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CNC Scribing

drcoelho

Stainless
Joined
Feb 19, 2017
Location
Los Altos
Anyone have experience using scribe tool (such as TapMatic ScribeWriter Force II) good or bad? Any recommendations?
 
Looks like the O.P. item is a carbide drag engraver. Basically just a sharpened spring loaded carbide point that's dragged through the work. Good for very fine shallow lines. Not so much for deeper stuff. They also make diamond tipped ones.
 
Looks like the O.P. item is a carbide drag engraver. Basically just a sharpened spring loaded carbide point that's dragged through the work. Good for very fine shallow lines. Not so much for deeper stuff. They also make diamond tipped ones.

I'm not wedded to the TapMatic product, just looking for best practices for scribing and suggested tooling.
 
Those drag engravers are only good for a few thousandths depth max on harder materials. If you want to cut deeper lettering and such, I'd go with a single flute engraving cutter as posted by Mike above or you could try the small center drill, I haven't used that one personally. I have used the single flute cutters with a pantograph engraver, they work very well. Keep in mind that a single flute cutter is generally rigidly held in the spindle, so if your surface to be engraved isn't flat that will cause your depth to vary. They might have a spring loaded version of those with the depth limiting nose that will work okay on uneven surfaces, not sure.
 
I prefer the radiused engravers. The sharp pointed engravers work well but I prefer the look of the rounded bottom and their radiused kin last a bit longer in tougher materials. Harvey makes some nice options (Engraving Cutters - Tip Radius). I use the 0.02" radius 60° variant.
 
Those drag engravers are only good for a few thousandths depth max on harder materials. If you want to cut deeper lettering and such, I'd go with a single flute engraving cutter as posted by Mike above or you could try the small center drill, I haven't used that one personally. I have used the single flute cutters with a pantograph engraver, they work very well. Keep in mind that a single flute cutter is generally rigidly held in the spindle, so if your surface to be engraved isn't flat that will cause your depth to vary. They might have a spring loaded version of those with the depth limiting nose that will work okay on uneven surfaces, not sure.

It actually does a good job. I regularly go .008 to .010 deep for engraving and it leaves no raised edges. I run 12000 rpm and 20 ipm, single pass.
 
I will be doing lettering around the edge of cylinder (6" diameter) but I've got a 4th axis so I'm hoping that maybe a single flute engraving cutter might work in this scenario if I rotate the cylinder as I go.
 
This is getting to be like pulling teeth....:nutter:
1. Material ?
2. Depth of cut ?
3. Shape of cut ?

Material most likely mild steel, ductile iron, possibly stainless steel, and ocassionally brass.

Depth enough to be readable by a human being, do you have advise on what depth to target?

Letters maybe 1/4" tall
 








 
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