Helpful Hints

QUESTION—I have to push down quite a way on the foot control to get the handpiece to   move reliably.  Why is this?

ANSWER—What air pressure are you using to operate your handpiece? Typically, over-pressurizing the handpiece will require more throttle to start. You may also hear more air hiss at the foot throttle as well. Set your handpiece air pressure by following the instructions in this section under “How to Set Your GraverMax/GraverMate HP Pressure”.



QUESTION—I hear air leaking from my foot control without my foot on the pedal.

ANSWER—The first thing to do is check the throttle hose. Many times a hose will become chaffed and develop a hole, instances have been seen where a renegade mouse has chewed on the hose as well. Check your hose first.

On older units, this may signal the need for maintenance. Sometimes a careful cleaning around the outlet valve and bleed shaft will dislodge the particle which is holding the 2 pieces apart. If cleaning does not resolve the issue, it is better to return the foot control for a rebuild at Glendo/GRS.



QUESTION—I would like a softer start to my handpiece when I press down on the control.

ANSWER—A new progressive foot control is now available under part # 004-519PRO. This design allows a predictable and consistent start-up for those who use their handpieces for bulino and banknote fine line cutting. See the online catalog for more information.

QUESTION—How should I prepare my ceramic for polishing?
ANSWER—The easiest way is to wash the ceramic lap with hot, soapy water and lightly scrub it with a soft bristle brush. If lap is excessively dirty, use a Comet type cleanser and lightly sprinkle on the wet lap. Give the cleanser about 5 minutes to allow the bleach to work, then lightly scrub it with the bristle brush. (Note: Do not use a wire brush of any type)  Rinse with clean hot water and allow it to air dry or use a clean, lint-less paper towel. Avoid any oil contamination, this includes using fabrics washed in fabric softeners

QUESTION—What is the proper way to put diamond spray on a ceramic lap?
ANSWER—Using a permanent marker, place a mark on the opposite side you will be treating with spray diamond. This way, when you change wheels, you can see the unmarked treated side. Place the freshly cleaned lap on your PowerHone and turn it on. While the lap is spinning, shake the spray diamond bottle to get the diamond in suspension and point the pump sprayer at a trash can and give it a pump or two to purge the nozzle and check for a fine mist pattern. Now, center the sprayer over the spinning lap and give it one or two pumps. Do not over apply!  Allow the lap to continue to spin for 15 to 20 minutes, the diamond carrier will then evaporate, leaving the diamond crystals stuck to the surface for polishing.

QUESTION—How much diamond is needed on a ceramic lap for a good polish?
ANSWER—This answer will surprise many: Experienced engravers will only use a 1 pump application. The old adage of “more is better” is not true in this situation. Too much diamond actually hinders the polishing process by over-populating the ceramic surface and not allowing the ceramic to impart the shine to the cutting edge. When you notice the ceramic is not polishing as well as before, clean the lap and re-apply the diamond with a squirt or two.

Another use for spray diamond is to spray it on a leather pad and “strop” the graver face to get the desired finish. This trick is sometimes used after a liner is sharpened to remove the micro-burrs left in the grooves of the liner. One again, it is not necessary to use large amounts of spray diamond, however, unlike the ceramic lap, the leather is porous and may need to have diamond spray re-applied to create the smooth shine.

• Always use your diamond wheel on a machine made for this type of technology. The PowerHone runs at 400 rpm by design, as this keeps the tool cool when sharpening and lessens the chance of premature wear to the diamond itself.
  
  
• When sharpening a tool on the wheel, always grind in the direction of rotation, not against it, especially when cutting a high face or clearance angle on the tool. This prevents the tool from “kicking” into the wheel surface which can cause damage to the wheel and yourself.
  
  
• Periodically wash your wheels to keep the grinding debris from filling the areas around the diamond crystals. When swarf (debris) builds up enough to match the same height as the surrounding crystals, the wheel no longer performs correctly because it is basically smooth.
  
  Fill a bucket or tub with hot, soapy water, just enough to cover the entire wheel. ( a good quality grease-cutting dish detergent is suggested)  Allow them to soak for 5 minutes, then gently scrub with a bristle brush. If lap is excessively dirty, use a Comet type cleanser and lightly sprinkle on the wet lap.
  
  Give the cleanser about 5 minutes to allow the bleach to work, then lightly scrub it with the bristle brush. (Note: Do not use a wire brush of any kind as this may damage or load the wheel back up with swarf) Rinse well with hot water and allow to air dry. If done on a regular basis, the debris will be easier to remove. NOTE: Do not use high flash point solvents or chemicals to clean the wheel surface.
  
  
• Never “crowd” the wheel when sharpening. Pressing down against the wheel to make it sharpen faster will also wear the diamond faster. Another reason not to press down so hard is graver deflection can occur, which changes the angles you are trying to cut. A gentle hand is always an accurate hand.
  
  
• Diamond spray should never be used on diamond wheels as it forces the loose spray diamond crystals against bonded wheel crystals and will accelerate wear to the wheel. It will also cause debris build up which will slow the wheel’s ability to remove material.

My black paint of choice is Rust-Oleum flat black (non-aerosol). This is available at hardware stores everywhere. There are other flat black paints available, and they probably work just as well. Be sure to use flat black and not satin black, as satin black has a small amount of shine which is undesirable. Flat black paint also dries very quickly (about 60-seconds), and is available in 1/2 pint (8 oz.) cans.

This method is suitable for all engraved items, and is quite durable. It’s not permanent though, and can be ruined by steam or ultrasonic cleaners, frequent wiping, rubbing, etc. It’s also very easy to reapply when necessary. Nearly every engraving on my website has been blackened with this method.

1. Shake or stir paint thoroughly.
2. Degrease engraving with solvent of choice (acetone, lacquer thinner, etc).
3. Dip a cotton swab into paint and flood engraving.
4. Use your thumb to wipe paint off surface, leaving paint in engraved lines.
5. After drying, examine closely and clean where necessary.

TIPS:

• Paint that's too thick can puddle into corner areas of relief engraving. To thin, dab paint onto a piece of paper and add a drop or two of acetone, lacquer thinner, etc, and mix with cotton swab.
• It might be messy, but so far I've not found anything better than my thumb or fleshy part of my hand for wiping off paint. A paper towel or rag wipes paint out of engraving which is what you don't want.
• Don't expect relief engraving with shallow backgrounds to blacken as well as deeper work.
• Stippling backgrounds allows paint to adhere to metal.
• Bulino engraving is very shallow and doesn't blacken well.