. The ribbon cutting you describe works well with script but I think the slant lines look better with block letters. Start by outlining the letters with whatever tip you want. ( I find the broad face tips to work well in places that don't get a lot of wear). Then take a square graver that's polished and starting at the bottom of the letter, roll the engraver towards you about 45 degress, then begin making downward slanted lines from right to left and climb up the letter. Each line should just lay apon the previous line. By doing it like this the finished slant line shaded area will actually be below the surface of the plate helping to avoid wear. it helps to make some spaced angled guide lines with a scribe on the letter first to ensure consistancy of angle.

[mostyn]

Thanks

I was beginning to think no-one cared :waaah:

I have got Mr Meek's book, will have to check that bit out, I have included the design which I guess I should have in the first place, as it shows I intend to use script lettering, that is why I'm wondering at this scale (10" X 7") do I cut the wider bits of the script progressively deeper and wider with a square graver or ribbon cut across the surface with 120?

Hope you're all enjoying your turkey leftovers
Best wishes
Mos

[Allan]

Mostyn

Are you going to be blackening the letters?

Allan

[mostyn]

Good point Alan, I'm not 100% sure (or even 50% to be honest), as if I kinda bright cut it that would be nice but all the facets or cuts would have to be very even I guess, otherwise you would see any instance of unevenness, but then if I fill with black that approach would be ok I guess? But paint would have to be pretty hardy (I have the black stuff from Ngraver, comes in box with 2 bottles).

Perhaps it's a confidence thing; I should just do it and see how it goes trying to cut progressively deeper.

thanks Mos

[Allan]

Mostyn
The reason why I asked is that blackening the letters and design require you to outline everything and then lower the center of the outline to hold the coloring. On such a large and ornate piece it could be a long challenging piece of work.

Ribbon cutting large letters can also be challenging since it involves making a long uniform cut and then layering on additional uniform cuts behing it. On small pieces , non-uniformity isn't so noticeable, on large cuts they kind of stick out.

The good thing is that the script you have chosen is kind of slender. So instead of normal ribbon cutting, what I would suggest is outlining the letters and then going back and placing a third cut running down the center. It might be a good idea to scribe the third line as well since any variation in spacing between the outline will be noticeable. You may also want to try placing two lines between the outline, again scribing them in. This will give you more fill but may give a little more trouble getting right.

I'd practice a couple of ways, The first couple of letters just get the hang of making long cuts. The next couple of letters be mindful of the curl coming up from the cut and if it starts to scratch the plate flick it out, find your place and depth and then continue the cut. Cleaning up heavily scratched plates is just a major pain. And then for the fill cuts I'd practice making them on the thin side.

The one thing I've learned about this kind of pieces is that the plate has two sides. So if you make a hash of the first side, you can always flip it over and start again. That's one of those lessons I've learned through grim experience.

Have a clear understanding of how you are going to do the cutting, practice your cuts and then follow your lines and you should be okay.

Allan

[Ray Cover]

I had thought about doing a similar thing with a couple decorative pieces at the bow and transom end of my gunwales on my sailboat. The boat is of a very old design (although modern manufacture) and I thought he engraved "plates" would add a lot to the look of the boat.

They would have been about 2.5" high and about a foot long. I had the same kind of problem. I wanted a design that would show up from a distance so it had to be oversized (at least bigger than I normally engrave).

I never got around to making them but I had the idea of outlining them and then filling the design with heavy liner work.

Ray

[timgraver]

i agree with allan. take a page from machine eng. do the outline then add 2 or 3 lines inside . 10x7 is big could even uce beading tool.

[mostyn]

Hi all

Just finished this for my friend (might wrap it in xmas paper actually!)

Pretty happy with results, few doglegs etc, letter spacing dubious?

any comments feel free

Thanks for advice

Happy Christmas to one and all
Mos

[Harold]

Very nice lettering!

[John Barraclough]

Very nice work, Mostyn.
He should be really proud of that.
Merry Christmas.
John.

[Dave London]

Dittos script looks good

[monk]

i've done a lot of large scale script on brass. i used a #45 flat, highly polished, and very freshly sharpened. i would start on the tool edge- handle way down low- gradually raising the handle upwards and also rolling the tool outwards and then lowering and rolling back to the vertical.
i could go from very fine and shallow gradually to very wide and deep and then back to fine and shallow. this type cutting can look great if all the letters are cut with the same degree of coordination. it does take some practice to get the correct flow of thin into thicker into thinner. executed properly, some reasonably decent plate work can be done this way.