Ladies and Gentlemen:

I have a 1908 Brazilian DWM action where I would like to deepen the lettering on the side of the receiver. Some of the lettering is a bit faint from sanding.

What type of engravers tool would I use?

Sincerely,

Chris Bemis

I had an Oberndorf action that a gunsmith tried to deepen the lettering on the left side on and it was a disaster. I am not saying that it cannot be done, may be done all the time, but my point is that sometimes leaving well enough alone is the best solution.

Here's the professional way to do it, and it will be right:

http://gunfancy.com/lettering.htm

dave

quote:

Originally posted by Yale:
What type of engravers tool would I use?

A professional engraver. And thats not a joke.

Engraving is something I've been trying to teach myself off and on for over a few years now. It is not as easy as it looks, And correct tool geometry and correct sharpness is a big part or it but correct technique is also a huge part of having a well engraved part.

And most graver tools need to be sharpened before use as they don't come ready to use.

My suggestion is go over to the engraves cafe at http://www.igraver.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=1 and post a request for work. Id also PM Sam as he is the founder and creator of the site. He is also a great guy with a wealth of knowledge and a willingness to share.

2 things:

If you are not an experienced engraver (and apparently you are not!) then you'll need A LOT REPEAT A LOT of practice before attaining enough competence to do a good job.

Secondly, if by some mischance you DO attempt it, I strongly suggest that you spot-anneal the area first. Sure, the abrasive will have removed much of the original case hardening if any, but the case will still be full depth in the bottoms of the letters.

You might consider etching with nitric acid, the procedure is quite simple and is detailed in several smithing books. The 2 main difficulties are obtaining the acid and attaining the desired artistic ability to form a pleasing shape.

In your case the shapes will be determined for you by the existing lettering.

Again I suggest spot-annealing first, and also I suggest experimenting on some hidden portion of the receiver to determine the speed of erosion. If you let the acid work TOO long, the edges of the shape start to become ragged.

You may also find that the point of a needle file will serve to somewhat smooth out any raggedness, and maybe even to accentuate tbe shallower parts enough to look OK.
Regards, Joe

Well..if you have some patience, here's a way that is pretty idiot proof.

Get some Eching Ground and etching acid. Clean the receiver first with acetone, then spread a thin layer of the ground. With a blunt needle, carefully follow the lettering...then etch deeper. The acid will only etch where you remove the ground.

It's hard to go too deep, this will take an hour or so

Thank all of you for your ideas.

Sincerely,

Chris Bemis