If you are using burs, you are not using the right tools. You need a chasing hammer or small hammer with a large face and steel punches. It's more a matter of pushing metal around instead of removing it. Check out http://tinyurl.com/yeuncmy for more information. marilyn

Im only using burs as I cant find small enough chisels or punches

Most of us who do chasing or chiseling work tend to make our own tooling. It is relatively easy to make chasing and repousse punches, chisels or gravers. They can be made form old punches and either ground or forged and round to shape, then heat treated. If you take great care when grinding, so that you don't overheat them, you can regrind punches and not need to heat treat them.

Since the number of different possible configurations of punches and chisels is virtually limitless, it really pays to learn how to make your own.

Most of us who do chasing or chiseling work tend to make our own tooling. It is relatively easy to make chasing and repousse punches, chisels or gravers. They can be made form old punches and either ground or forged and round to shape, then heat treated. If you take great care when grinding, so that you don't overheat them, you can regrind punches and not need to heat treat them.

Since the number of different possible configurations of punches and chisels is virtually limitless, it really pays to learn how to make your own.

Thanks,
and try to think about all the suggestion from marilyn, rich....

it's better to try to make your own chisels,that's the best way to do. and i do not want to say it is easy. but not hard, i will have another post here later for the chisels.

yes, my suggestion is that you buy some first, then to do some after you get the feeling.

Chisels is cheap, for my place it is about USD 5.00 - USD 6.00 per pc. i think 30 pcs are enought for most of work.
If you still can not find it, and want to have some first. just let me know.

-------------------------------------------------
Yours Charles,
the more traditional, the more mordern

Yes - if you look at some of Charles' other posts he shows the process and tools he uses.

Rich

Nice work...I hope you're working on a katana so it will have a home!
gimperfi

Thanks, yes. haha
-------------------------------------------------
Yours Charles,
the more traditional, the more mordern

I agree Rich, I have seen his other posts. This piece, however, looks to me as if the entire backround is milled away, and only the details chased. I was just wondering if this is the case.

I just looked at it again and I see what you're talking about - there is one spot the does look like the tracks of an endmill with milgrain beading done over it. I'll be interested to see what Charles says about that. It would certainly be a reasonable way to do it.

Rich

Thanks Rich's reply for me.
-------------------------------------------------
Yours Charles,
the more traditional, the more mordern

Nearly all of my work are done by chisels and hammers.(99.9%)
But this tsuba we ask the help from the matchine, to remove the big area metal remove. i prefer not use the matchine's help. but in order to to rush something sometime.

-------------------------------------------------
Yours Charles,
the more traditional, the more mordern