Gem Setting Course Day 2

I started the class tonight feeling a bit shocked because my recollection from last week’s class was grinding the ends of the gravers to taper them for fitting into the handles at the correct length. However, when the lesson started everyone else seemed to be ahead, already grinding the gravers' ends to practice cutting lines. How did I miss the crucial step grinding the gravers end to a fine point (called “modified” ) ? Did the teacher explain it while I was in the bathroom or getting water? Or did I miss it because I was slightly late to class?

gravers modified

proper length for graver with handle

Anyway, with a little help from the teacher, I managed to grind both gravers (see image above). I think that to create a nice curve, you shouldn't push the metal too hard. However, my onglette graver showed some discoloration at the end because I accidentally burnt it while grinding with the bench grinder. Renee said this could soften the metal. It is always very important to quench the hot graver in water frequently while grinding.

The next tool the teacher showed was an Arkansas-style sharpening stone. It was similar to a grinding stone for knives but perfect for sharpening the graver. From my understanding from the class, leaving too much metal on the top of the cutting face will make pushing the graver very difficult. When sharpening, the tip should be designed for cutting nice, sharp lines for setting stones. While using the sharpening stone, you should maintain a 45-degree angle. The ready-to-use graver tips are shown below. I think I need to check with my teacher again next week as I am still not so sure about the flat graver tip :)

Graver tips sharpened

The last part of the class involved attaching a copper test sheet to the shellac stick prepared in the first class and cutting straight lines with an onglette graver. We practiced making the lines wider with a flat graver and learned how to make deeper cuts to push a little bit of metal for setting stones, which we will do next week

Cutting line practice for next week’s setting

I come to this class after a long day of work in the city, where I have to stand the whole day on my feet. I try to find some pearls while I am swimming or drowning in the demands of my job. I love the tools, the nice customers I can communicate with, and the laughs I share with my colleagues. I wish I could be happier and less sore while going through this horrible menopause, but I am still alive and learning to survive. How good is this opportunity to learn something and go through each process step by step to document it? How helpful this process is to add a little more positivity to my mental health. Learning something new and sharing my experience and knowledge with the public is quite open, yet personal.