electro-spark engraver - experience anybody?

Just came across Electro-Spark metal engraving pens listed about 3 places. Haven't seen them before. I have (maybe) an actual application.
Does anybody have any experience with these things?
Would they work for making heavy marks on chromed tools?

Here's one catalog page:
http://www.penntoolco.com/catalog/products/products.cfm?categoryID=1959

yes I have 2 of them but they are higher power than the ones that you directed to . they are like miniature arc welders , but they don't deposit they arc a divot in the metal and leave permanent mark that has to be ground out and the slower you go the deeper it gets

Does it change color? Or would it not be any easier to read than sizes already engraved on the side of a socket?

There is color change on carbon steel. Turns it black when you rub your finger across he etched area....On Chrome the markings are less distinct.
For marking chrome i prefer the "Suhner lgs 30" air powered engraving pencils. Much more controlable than the cheap electric units that come from the hardware store...etc.
I have both types of marking devices. (Suhner and a very old electric engraving pencil)...The Suhner works best for fine work that needs to be on a tight area and easily read....(marking old car parts etc)

http://www.suhner-abrasive-expert.com/site/index.cfm?id_art=15668&vsprache=EN

Cheers Ross

I have a German-made one that came from SPI. It is a little different from the current SPI units. I use a TIG electrode in the pen. It works OK for marking hardened steel tools. I have seen similar marking jobs on custom cutting tools, since it is easy to mark HSS with them.

I also have an American-made Luma etcher. It is much bigger and heavier than the little SPI unit, but I have never actually used it. Luma is still making these units in more than one model.
http://www.lumaelectricco.com/etchtool.html

Larry

An electrical marking pen brings back memories -- hope you don't mind me reminiscing. Back when I graduated High School, while while other classmates were getting new GTO's and 442's, I got a very nice set of Craftsman mechanic's tools with my parents' hope that I would fix up the 1959 Rambler American (with a Continental Kit) that I bought for $50 which burned more oil than it did gas -- definitely not a chick magnet. (BTW -- I did a ring job on the engine and sold it for $250!) To mark the tools, I made an electrical pen from plans that were published in either Popular Mechanics or Mechanix Illustrated or some other publication -- I read them all. Pictured below is one of the original wrenches with the markings still visible after 40+ years

The pen consisted of a steel core loosely wrapped with heavy copper wire (12 ga varnished magnet wire???) inserted into a non-conductive sleeve. One end of the wire is secured to the piece of steel becomes the arcing electrode and the other end goes to a car battery. The item you are marking goes to the other terminal.

How this works is that when the electrode tip closes the circuit, the electrical field of the copper wire causes the steel rod (and tip) to retract into the sleeve like a solenoid. The loosely wrapped copper wire acts like a spring and pushes the tip back down and contact is remade. This results in the tip vibrating up and down at some frequency. Moving the pen while this is going on creates a line of spark craters.

Maybe some other forum members of my generation remembers more details about how this pen was made.

If you want heavy marks on chromed tools, use a 1/4 carbon electrode such as used in a carbon arc torch or a air arc. Turn your welder down to about 20 amps and drag the carbon electrode across the tool. Not pretty, but if you choke up on the electrode and have some practice it works ok. The only thing deeper would be a file or a grinder.

I have a Luma etcher, and I like it for some things. The factory electrodes are poor, they get quite hot and build a oxide layer internally and make it difficult to complete the connection. I need to make a couple of new electrodes. For precision surfaces, I can turn the power down on the Luma and write in what would be about 4 point type and make a good mark. Chromed as-forged surfaces such as George shows don't work well because you have to press on the tip and the surface roughness then makes it difficult to move the tip with the desired control.

I have one I bought from Snap On tools 25 years ago, you hook it up to a 12 volt car battery. It worked good except it got real hot to hold on to after a dozen wrenches or so.

Memories of days gone by.

My dad worked in a large garage back in the 1950's. Everyone marked their wrenches with the Snap ON 12Volt etching pen. I still have it. His name is still distinct on his old wrenches.

elecro spark engraver

we have one at work. I use it by rubbing it and slowing writing. It turns steel and stainless a darker color by heating it. Also when rubbing it makes sparks and leaves arc marks. I never had much luck writing small and neat with it. But for letters 1/2" tall or bigger it works ok and it will take some sanding to get rid of marks. Our has adjustable power setting and on full power it gets hot / the handle and will leave deep arc marks if metal is not clean enough for good electrical contact. The SPI one looks small and lower power than the one I use. Contact tip will not stay sharp and need sharpening if you want fine lines.

We have one at work that I think pre-dates UL Listings. It works great. One thing I didn't see mentioned here was how well they engrave carbide. You can still read it years later where laser marking seem to just rub or wear of carbide pretty fast.

I think with this old clunker we have you could spot weld some thin gage sheet metal if you had the setting cranked up to "10".

bryan_machine said:

Just came across Electro-Spark metal engraving pens listed about 3 places. Haven't seen them before. I have (maybe) an actual application.
Does anybody have any experience with these things?
Would they work for making heavy marks on chromed tools?

Here's one catalog page:
Best Industrial Power Tool Sales Online | Penn Tool Co

Click to expand...

Thanks for you post. I have been looking for this kind of engraver. I used to have one at work but not now. This kind of engrave makes very fine details on metal. Enables one to put traceable marking on metal. One fault was that it got hotter the longer you used it.

I found that if you use a silver electrode you get a better line, nice black and legible, about 60 degree point
Mark

boslab said:

I found that if you use a silver electrode you get a better line, nice black and legible, about 60 degree point

Click to expand...

Twelve year old post, bos. So can someone explain the reason for those ? Pointless silly post tacked on to a ten years dead thread, as first post ? Spam camouflage for later on ?

Since I apparently started this thread in the mists of time, I'll report that:
a. I eventually got a spark engraver - and find that while it works to spec it's basically useless in my hands
b. Tried various other things
c. Now have a chinese galvo fiber laser which so far does everything I want, quickly, super legibly.
Anybody who really wants a spark engraver let me know and I'll make you a deal.

Is there a way to link this thread to all the threads about guys with tools and guns they bought for dirt cheap because the original owner etched his name onto them?

Slow-moving is one key to make nice electric engraving. We had a number of vendors who sent tools and machine parts with tool and part numbers very skillfully electric etched.

EmanuelGoldstein said:

Twelve year old post, bos. So can someone explain the reason for those ? Pointless silly post tacked on to a ten years dead thread, as first post ? Spam camouflage for later on ?

Click to expand...

Oops, I normally don’t get caught by zombies, however this one had bedroom slippers on
Thank you
Mark

michiganbuck said:

Slow-moving is one key to make nice electric engraving. We had a number of vendors who sent tools and machine parts with tool and part numbers very skillfully electric etched.

Click to expand...

Oh for sure, the key phrase was "in my hands" - I am blessed in many ways, but awesome hand dexterity is not one of them.

Did they make an adapter for a spot welder to write with?
Bill D