I need to get info on simple/effective engraving.

The company I work for wants to mark a variety of tools and equipment so it's readily identifiable and to keep our 'shrinkage' down of popular $10 to $300 items. A variety of surfaces and materials are involved and smacking it with a letter/punch and hammer isn't an option. Something better than freeform vibrating pencil engraver but not a major investment. Most of it would be the size of say....an AR magazine or EOTech sight hood. We're talking four initials in a row like 'ABCD' perhaps 1/2" high each. Some of the surfaces are painted/coated so I don't think a chemical process is what they want.

I'm thinking of a stencil cut with a lazer and then cutting initials into the surface with a Dremil tool???

Can anybody share with me their knowledge/experience?

That's going to depend on the material worked on.That in turn will effect your process.Hard steel ,softer metals , plastics.Try to define the materials for us.

OT BTW I see that Dremel now markets a 3D machine to makes lots of things .

dpcd is right, a pantograph is probably the way to go. The stylus is diamond so it will engrave pretty much anything. They start at about $500 new, but that machine is small and limited in what it will engrave. I think the vise is the most important part of the machine. Remember if the part you want engraved won't fit in the vise it can't be engraved. Look for jewelry stores that are going out of business and you can pick up a New Hermes pantograph for $300-$500 with a half dozen sets of font and a bunch of different vice jaws.

engraving plastic - that sounds like something biebs would to to a blaser

Putting a name on a tool to prevent theft?

Doesn't seem to deter the thieves in my factory

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Look for jewelry stores that are going out of business and you can pick up a New Hermes pantograph for $300-$500 with a half dozen sets of font and a bunch of different vice jaws.

You can't even buy 5 sets of fonts for that price, used. I've been buying and selling used ones for years. Show me where they are.

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Originally posted by butchlambert:

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Look for jewelry stores that are going out of business and you can pick up a New Hermes pantograph for $300-$500 with a half dozen sets of font and a bunch of different vice jaws.

You can't even buy 5 sets of fonts for that price, used. I've been buying and selling used ones for years. Show me where they are.

I don't know where any are right now. However, I picked one up for my shop last winter for $350, with 7 sets of fonts, an extra stylus and a bunch of vise jaws. The guy threw in an inside ring engraver with the deal. A couple of years before that I offered to buy one off of a jeweler I used to work for for $400. The deal was all but done when his brother decided he wanted it. Before that another jeweler who went out offered me his for $500. I passed on that deal because at the time I wasn't sure I would get that much use out of it.

I've seen a bunch for more money too, but the deals are out there if you are patient.

Lo and behold one just showed up in the classifieds with a motor for $550.

That is a good deal, but not close to a full set of fonts.

Says it comes with one complete set and some unsorted. Sounds like the OP would only need one set. Also the one in the classifieds is motor driven. I don't really know anything about the old electric models but I bet they bring more money than the manual ones.

Lapidery, Motorized units are not really suitable for a surface with a radius. If you will look at a true inventory of fonts you will find an inventory that includes several of ea. for a complete set.

The Pant-o-grave in our shop is a floor unit built by Dekal

It gathers dust these days

We have several sets of numbers and letters and several we have cut ourself

BTW.....cutting over stamps? Speed must not be an issue

Butchloc, when I got my Benelli M1 90 ,that was one of the first plastic stocked auto shotguns .It was sneered at by guys that had fancy engraved shot guns . So I decided to engrave mine !!

Forgive my ignorance but wouldn't a set of stencils and a quick acid etch do the job for what Matt wants?