[Basic Technique For Bulino Engraving Dvd
Outi Foote
Bulino dots is the easiest type of engraving to do, although it is a slow process. For bulino "dot" engravings, I use several different points. A V graver without a heel, a pin vise holding a needle-type point made of carbide, and the AirGaver handpiece with the same point. It is similar process as using dots for scrimshaw, or using an ink pen and making dots on paper. Basically, use whatever works to make the dots in the metal, placing them where needed to give the effect you're after.
The dots can either be inked like scrimshaw, or left bright. If leaving them bright, make the point with three facets instead of using a round needle-type point. First grind the punch round, and then place three facets on the tip. This will make a point similar to the V graver without a heel. The absence of a heel will let the point dig in and create a dot rather than a line. The technique is to poke the point in and then pop it out, which will remove the burr. Some engravers like to leave the burr. If this is desired, simply eliminate the popping step. Dots made with facets will catch light and help prevent it from reflecting back to the viewer, so that at certain angles the dots will appear darkened, even though there is no black in them.
For the best contrast, it is hard to beat black ink. I use oil base printers ink from Graphic Chemical. This ink is the consistency of toothpaste, which helps it stay in the cuts until it is dry. Smear the ink in the dots with your finger, and then wipe the top surface off so that the ink is just in the dots.
It takes little, if any, equipment to give the technique a try and practice. White plastic spoons work well as a practice material. Place a needle in a pin vise, or make a handle by sticking the back of the needle in a wood dowel. Poke dots and/or small scratches in the plastic, and rub black ink into the dots so they will show up. Scrimshaw is done the same way. Colored scrimshaw differs only in that colored inks are used.
Here are some examples of dot engraving.
As a further study aid, a resin casting of the object Chris engraves during the video is available for an additional charge. The casting is not inked and allows the viewer to see individual cuts up close to more fully understand the techniques Chris explains.
My first foray into bulino. Chris presents the theory as well as the practice, including graver sharpening instructions. I am still at the practice stage but confident that the training provided will allow me to do animals, birds etc.
Chris does not teach how to do a particular critter, rather he teaches how to do eyes/noses/fur/feathers etc.
Very pleased with the dvd and can recommend to others just starting into bulino.
Following the general launch of A Mythical Journey by Piaget in November 2013, I am excited to present a deeper look at one specific technique used: Bulino Engraving .
In the best hands, it achieved "photo realism" before photography was invented. In many respects, it reminds me of another Italian technique for security printing of currency notes and bonds: Intaglio that involves the image being incised into a surface, and the incised line or sunken area holds the ink.
It is a common mistake to think that anyone who cuts, stipples or punches fine lines and dots on metal are doing Bulino engraving. It is not that simple. Other techniques can also produce beautiful engraving but the Bulino technique produces a unique effect. This is not to say that one technique is better than another; just that the results are discernable to the eye. The essence of bulino technique is differentiation of shades of grey from almost 'white' to deep black. The effect is achieved by applying varying degrees of pressure.
Traditionally, there were two types of bulino scene work. One is done with lines and the other with dots. Nowadays, crafstmen can use a mix of lines and dots. They also adopt binocular microscopes for depth of field and comfort although traditionally mono-ocular loupes were used.
The tradition of decorating knives with engraving appeared in the distant past. During the Middle Ages, almost all types of personal arms of the European elite were decorated with drawings on metal to demonstrate the high status of their owners. Engravings were mainly on the handles, tips and guards of swords, as well as on metal elements of sheaths. Later it was used on swords, rapiers, sabers, etc. And when weapons with blades became a thing of the past, the tradition moved to more compact items: daggers, hunting and folding knives. The most popular were images of various animals, plants, battle scenes, etc. However, manual engraving, despite its prestige and high value, was too slow and unproductive. And by the beginning of the XXI century it was on the verge of extinction, preserved only through the efforts of enthusiasts. Laser engraving and CNC lathes and milling machines, capable of solving the most complex tasks in the past in minimal time, have pressed the manual processing of knife handles into the super-premium segment. Nowadays, such engraving is used either on artistic products originally intended for demonstration purposes or on the most expensive custom knives.
One of the most interesting techniques of modern engraving is the so-called "bulino" technique. It is believed that it appeared in the early 70s of the twentieth century. The technique refers to the chiseled engraving, in which the main role is played by the force of the engraver's hands applied to the tools. The term "bulino" comes from the name of the engraving cutting tool used in the Italian school of metal carvers. When this technique is used, the cutter has a very sharp and thin tip, and leaves a small dot when it strikes the metal. The blows are applied at different angles and with different force. The effect of an image created in this way on metal depends on the shadow play achieved by a multitude of such dots of different size and clarity. The resulting engraving is similar to an image produced with the use of a grayscale screen and is commonly referred to as a "photorealistic engraving". It has a very high definition and details often unattainable in other engraving techniques. There are three basic types of such engraving: dotted, lined and mixed, although the first two are rarely used in their pure form and "bulino" is usually mixed.
The basic set of tools necessary for an engraver to work in the technique of boulino includes: a burin (diamond-shaped cutter), a steel needle, a spittishihl (cutter for engraving the outline of a drawing), pin vise; various optical devices: a magnifying glass and a microscope; various pencils and stains (black varnishes and paints), bleachers, etc.
Materials for engraving can be any steel and alloys (usually with hardness up to 62 HRC, not to exceed cutter hardness), precious metals (including gold and silver-based alloys), non-ferrous metals and their alloys (melchior, copper, brass, nickel silver, aluminum, titanium).
The "bulino" style engraving is applied primarily on the guard, steel bolsters and handle pads. It can also be found on the connecting screws or artistic pins that are mounted on the handle. Sometimes, on rare items, this type of engraving is applied directly to the blade. When sharpening such blades, one must be especially careful and protect the images with masking tape. The bulino technique is one of the most premium ways to decorate a modern knife, honoring a centuries-old tradition of metalwork.
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Below is a list of the2024 classes and dates. Please check the Class Descriptions page for full details of each class. Only basic descriptions are given below. Some of the classes below have special requirements or more advanced skills needed to be successful in the class. For those special requirements refer to the class descriptions page for those details.
This is my entry level class designed for novice beginners. This class is also for experienced engravers who want a refresher course or a different point of view from an experienced full time bench engraver.
Michelle is an experienced Custom Jeweler who will show you the ins and outs of engraving script lettering and inscriptions on the inside of rings. This will not be a class full of theory. In this class you will learn the practical techniques and tools that actually work. Michelle is a working jeweler and engraver who will show you the straight forward techniques that work and get straight to a high quality finished product without wasting time.
Ever want to inlay iron into stainless, 10K gold into copper, or Titanium into chrome molly steel? Take this class and learn how. Ray leads students through an entirely different set of inlay techniques than those that are normally used in engraving. Traditional techniques require that the base metal be much harder than the metal being inlaid. The techniques taught in this class totally remove that limitation.
Engraving tools needed and where to source them, Basics of scrollwork, Intro to design and layout, Graver Sharpening, Work holding, Prepping the metal, Design transfer, Basic cuts, Engraving a simple design, Some tricks and tips of the trade as well as many resources to continue growing as an engraver.
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