Engraving tool steel, D2

S

Son of Sam

Aluminum

Joined

Oct 11, 2014

Location

South Jersey, USA

• Nov 14, 2016

• #1

I am engraving D2 with a 1/16 ball mill. It's in the unhardened state. I am not getting a great finish but it's acceptable seeing as I glass bead the area anyway. The thing is that I have never found a tool that I felt engraved well. I get decent luck with center drill in aluminum. Outside of that I'm not happy. Machine has a 8k spindle with thru coolike option. I would love some input and or suggestions. You guys that make molds should have all kinds of info.

 

Atomkinder

Titanium

Joined

May 8, 2012

Location

Mid-Iowa, USA

• Nov 14, 2016

• #2

I usually have pretty good results with a 1/16 or 1/32 ball mill, but I'm running 12k. At the last job it was 4k tops and always mild steel (die shoes), and when I started they were using center drills, but they wore quickly and broke after a few shoes. I have also seen great results with tipped-off single- and double-flute engravers but have no direct experience.

If I were doing a lot of engraving I'd be on this page damn quick and emailing questions: Harvey Tool - Engraving Cutters In Stock with Same-Day Shipping

 

H

Hazzert

Stainless

Joined

Dec 21, 2014

• Nov 14, 2016

• #3

Spot drills work nicely if you buy quality ones with a narrow web. The 1/8" HT ones will leave a .01" flat. Most of our engraving though is done with a 1/32 BN ran wide open.

 

D

Davis In SC

Diamond

Joined

Sep 14, 2005

Location

South Carolina USA

• Nov 14, 2016

• #4

Micro 100 makes some split engraving cutters that I use in S-7 @ 55 RC. They work great. Reminds me it is almost time to get a bunch of cavities welded up so I can change the 6 to a 7...

 

P

PriddyShiddy

Cast Iron

Joined

Mar 1, 2011

Location

anaheim, ca

• Nov 14, 2016

• #5

Bits&bits tough tip engravers are phenomenal. I run them all day long in O1. I get a day or two of production from one bit. Mostly 60* 0.01" diameter @ 0.025" doc 0.003" Step over 6K rpm (max) @ 6-8ipm 3D 'milling' and tons of 3D pockets. I slow to 4ipm on the pockets. For actual engraving you can run MUCH faster as you have 1/4 the engagement.

I run their 2 Flute engravers down to 0.005" for finishing those parts. The tough tip is my 'rougher' and I've never broken one. I wear them after a day or two and toss em.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

S

Son of Sam

Aluminum

Joined

Oct 11, 2014

Location

South Jersey, USA

• Nov 14, 2016

• #6

I will try Harvey and bits and bits. I would like to get at least .005 doc at 8k rpm and a min of 20ipm.

 

R

Red James

Stainless

Joined

Jan 26, 2013

Location

Plainfield, Indiana, USA

• Nov 15, 2016

• #7

Engraving? Sounds like you are pocket milling "I would like to get at least .005 doc" What total depth are you cutting?

 

Rewt

Hot Rolled

Joined

Sep 17, 2015

Location

Cleveland

• Nov 15, 2016

• #8

We have good luck with Seco Minimasters and the center drill insert. Yeah, I know it's Seco, but it does a good job for us.

 

apoc_101

Hot Rolled

Joined

May 11, 2011

Location

Canada

• Nov 15, 2016

• #9

annealed D2? of course it looks like shit. it has the worst machinability of most tool steels, in any state... it makes great knives and shears though.

 

D

dodgin

Hot Rolled

Joined

Mar 16, 2015

Location

MI, USA

• Nov 15, 2016

• #10

Ingersoll Cutting Tools-IMC


I always found these tools handy to have around for a number of applications. Worked great for engraving too, but the hardest material I ever used it on was in the 28-34 rc range.