Engraving with High Speed Spindle

[MichaelHenry]

This little logo was milled in acrylic with the Proxxon high-speed spindle on a Tormach mill using a 1/8" carbide engraving bit, 60° & 0.005" tip at 0.010" DOC, 10k rpm, and 6 ipm feed.

I've got flood coolant but decided to just use a shop vac to continuously suck the chips from the cut for this job.

Mike

[zephyr9900]

Looks great, Mike! What did you use to fill in the lines?

Randy

[nine 16]

Mike, what is that curious telescoping device? Could that be the manual ruled slide calculator that my granddad told me about?

[zephyr9900]

If it is, the C/D scales really need to be recalibrated. But I was going to let that [wait for it] slide.

Best regards,

Randy

[MichaelHenry]

Randy,

The logo was filled with EngravoColor from New Hermes. It's looks like a colored wax (much like a stiff crayon in texture) and worked pretty good considering the old tube I have is probably 20+ years old. I just rubbed it into the surface hard enough to fill the lines and then rubbed the excess off the top surface. I'm on the lookout for current replacements but haven't found much yet, probably I'm not sure what search terms to use.

Edit: the sticks as well as some other interesting coloring chemicals/paints are available here:

http://www.gravograph.com/usa/Engrav...s_Supplies.php

but I'd like to find something from an easier source to deal with. The above folks don't seem to have any way to order online.

nine,

I believe that the odd graduated object is supposed to represent a slide rule. Graphics artists seem to take poetic license with anything remotely technical.

Mike

[zephyr9900]

Originally Posted by MichaelHenry The logo was filled with EngravoColor from New Hermes.

Thanks, Mike. I tried a Sanford(?) wax/china marker on an aluminum nameplate I engraved a while back (60-degree .005" point cutter in the primary spindle) without success because it was too hard and flaked off rather than rubbing into the lines. I'll hunt down an Engravocolor and try that the next time.

Best regards,

Randy

[zephyr9900]

Originally Posted by MichaelHenry The above folks don't seem to have any way to order online.

http://www.gravostore.com/Home/ is their online store. But yeesh, the assorted 12-pack of the EngravoColor is $53.69 (plus postage, I assume.) It's under Engraving Accessories / Coloring Accessories on the second page. individual sticks are $8.11, a little more than wax pencils... It makes experimenting a little expensive. (edit) But if your old stick lasted that long, it's a long-term investment I guess!

Best regards,

Randy

[MichaelHenry]

Randy,

Thanks for the link - wonder how I missed that? The paints and brass blackening chemical also looked interesting.

There must be other suppliers out there, but my web searches are mostly turning up UK vendors.

Mike