engraving tool question

[vz58]

I have a CNC mill to engrave my info on a form 1 tube, but what tool are yall using? Links? RPM?

[Bendersquint]

I have a CNC mill to engrave my info on a form 1 tube, but what tool are yall using? Links? RPM?

All the specs are dependent on the material, feed, speed, depth of cut, type coolant, etc...

Give me a call tomorrow afternoon and I can tell you about the ones we use, we are ordering a bunch more so I can add one or 2 for you to that order.

[shadow]

Split-end carbide engraving blanks are available for less than $20.
You could also use a centerdrill, endmill, countersink....depends on what you want it to look like.

[Bendersquint]

Split-end carbide engraving blanks are available for less than $20.
You could also use a centerdrill, endmill, countersink....depends on what you want it to look like.

You can get purpose built engraving bits for just over $20 and not have to screw with blanks and making it yourself.

[shadow]

They are already ground. ...still less than $20, sorry if you misunderstood. Thats just what they are called.

[Bendersquint]

They are already ground. ...still less than $20, sorry if you misunderstood. Thats just what they are called.

They call shaped and ready to use engraving tolls "BLANKS"?

What company is this?

[shadow]

Really?
Micro100 sold thru Southwest Tool Supply, page 13 of current catalog.
And yes, they are called blanks. I am again sorry if you misunderstood.
Call them whatever you want it ain't rocket science.

[Bendersquint]

Really?
Micro100 sold thru Southwest Tool Supply, page 13 of current catalog.
And yes, they are called blanks. I am again sorry if you misunderstood.
Call them whatever you want it ain't rocket science.

A blank is generally a solid so you can shape it however you want, like a rifle stock blank has no features just the basic shape.

Sorry, I just found that odd that they are calling a finished product a blank that's all.

[steve_dune]

Bendersquint:

What tool do you use to engrave? I have access to a CNC mill and I would like to buy an engraving tool.

Thanks

[Bendersquint]

Bendersquint:

What tool do you use to engrave? I have access to a CNC mill and I would like to buy an engraving tool.

Thanks

Depends on what is being engraved. You use different tips for aluminum, titanium and stainless

If you are using a CNC Mill and not a CNC Engraver its a lot more expensive. CNC Mill to engrave properly its $300-$500 to get setup(especially for doing at tube), CNC Engraver to engrave properly is about $25 for the tip.

[steve_dune]

What tooling would you recommend for a CNC Mill?

[Historian]

Tool Junkie Alert! Tool Junkie Alert! Tool Junkie Alert!

Learning never ends.

If you are into adding to your gunsmithing tool set and want to
engrave/personalize your own numbers, figures, etc. consider
for example tools such as << http://lindsayengraving.com/menu.htm >

Video: << http://www.engraving.krcims.com/ >>

Nothing beats being able to carve steel with a Hammer & Chisel
as if you were using a stylus in modeling clay .

Something to consider if you think you will be needing lots of engraving.

[ Steep learning curve, especially for the impatient. ]

[steve_dune]

Tool Junkie Alert! Tool Junkie Alert! Tool Junkie Alert!

Learning never ends.

If you are into adding to your gunsmithing tool set and want to
engrave/personalize your own numbers, figures, etc. consider
for example tools such as << http://lindsayengraving.com/menu.htm >

Video: << http://www.engraving.krcims.com/ >>

Nothing beats being able to carve steel with a Hammer & Chisel
as if you were using a stylus in modeling clay .

Something to consider if you think you will be needing lots of engraving.

[ Steep learning curve, especially for the impatient. ]

That looks awesome too bad I'm not very artistic! I wish I had the skills to be able to do something like that.

My first form 1 can I used a 3/32 ball nose end mill to do my engraving. It turned out really well but I would like an actual engraving tool to play around with. I'm thinking about buying something like this http://metalworking.mscdirect.com/CGI/N ... O=12722502 and putting it in a collet chuck. Does anyone have any idea if something like that would work?

Thanks!

[Historian]

Tool Junkie Alert! Tool Junkie Alert! Tool Junkie Alert!

Learning never ends.

If you are into adding to your gunsmithing tool set and want to
engrave/personalize your own numbers, figures, etc. consider
for example tools such as << http://lindsayengraving.com/menu.htm >

Video: << http://www.engraving.krcims.com/ >>

Nothing beats being able to carve steel with a Hammer & Chisel
as if you were using a stylus in modeling clay .

Something to consider if you think you will be needing lots of engraving.

[ Steep learning curve, especially for the impatient. ]

That looks awesome too bad I'm not very artistic! I wish I had the skills to be able to do something like that.

My first form 1 can I used a 3/32 ball nose end mill to do my engraving. It turned out really well but I would like an actual engraving tool to play around with. I'm thinking about buying something like this http://metalworking.mscdirect.com/CGI/N ... O=12722502 and putting it in a collet chuck. Does anyone have any idea if something like that would work?

Thanks!

Steve, from the chronicles of the fumble fingers, I put one such bit into my Delta Drill press and with the Atlas X-Y table
[ I have really old but reliable 'junkers'; exact version on eBay item #140889923948 ] I etched-a-sketch on a flat piece
of copper cube in the jaws some primitive designs, Roman Numerals ( Cato the Censor's shade rose from his grave
on the Via Appia in protest ).

