Engine turning (jeweling) jig

Does anyone have a setup for jeweling liners that provides for easy indexing between rows? Maybe something setup on cross slide table for a drill press?

Thanks,
Bob Sigmon

Drill holes in a board with the spacing you need, like the line of holes on a cribbage board. Clamp the board to the drill press table, and hold the work against a pin in the first hole, and bring down the quill to mark the workpeice. Move the pin over one notch, and slide the work up against it, and repeat until you are done.

Good one Don...I used a cross slide table on my drill press the other day for jeweling a titanium clip...it worked real good!...very precise and fast too.

Thanks for the thought, Don.

Duh, sometime the simplest and cheapest ideas really elude you. Obviously, this would be a very easy jig to setup.

I guess I know what my next project is.

The cross slides that I have found at the tool supply places, the inport models were all over $100. While very precise, I'm sure that Don's idea will turn out a perfect product for a lots less cash.......leaving more cash for more tools. And you can never have too many tools.


Thanks to all,

Bob Sigmon

ya true!..I found however that having had the slide for about 2 years where it has seen no use I used it for 3 different jobs in 1 week....jeweling that clip, using it to have the lock cut in a folderframe and f?r thinning out some ivoryslabs....both jobs the drillpress worked as millingmachine.

Jens,

You are so right. I'll probably end up with a cross slide, but right now my budget is extremely tight, so I need to cut where I can.

As I stated before, you can never have to many tools, and after you get a new tool you usually wonder how you ever did without it.

Thanks for everyone input, you are all very inspirational.

Bob Sigmon

I have to admit after using my cross slide in my mill for a few folders, I ended up doing it freehand in a small press set up just for jeweling... Cratex chucked directly in the chuck, liner sliding on 1/4" micarta(to protect the backside of the liner) and overlapping by hand, dressing the cratex with a file every row or so. I can knock out a set of liners in about 5 minutes top. And it looks good, even...

What is Jeweling?

I searched the Newbies forum with no result.

Kevin, it's also called "engine turning"- it is a process of placing decorative overlapping circular swirls on the surface of a metal.

Check out Jason Howell's Anodizing Tutorial. It shows his liners both jeweled and anodized.

Bob Sigmon

Jason,

where did you find the round stick Cratex?

Cratex can be found at
Brownell's

Go to the products page and type in cratex in the search box.
It should go right to the listing.

Hope this helps.

Bob Sigmon

I bought my last Cratex batch from Jantz. Medium and fine, cheap.

You can also use a new pencil (eraser part)
as the "cratex"equivalent...just add jeweler's rouge.
It works for me on hammers and triggers.