How would one neatly apply letters and other characters to metal short of buying something expensive such as a laser engraver?

Take it to a shop that does engraving. They don't usually charge much for simple lettering.

Electroetching setup. They can be had for $100 including supplies. Look at knife making supply shops for these, or Martronics makes an inexpensive, but decent one.

Stamps are hard to make look good, and a Hermes engraver is spendy.

Jeremy

Send it to an engraver. Or if you do a lot of it, get a mechanical engraving machine, which are cheaper than a laser one.
Stamps? Not unless you are stamping a lot of the same things, like caliber markings. Then you can get custom stamps made.

How muc h do you need done? I normally get $35 for marking caliber on a barrel plus return shipping.

Jim

quote:

Originally posted by farbedo:

Electroetching setup. They can be had for $100 including supplies. Look at knife making supply shops for these, or Martronics makes an inexpensive, but decent one.

Thank-you gentlemen for all the suggestions. I think the electroetching method will serve my purposes well.