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Jiten Patel
10-15-2013, 10:32 AM
Hi all,

We have a potential job engraving champagne buckets for a huge champagne company. Just wanted to know if anyone has tried engraving around such large object using a rotary and if so, how did they go about it?

Dan Hintz
10-15-2013, 11:17 AM
If you can't do it as a stationary item (i.e., flatbed), you'll likely need to create a custom rotary. I've considered it in the past, but the call for engraving large cylinders is extremely limited in my biz... you may have found one of the few exceptions. If the money is there, I'd say go for it.

Jiten Patel
10-15-2013, 11:38 AM
Thanks Dan, anyway you think the existing rotary could be modified to work with the large circumference of a bucket? This is more of a brown nosing exercise as if we can do this, they will give us all their corporate branding and stationery for all their events which would be huge (low 6 figure contracts).

Joe Hillmann
10-15-2013, 11:54 AM
Can you remove the head stock and tail stock from the rails of your rotary and then put them back on with spacer blocks between them and the rails to give you more clearance?

Rodne Gold
10-15-2013, 12:02 PM
Check you can actually get the head clearance you need using a rotary customised for champagne buckets , we modded a rotary to do this and had to remove the table to get the clearance. Not sure what machine you using , probably no issues with a galvo marking head

Mike Null
10-15-2013, 12:18 PM
Jit

I can't do it with my laser but I have an 8.5" diameter capacity with my Newing Hall so that's what I use.

But my best solution for larger ones is to engrave a large brass oval (such as 4x6" or larger) and fasten it to the bucket with JB Weld. You may be able to do a similar thing with Cermark.

Matt Turner (physics)
10-15-2013, 1:14 PM
If you have clearance to use it, you could cut out a rotary stage like the one shown in this seasonably relevant video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDqTp33xjME

Kev Williams
10-15-2013, 8:05 PM
My trusty old NH 3400 cylinder engraver-- Did this whole bell without a depth gauge...

http://www.engraver1.com/other/b1.jpg

http://www.engraver1.com/other/b2.jpg

http://www.engraver1.com/other/b7.jpg

http://www.engraver1.com/other/b9.jpg

http://www.engraver1.com/other/b10.jpg

http://www.engraver1.com/other/b11.jpg

http://www.engraver1.com/other/b12.jpg

Scott Shepherd
10-15-2013, 9:25 PM
Jit, find someone with a sandblaster. You could make the mask and blast it in no time and do an outstanding job. You have the wrong tool for the job and if you're trying to impress a customer, don't risk it, get it done by someone with the right tools.

Jiten Patel
10-17-2013, 7:59 AM
Thanks for the help guys, I will try see if I can do it in house, if not find a local sand blaster to do it.

matthew knott
10-17-2013, 1:51 PM
As these ice buckets glass Jit or something else?

Jiten Patel
10-18-2013, 5:25 AM
Matt, they are stainless steel.

matthew knott
10-18-2013, 4:31 PM
Yeap thought so, we have done quite a few for Moet and Veuve Clicquot but they are extremely tricky, normally because they all tend to be slightly different sizes, they are not so bad if they don't want a big logo, but they always do. Also they tend to be funny shades and large so you can fit 6 bottles in. Small parallel sided ones are a doddle, also just noticed your email about the tape, sorry i missed it, ive been out and about for the last few days.

Ross Moshinsky
10-18-2013, 5:01 PM
Jit, find someone with a sandblaster. You could make the mask and blast it in no time and do an outstanding job. You have the wrong tool for the job and if you're trying to impress a customer, don't risk it, get it done by someone with the right tools.

This. Sandblasting this is easy compared to the other options. Figuring out a fixture in the laser is tricky at best and rotary engraving stainless steel is not very fun at all.

The other option is to have it hand engraved. There are still people out there hand engraving and sometimes people in certain worlds like being able to say "well, this was hand engraved by the man who engraves the (insert some rugby/football cup name) Cup".

David Somers
10-19-2013, 4:21 PM
Jit,

Keep in mind I am not doing Laser yet. Take this with a grain of salt please. But for some reason I am aware that there are special sticky tapes made for creating sandblasting templates that can be laser cut. You could design and cut the tape as a template with your laser. Apply it to the bucket, and then take the bucket to the sand blaster. Or if you wanted, the same companies that make that type of tape also make regular sticky tapes that you could cut with the laser, apply and do a color added process if that were more appropriate? And there are also tapes made to be used as templates for chemical etching templates that are laser cuttable.

If you needed a source I can probably find it again. It was just recently that I found this.

Dave

Dan Hintz
10-19-2013, 7:18 PM
David,

You're probably thinking of Laser Tape or Rayzist...

David Takes
10-19-2013, 9:44 PM
Make sure you identify what the customer is envisioning. On a project like this, I personally would assume they are expecting a diamond drag engraving. Mike Null is on track with his Newing Hall handling the job. I've got a New Hermes (Gravograph) IS400 Volume that could whip this type of work out easily. A VisionMax could handle the job as well. I personally do a hatch-filled engraving if the text and/or graphic is a larger design.

Rodne Gold
10-20-2013, 3:53 AM
Sandblasting SS is not a nice effect , it leaves a sort of dirty grey mark , not a nice white frosted one.

Richard DiMaggio
10-20-2013, 9:09 AM
I would venture to say that if you are going for the big contracts, you will eventually have to invest in the equipment. Here is my approach for keeping the laser in focus and perpendicular to the surface of a large diameter object. Let me know if I can help you get to that point. Here is a short video I made for my father in law to show him what I was working on. It isn't intended to be advertisement, but just to show concept. The laser is not actually engraving at this point, just showing the motion it can achieve. I have done several windshields using this setup, and am working on fixturing for other models than the one shown. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDaAHA5ujPM

Mike Null
10-20-2013, 9:13 AM
Rodney is correct about the look of sandblasting on SS. In the photo below the name was added to an already matt finished sword.


273344

Scott Shepherd
10-20-2013, 5:24 PM
At the time I said sandblasting, Jit hadn't mentioned it was polished stainless steel.