Bergeon 2462 graver sharpener

[LittleWatchShop]

Now that I am trying to make screws...I need to sharpen my gravers more often.

I have one of the cheesy cheap sharpeners...it works with some fiddling.

Wondering of this HIGH DOLLAR Bergeon would make me happy.

Anybody use both--compare and contrast??

[nickelsilver]

The bergeon works fine. But if you take some time to get a feel for doing it freehand you'll find that it's faster, and you touch them up more often, and turning is that much more pleasurable. In the U.S. school I attended we used "Crocker" graver sharpeners, but in Switzerland we had to do it freehand and it really was worth the time to get the feel.  With an india stone and a good Arkansas you get a great finish.

[oldhippy]

 By hand using an Arkansas stone and a little oil. You will need a little practise. 

[nickelsilver]

I'll add that I heard before I went that the Swiss didn't allow tungsten carbide gravers. So I packed a selection of them, and diamond wheels and laps, but also my beloved Case Moon Stone- which was an early ceramic version of a hard white Arkansas.

 

So, when the teacher looked I was using a HSS graver, dressed on my Moon Stone. When he wasn't looking I was using carbide, lapping them during lunch breaks. In the end the guys in the full training course pretty much commandeered my Moon stone, and the teacher acquiesced and let the advanced guys use my diamond wheels.

 

End result-I had to make a balance staff to get accepted, with steel gravers, on blue steel, which I did. In the course you actually worked on customer watches (nice stuff), so they bent to carbide as it's stronger and faster. But I think it's good to learn with steel, and I frequently use HSS on my larger lathe as it works great and is so easy to maintain. But do learn to dress your gravers freehand, you'll thank yourself.

[clockboy]

I use both but I must admit I now prefer the carbide. They stay sharp for a long while and I find it really useful when cutting something fine such as a staff. I use a diamond lap to sharpen and a Crocker sharpener to maintain the correct angle etc.
 

PS I have tried many times to sharpen without the aid of the Crocker but I have failed many times so I just stick to the method that for me works.

[jdm]

4 hours ago, clockboy said:

 a Crocker sharpener to maintain the correct angle etc.

What is that? Can you show how to use it?

[clockboy]

See pic how to use is very basic but simple and adjustments are very fine when needed. If there is a problem the lower part if used a lot wears away and eventually a new one is required but I mean a lot of sharping. 

 

 

[nickelsilver]

One of our first projects in school was to drill and tap the feet of the Crocker and add screws with jam nuts, the wear goes on the screw and they offer another level of adjustment too.

[clockboy]

I don’t know what jam nuts are but the idea is a really good one when time I might try it on my worn Crocker. 

[nickelsilver]

9 minutes ago, clockboy said:

I don’t know what jam nuts are but the idea is a really good one when time I might try it on my worn Crocker. 

The screws get a nut threaded on to them, then they are screwed into the feet from the top side so just a little protrudes out the bottom, then the nut is snugged down to the tool. It keeps them from moving in use.