Engraver's Ball

Sometimes I relax my bias regarding materials of construction (i.e. brass, ebony, cocobolo and ivory) and select a tool simply based upon the artistry of the designer. The engraver's ball was such a project. The nicely shaped body first caught my eye and I found that the smooth rounded curve had a nice, almost sensual feel in my hand. The complexity of the jaw system provided the technical challenge needed to hold my interest.

In use, the steel post at the bottom of the ball is inserted into a hole in the engravers bench and the object to be engraved is locked into the jaws. The ball can then be easily rotated 360 degrees so the jeweler can approach the design from any side.

The knurled knob is attached to a threaded shaft which runs through the base of the jaws. Each end of the shaft has opposing threads so both jaws move toward the center as the knurled knob is turned. One jaw also swivels on a pin as it moves on the threaded shaft so odd-shaped objects can be securely clamped in place.

I took some license and made the miniature ball in cocobolo rather than pine, as the original. The brass jaw pieces were lightly sand blasted to provide a "cast" look. The miniature is 1.9" high, not including the post.