Anyone know how rocker engraving was done??

[relic reaper]

I've tried to google it, and can't find anything on it, have a couple good trade references on fur trade silver and lots of examples, I've found a couple nice peices that have it. was it done with a stamp? Or manuevering a graver or awl back and forth? Appreciate any ideas or answers. thanks!!

 

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[Rob (B.C.)]

It's very briefly explained here:

http://www.925-1000.com/silverglossary4.html

But it's basically just done with a very short bladed chisel, that is "walked and rocked" across the surface of the silver, making the zig-zag pattern.

 

[silversaddle1]

The method you speak of is called "wriggling". Google it to learn more.

 

[nwctrader]

Heres a couple of pictures that show what the leather pad they engraved on looked like and some of their tools. They had nearly as many varieties of tools as woodcarvers tools. I don't know for a fact but I suspect that the metal being plowed by the tool edge was building up & they needed to rock or wiggle it to get it past the blockage & plowing ahead again. Just pushing harder would have made it skip off the metal and lose control.

 

[silversaddle1]

The reason you "rock" the tool side to side is as you are cutting and pushing the graver into the work, you rock the tool to make the bright cuts that form the borders of the line you are cutting. it's not hard to do and with some basic tools and some scrap copper sheet a guy can learn it pretty quickly. The hard part of wriggling is scrolls. You must have a rotating surface do turn the work on as you engrave it. That is key to smooth scrolls.

 

[relic reaper]

thanks anyone know of any good videos on engraving silver.