Engraving Spindles Recommendation for HSS (or maybe carbide) cutters

snowman · Aug 6, 2017

Need a recommendation for a reasonably priced engraving spindle. I will be using HSS cutters, single lip geometry, cutting various steel alloys.

I am completely clueless, and it seems that without 25,000 RPM, I'm better off with the HSS. And I don't imagine 25krpm spindles are all that inexpensive.

Trying to engrave letters via pantograph that are approximately 1/16" tall. DOC is just a few thou.

I have no clue where to start. I know that my tool tip RPM is effectively zero, thus the reason HSS holds up when carbide fails.

I will reluctantly use an air spindle, if that is my only option, but would prefer an electric spindle. Actually, I'd prefer an electric spindle with a built in motor, similar to water cooled spindles made in China that sell for 2-300 on Ebay...but I'd like something that works reliably & has minimal vibration.

Going to be used on a reducing lathe.

CarbideBob · Aug 6, 2017

snowman said:
.....
, similar to water cooled spindles made in China that sell for 2-300 on Ebay...but I'd like something that works reliably & has minimal vibration.
.....

These do work for us but we don't use them for engraving,..... we mount them in a cnc surface grinder and grind carbide.
Bob

snowman · Aug 6, 2017

CarbideBob said:
These do work for us but we don't use them for engraving,..... just for grinding carbide.
Bob

So you would consider them reliable? You just buy off Ebay? The whole unit, spindle, VFD, for $250...seems too good to be true.

Davis In SC · Aug 6, 2017

As far as Carbide vs RPMs.. I have a yearly job of re-engraving the year digit on a dozen mold cavities. I get the last digit welded, then EDM and polish, then engrave. I use a Micro-100 engraving tool, in a Hurco at 3000 rpms.. Depth of .012 inch. Material is hard S-7. Been using the same single lip cutter for years.

CarbideBob · Aug 6, 2017

snowman said:
So you would consider them reliable? You just buy off Ebay? The whole unit, spindle, VFD, for $250...seems too good to be true.

Yes,
Unmentionable VFDs, cheap, cheap, cheap.
Bought the first one hoping it would last through a 100 piece job for Motion Guru.
Darn things have 1000s of hours on them now. Purchased as a throw away. They just keep running.
My NSK air unit is now collecting dust on some back shelf. These are miles better for power.
Bob

snowman · Aug 6, 2017

CarbideBob said:
Yes,
Unmentionable VFDs, cheap, cheap, cheap.
Bought the first one hoping it would last through a 100 piece job for Motion Guru.
Darn things have 1000s of hours on them now. Purchased as a throw away. They just keep running.
My NSK air unit is now collecting dust on some back shelf. These are miles better for power.
Bob

Thanks! Why can't harbor freight catch up on quality like that? LOL

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Mud · Aug 6, 2017

Can someone post an ebay link? Or a search term?

BTW, I use a pair of NSK Planet 500 spindles for engraving in VMCs, They've been zero trouble and don't use a great deal of air.

L Vanice · Aug 6, 2017

The important trick with single lip cutters is to "tip" them. That is a flat, angled (not square across) grind across the point that eliminates the "zero RPM" effect of a sharp point and makes the engraved line have a flat bottom and sloping side. The slope is the included angle of the cutter and the flat is created by the amount that was ground off the point.

You can buy 1/8" carbide engraving cutters with a wide variety of included angles and amount of tipping. The ones on eBay from China are incredibly cheap and they work. I have seen more carbide than HSS cutters on the Chinese sellers' sites. There are good USA companies that stock HSS and carbide in any size you want for something more than the Chinese stuff. There are websites on rotary engraving that explain cutter geometry with pictures.

http://www.2linc.com/engraving/tough_tip_1-8.htm
http://www.bellcoinc.com/shopsite_sc/page7.html
1/8" 1Pcs 2deg-9deg/.1-2.mm V-Shape Carbide PCB Engraving Bits CNC Router Tool

A manual pantograph makes it difficult to do very slow and uniform feeds, so a high spindle speed makes it less likely to break cutters with very small tips.

Larry

snowman · Aug 6, 2017

Mud said:
Can someone post an ebay link? Or a search term?

BTW, I use a pair of NSK Planet 500 spindles for engraving in VMCs, They've been zero trouble and don't use a great deal of air.

"engraving spindle" were the search terms I used.

dian · Aug 8, 2017

usually you will find 0.03-0.05 mm of runout in the taper. there are thousands of thread out there about truing them up.

pictures are gone:

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/abrasive-machining/grinding-spindle-286890/?highlight=er20

L Vanice · Aug 8, 2017

dian said:
usually you will find 0.03-0.05 mm of runout in the taper. there are thousands of thread out there about truing them up.

pictures are gone:

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/abrasive-machining/grinding-spindle-286890/?highlight=er20

Engraving with single edge cutters makes .005 mm spindle runout of no consequence unless you are trying that old Gorton trick of engraving a long text on the head of a pin. In other words, it depends on the letter size because runout will have an influence on line width.

Larry.

dave49 · Aug 8, 2017

I am a garage shop amateur, not a professional, but I have had good service from the WW-650 spindle of Wolfgang Engineering.
WW-65 Spindle
Engraver Frame | North Branch Reels
Collet Grip | North Branch Reels
This spindle uses a 12 vdc "rock crawler" motor. I bought extras on Ebay, since the brush life is likely finite.
As mentioned above, the cutters from 2linc are great.

snowman · Aug 8, 2017

dave49 said:
I am a garage shop amateur, not a professional, but I have had good service from the WW-650 spindle of Wolfgang Engineering.
WW-65 Spindle
Engraver Frame | North Branch Reels
Collet Grip | North Branch Reels
This spindle uses a 12 vdc "rock crawler" motor. I bought extras on Ebay, since the brush life is likely finite.
As mentioned above, the cutters from 2linc are great.

Thanks Dave!

Food at "The Lodge" as good as I've been told? I think that's right in your area. My brother in law is a teacher in Grayling, I planned to try it next time I'm up there.

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Engraving Spindles Recommendation for HSS (or maybe carbide) cutters

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