Some advice, please, jewellry engraving machines?

[Paul Williams from Nunavut]

Having put out the money for our engraver, and enjoying what it can do, my wife was unimpressed that it would not engrave jewellry, like id bracelets, rings, etc. We can mark them, more or less permanently, but not actually engrave into the metal, which is what she really had her heart set on.

That said, does anyone have suggestions (and maybe ballpark guesstimates of costs) of machines that we can add onto our business that could do what she wants? Thanks muchly.

Currently using a 30 watt, Epilog Zing (12"x16").

[matthew knott]

the short answer is "a lot" if you want a laser, you need a fiber or yag and they dont come cheap, i would say from $18k upto $60k depending on country of origin and specification, you can buy little impact engravers that seem to do an ok job http://www.metaza.com/ i have never used one but the results look ok and theres always used ones on ebay (good thing???). I would advise that if you want to go down the laser route you start by subcontracting the work out and feel out the market before you part with your hard earned cash. We do quite a bit of work for jewlery companies (not looking for work !were in the UK) but the volumes are never that high, so i would think it hard to justify the cost of a laser on a whim, unless you have a killer idea IMHO

[Dave Gates]

Paul, if you're looking into diamond drag style computerized engravers try Gravograph and Vision machines. We have a Vision Phoenix 1212 in the shop that is able to do most of the jewelry orders we get(as long as I can get it to hold in a jig). For a manual engraver, I think the it is called a Pantograph or something like that. You set up the characters by hand follow the paths...kinda like the old tracing pens. Getting a logo on these can be a little bit of a pain sometimes.

You can pick these machines up for under $10,000.

Like Matthew said, if you want a laser engraver to do this, it will cost a lot more.

[Bruce Boone]

I have a GravoGraph IM4 computer controlled drag type engraver. It does well for normal ring engravings, but won't do bracelets. Here's an example of what a high powered YAG can do. As the others said, it's not cheap!
210527

[Martin Boekers]

You can pick up an older Panto-graph engraver fairly cheaply. They come with a set or two of metal letters that you trace
and a cutter scraps the metal.

If you want a smaller rotary Roland sells some smaller newer moders for under $2500.

www.rolandmpx-80.com/?id=egx20 (http://www.rolandmpx-80.com/?id=egx20)

They actually have a small one designed just for jewelry.

www.rolandmpx-80.com/?id=gem (http://www.rolandmpx-80.com/?id=gem)

There are a fair amount of used rotaries on the market you may try listing on Craigs List

[Amos De Pasquale]

I have a GravoGraph M20, does an excellent job, the hardest part is making sure you haveall the proper jigs for the work at hand. Amos:):)

[Chuck Stone]

Heya Amos! On yet another forum we meet!

On the pantograph, has anyone used their laser to cut templates
for tracing? Just wondering, since that might give new life to
some older machines

[Bruce Boone]

Haven't tried that. It does take a lot of power and passes to get deep. Still probably not the ideal laser that would do both cutting and deep engraving, but it's as close as I've found.

[Mike Chance in Iowa]

I have a GravoGraph IM4 computer controlled drag type engraver. It does well for normal ring engravings, but won't do bracelets. Here's an example of what a high powered YAG can do. As the others said, it's not cheap!
210527

What are we looking at Bruce? A bracelet or a ring? Whatever it is, it looks nifty!

[Paul Williams from Nunavut]

Thank you all for the advice and suggestions. I'll pass them on to the power that be.... The Roland mpx - gem, at a glance looks to be just the ticket.

[Bruce Boone]

What are we looking at Bruce? A bracelet or a ring? Whatever it is, it looks nifty!

That's a ring crafted from black zirconium with a lasered and polished titanium overlay.

[Bill Cunningham]

Heya Amos! On yet another forum we meet!

On the pantograph, has anyone used their laser to cut templates
for tracing? Just wondering, since that might give new life to
some older machines

When I first got my laser 8 years ago, I was still using the pantograph for some jobs.. You can make templates from scrap acrylic, by backing the laser way off, and using a hairline vector.. The beam cuts into the acrylic with sloped sides, and by adjusting the power/speed/focus, you can cut a trench that will allow the stylis to track the pattern quite well.. My pantograph has been sitting unused now for about 7 years because I don't need it anymore, and I don't do jewlery, only stainless Medic Alert Bracelettes

[Chuck Stone]

I was about to ask what you wanted to do with it,
but then I saw where you were.
I've driven out that way too many times! :D

[Rodne Gold]

I would also suggest a small comouterised machine that can do diamond drag and rotary incised cutting. We use a small roland (egx 300/pnc 2300a) to do that , but its somewhat limited as to Z axis clearance. You really need to work out what amount of this type engraving you would be doing , I paid $1500-2000 for mine (depending on exchange rates) and made it all back + on one job (scratch engraving 10 000 solid silver money clips) but spending $10k on a machine that might do 3 jobs a week would be bad economically....
As an aside , Those impact printers are really not good machines for general jewellery engraving , avoid em like the plague.

[Mike Null]

I do jewelry on a wholesale basis with my Newing Hall 350 with power vise. It is an expensive machine--I have about $12,000 in mine and it's used. I am very skeptical about Metaza. Get a thorough demo before you buy! I make most of my money on cylindrical items which few others in St. Louis or anywhere else can or will do.
It will also engrave glass better than the laser.

Somebody else made a good suggestion to farm out your work until you can determine whether you can make money at it.

[Paul Williams from Nunavut]

Thanks all for the advice! Appreciate it!

[Paul Williams from Nunavut]

I've done some more exploring, and think I'm leaning towards an M40 Gift engraver from Gravograph. Has any one got any experience with this machine? Many thanks