Engraving question

[Richard Gibson]

Does anyone use a CNC engraver to do pens instead of a laser? Can you get a CNC engraver down small enough to do pens?

 

[wiset1]

I've seen the CNC Shark do some pretty amazing stuff and with the 3D option you can get super fine details. Not sure if it does round objects like pens, but on the flat surface it did an amazing job.

 

[Fibonacci]

Yes you can. You can use a standard 3 axis mill and map the engraving to a curved surface to do pens.

If you want designs that wrap more than about 30% around the pen, then you will probably want a 4th axis to rotate the pen. With that, you can make designs that go all the way around.

 

[penmaker56]

a New Hermes/Gravograph M20, is a small (somewhere about 1 sqft of deskspace) table top, 3 axis, computer controlled, rotary engraving machine. The model I have, has a built in pen rotisserie. The manual just plain "sucks" as it was translated from French, the American service center in Atlanta politely does "rectal dentistry" if you need anything, and it definately has a learning curve. Other than that, the machine does a pretty good job if you can get a used one, since a new one is now over 6,000.

 

[BRobbins629]

Yes - You can get bits with a tip radius as small as .001". I typically use a .003" tip radius pyramid bit from Bits and Bits with a 4 axis CNC and it works fine.

 

[Richard Gibson]

Yes - You can get bits with a tip radius as small as .001". I typically use a .003" tip radius pyramid bit from Bits and Bits with a 4 axis CNC and it works fine.

Bruce- what type of engraver do you use?

 

[BRobbins629]

Yes - You can get bits with a tip radius as small as .001". I typically use a .003" tip radius pyramid bit from Bits and Bits with a 4 axis CNC and it works fine.

Bruce- what type of engraver do you use?

A Foredom tool as my spindle.