Aside from the fun playing around I concluded that I should never, ever, use this procedure on anything really serious
or valuable items.

Open question to our experts such as Mr. B. or the good Captain: are there miniature steel stamps
that could be used on a tube with a steel cylinder pressed internally to prevent distortion and
long enough to act as the tip of an anvil? I have used this method to stamp small steel rings for
experimentation and no distortion arose ... but as opposed to engraving it does 'knurl' the metal.

Idle minds are indeed the devil's workshop.

[Bendersquint]

Tool Junkie Alert! Tool Junkie Alert! Tool Junkie Alert!

Learning never ends.

If you are into adding to your gunsmithing tool set and want to
engrave/personalize your own numbers, figures, etc. consider
for example tools such as << http://lindsayengraving.com/menu.htm >

Video: << http://www.engraving.krcims.com/ >>

Nothing beats being able to carve steel with a Hammer & Chisel
as if you were using a stylus in modeling clay .

Something to consider if you think you will be needing lots of engraving.

[ Steep learning curve, especially for the impatient. ]

That looks awesome too bad I'm not very artistic! I wish I had the skills to be able to do something like that.

My first form 1 can I used a 3/32 ball nose end mill to do my engraving. It turned out really well but I would like an actual engraving tool to play around with. I'm thinking about buying something like this http://metalworking.mscdirect.com/CGI/N ... O=12722502 and putting it in a collet chuck. Does anyone have any idea if something like that would work?

Thanks!

Steve, from the chronicles of the fumble fingers, I put one such bit into my Delta Drill press and with the Atlas X-Y table
[ I have really old but reliable 'junkers'; exact version on eBay item #140889923948 ] I etched-a-sketch on a flat piece
of copper cube in the jaws some primitive designs, Roman Numerals ( Cato the Censor's shade rose from his grave
on the Via Appia in protest ).

Aside from the fun playing around I concluded that I should never, ever, use this procedure on anything really serious
or valuable items.

Open question to our experts such as Mr. B. or the good Captain: are there miniature steel stamps
that could be used on a tube with a steel cylinder pressed internally to prevent distortion and
long enough to act as the tip of an anvil? I have used this method to stamp small steel rings for
experimentation and no distortion arose ... but as opposed to engraving it does 'knurl' the metal.

Idle minds are indeed the devil's workshop.

Yes, they make miniature stamp sets and using a steel rod fit to the diameter of the ID of the tube would prevent SOME of the impression and could work.

[tony1959]

I have a CNC mill to engrave my info on a form 1 tube, but what tool are yall using? Links? RPM?

http://www.harveytool.com/prod/Browse-S ... us_49.aspx

We use these on our CNC mills for all our engraving they run about $17-$21

You should be able to find a local distributor on the same site.

[Doc Holiday13]

I use a 30 deg. .02 tip or 60 deg. .005 tip engraving tool from msc. Run the tool at 5k rpm 8ipm

[CMV]

Yes, they make miniature stamp sets and using a steel rod fit to the diameter of the ID of the tube would prevent SOME of the impression and could work.

If you were doing aluminum this would work ok. For steel, IDK. I had to stamp the VIN on a homemade trailer at the tongue & axle. Tongue came out ok, but I couldn't scratch the axle even using a 3# hammer on the stamp. Maybe with that rod inside the tube setup and a 1-ton arbor press? I don't think striking the stamp with anything would turn out well - probably ugly enough that just using an electric hand engraver would look just as "good".

[Bendersquint]

Yes, they make miniature stamp sets and using a steel rod fit to the diameter of the ID of the tube would prevent SOME of the impression and could work.

If you were doing aluminum this would work ok. For steel, IDK. I had to stamp the VIN on a homemade trailer at the tongue & axle. Tongue came out ok, but I couldn't scratch the axle even using a 3# hammer on the stamp. Maybe with that rod inside the tube setup and a 1-ton arbor press? I don't think striking the stamp with anything would turn out well - probably ugly enough that just using an electric hand engraver would look just as "good".

Works fine on steel AND titanium as well, you can get good looking impressions as well with minimal setup.

[CMV]

Using a press or striking?

[DanielWilson]

Hmm. I was hoping to get by free-handing it with my Dremel tool.

[CMV]

Hmm. I was hoping to get by free-handing it with my Dremel tool.

Which would you rather show someone and say, "I made this!"

[SRM]

I did mine freehand but with an air engraver. I'm not sure the dremil has enough poop for stainless.

Use guide lines so you dont wander. I do agree though. If I planned accordingly, I could have sent it off and had snazzy engraving done but it was complete pretty quick and could not leave my possession.

[jus2311]

With access to cnc mill, use a center drill...I have used them to engrave A LOT of stuff from polyc to Ti. Cheap, work great.

[Bendersquint]

With access to cnc mill, use a center drill...I have used them to engrave A LOT of stuff from polyc to Ti. Cheap, work great.

I hope you are joking, talk about a waste of a good machine.

Why half ass it when you have the CNC Mill?