Caliber Engraving - Preferred Providers?

fireball168 · Feb 14, 2008

I've been looking for someone to engrave the caliber on some of my rebarreling projects.

So far, I've been less than pleased with the results of local suppliers, basically scratching with a Hermes type engraver. Half the time after refinishing, you can't tell they did anything.

I can understand gunsmiths that have nice CNC setups not wanting to engrave something they didn't do....but who out there has a setup that can make a deep, good looking caliber engraving for decent $$?

Stamping is not an option for me.

MDH · Feb 14, 2008

Why isn’t stamping on option? It’s good enough for the factories..

If you've only got a few calibers that’s probably the most economical option, by the time you pay for shipping both ways, and pay the engraver, plus the time the barrel is out of the shop, stamps get pretty cheap.

I probably make half a doz Winchester barrels a month, if I didn’t have the stamps & roll marks I would be way behind the power curve.

Good engravers are fairly easy to find, try googling firearms engraving. I recommend Bill Adair, a good friend, good engraver, and knows firearms.

Mike Hunter
www.Hunterrestorations.com

fireball168 · Feb 14, 2008

Good enough for the factories isn't good enough for me - stamping is fine for a $15 barrel, but not a $350 barrel.

Thanks for the recommendations though.

kilroyjones · Feb 14, 2008

Orion has a good reputation among the various gun forums. I am not sure if they can engrave something like a barrel, but you might ask.

http://orion-arms.com/new/content/view/39/116/

(never mind this part, just read your above reply)
I agree with MDH, stamping would be the way to go. Make a tool that will hold 4-6 stamps and you can stamp the caliber at one time, with the lettering kept straight. Brownells sells a stamp holding tool, but it wouldn't take much to make one in the shop.

MDH · Feb 14, 2008

"stamping is fine for a $15 barrel, but not a $350 barrel."

Ouch.... Well I don't make $15 Barrels or $350 barrels, although $350 might make a decent down payment on one of mine.

And the last time you put a barrel on a rifle that sold for over $20K??

Mike Hunter
www.Hunterrestorations.com

Butch Lambert · Feb 15, 2008

I have used Karl Feldkamp and really like his stuff. He specializes in what you are asking. http://www.kampfeldcustom.com/index_023.htm
Butch

fireball168 · Feb 15, 2008

MDH said:
And the last time you put a barrel on a rifle that sold for over $20K??

Mike Hunter
www.Hunterrestorations.com

Mike,

Feel free to do whatever you'd like on your rifles, apparently you've had at least one person that has paid for the stampings shown on your website. That's great, and I'm glad that you're making a go of it.

Although, I'm not trying to make something look like something it really isn't. I was pretty clear in my first post that stamping isn't an option, and it isn't.

Again, thanks for the engraver recommendation.

Butch - I've seen Karl's work, never thought to ask him though, figured he was backed up enough with everything else. Good idea.

MDH · Feb 15, 2008

"apparently you've had at least one person that has paid for the stampings shown on your website".

Yup, just one, and it was my mommy....I'll work on it...

Sounds like a heck of a rifle you're buiding; perhaps you'll post some pics

For very nice work, I use either Joe Rundell or Dennis McDonald (google) don't think you'll be disapointed with either of their work.

Mike Hunter
www.Hunterrestorations.com

koginam · Feb 15, 2008

Well I guess I'm lucky I take mine to a plain old trophy shop and for $25 bucks he puts the caliber and shop name in my choice of several fonts, and they are plenty deep he has a cnc engraver.

fireball168 · Feb 15, 2008

You are lucky, how about sharing the contact information?

MDH · Feb 16, 2008

Fireball

Just look up the American Custom Gunmakers Guild, go to members, anyone with an "E" in the right collom is an engraver.

Mike Hunter
www.Hunterrestorations.com

CS223 · Feb 18, 2008

You might look into electro engraving, GA Precision does this on their rifles. It's a deep engraving, not the normal electro engraving done with the little cheap home kit. Occasionally you'll find the commercial equipment on Ebay.

The problem with CNC engraving is the contour of the barrels. A straight barrel or tube is easy to do in the CNC but profiled barrels are all but impossible without special tooling.

One other option is abrasive etching, a resist mask is placed on the barrel and you use your sand blaster to make your mark. Stainless etches readily.

Butch Lambert · Feb 18, 2008

CS223,
Have you checked out Karl Feldkamps CNC on barrels? www.kampfeldcustoms.com
I have a barrel that Karl has done and the contour didn't hurt the work.
Butch

CS223 · Feb 18, 2008

Butch Lambert said:
CS223,
Have you checked out Karl Feldkamps CNC on barrels? www.kampfeldcustoms.com
I have a barrel that Karl has done and the contour didn't hurt the work.
Butch

Guess I should have qualified that, in terms of a typical VMC or CNC mill, it's 'difficult' with stock tooling. 2Linc makes a spring loaded engraving tool that should handle the contour even in the absence of a rotary 4 axis. BTW, you need to drop the 's' in the link, it;s

www.kampfeldcustom.com

RWO · Feb 18, 2008

I use electro-etching using this equipment: http://www.etch-o-matic.biz/

I make my own stencils using my PC and ink-jet printer. Thus, I can use any font, size or mark that I can import or compose in the computer. The marks are deep and look like factory roll marks. Curved surfaces are not a problem since the stencils are thin plastic film.

RWO

Butch Lambert · Feb 18, 2008

Thanks CS223.
Butch

jpcampbell · Feb 18, 2008

I just read about this guy on http://thegunsmiths.com/phpBB2/ he does plating and engraving with a pantograph which will do deep engraving.
http://www.overlandplating.com

willbird · Feb 18, 2008

Hey RWO do you have a picture of the resulting engraving ?

Bill

MDH · Feb 19, 2008

A bunch of years ago, before I invested in custom stamps and roll dies, I used the elector-etch method of marking. It really does a very good job. My setup was/is a larger industrial setup, an AC/DC unit; so I have not tried the Etch O Matic, not sure how they work. There was a place called Marking Methods out of CA, that produced stencils using your artwork. I had a bout 5 years of use out of a few of those stencils, didn’t wear them out.

Mike Hunter

CS223 · Feb 19, 2008

MDH said:
A bunch of years ago, before I invested in custom stamps and roll dies, I used the elector-etch method of marking. It really does a very good job. My setup was/is a larger industrial setup, an AC/DC unit; so I have not tried the Etch O Matic, not sure how they work. There was a place called Marking Methods out of CA, that produced stencils using your artwork. I had a bout 5 years of use out of a few of those stencils, didn’t wear them out.

Mike Hunter

Yup, that's the company that makes the professional grade machine

www.markingmethods.com

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