Where are all the Mechanical Engravers??

[Brian Leavitt]

Is mechanical engraving (rotary/diamond drag) dying out or do the people who use it go elsewhere for questions or advice on buying machines? I'm just curious because it's rare that I see any questions about it on this forum.

We have 5 diamond drag machines and still use all of them every day.

I'm just curious what you all think about it.

[Scott Shepherd]

Plenty of people on here with them. Every once in a while people ask questions, but there are a lot more on here than you'd think from reading the posts. We are picking up more rotary work all the time. It appears the numbers of people around that do it is getting smaller, so just having one is getting us in the door with new customers.

[Mark Sipes]

Brian I have 2 Newing-Hall 350s...... Both are busy every day. Brass plates for picture frames, Brass tags for wire hangers (electricians), Baby cups and the like.......

.

[Paul Phillips]

I have a Vision 2550 for doing Braille and ADA signs, also have the router spindle attachment for doing some CNC work when needed. We're a sign shop that specializes in ADA. I used to use a Gravograph New Hermes which is built like a tank but I like the Vision software much better than the Gravostyle.
PS (Howdy Steve, nice to see you back in the forums we missed you!)

[Scott Shepherd]

PS (Howdy Steve, nice to see you back in the forums we missed you!)

Thanks Paul, good to see you still around too!

[Mike Null]

I also have a Newing hall 350. This is the beginning of my busy season for this machine so for April May and June I will run a lot of silverplate bowls, pewter cups, and I have one school that still insists on all their awards being engraved with the diamond. That will be about 150 plaques. I don't use mine as often as I could as I turn away a lot of what I call retail business. I'm home based and individuals are often a nuisance and some of them will come even with high prices.

Most of my work is cylindrical.

[vic casware]

also out of interest, do many of you use Pantograph Machines similar to my Newing Hall's?
oops i mean Taylor Hobsons, (it's been a long day) :rolleyes:

[Kev Williams]

As my signature says, I have 10 'mechanical' engravers- or 'rotary tool' engravers... Some folks consider pantographs as 'mechanical' engravers (as opposed to 'hand' engraving)

These days the work is fairly even between lasers and tool machines, I need them all!

Right now:
The GCC laser is on flask duty at the moment, and will soon be Cermarking some SS operator panels, then 50 Apple TV's,
the Triumph will be engraving anodized operator panels a little later today, followed by a ton of crane simulator overlays in thin Rowmark,
the LS900 is about to run a few Rowmark plates, after which I have several orders of assorted stainless labels, ID plates, dial scales to do-
The fiber just got done annealing some black marks on some SS medical parts (which I hope are never used on me), it's next job is deep engraving some SS ID plates, then 3 AR lowers...

as for the 'mechanical' engravers,
my BIL engraves brass badges, pre-bevels Romark tags, and engraves every button we get on the old Concept every day (he also does Rowmark work in the GCC pretty much daily),
Just finished 2 'while-you-wait' AR's on the IS400, and it gets to rest for a moment (rare!),
I'm cutting out aluminum operator panels on the IS7000,
About to start running AB legends on XT#1,
cutting holes and engraving fiberglass Hoffman boxes on XT#2, followed by engraving some 1/8" thick Rowmark labeling,
my 3400-Orbiter did an aluminum box this morning and will be doing SS microphone bodies later today,
The other machines are idle at the moment, but a possible 5000 part job specific to those machines is looming...

Tool engraving is great, I couldn't make a decent living without my trusty machines,
but if there's one thing I love about my lasers-- I never have to stop to sharpen a laser beam! ;)

Edit to Vic- I just sold my last New Hermes IRX-IV pantograph last year. I was keeping it around just in case
I needed to use it, and I kept needing to use it! And nostalgia be damned, I HATED engraving with the thing!

This was several years ago, a bronze cat sarcophagus with a ton of engraving,
it was the first time I'd used the pantograph after years of being spoiled rotten by my CNC machines...
I was happy with how the job turned out, but hated every minute of doing it!

357185357186357187

[vic casware]

wow Kev, that's a great looking old machine, I love the old stuff but yes i get someone else to use them.

[Brian Leavitt]

...I have one school that still insists on all their awards being engraved with the diamond.
We have quite a few of those. Personally, I don't get it, but to each his own. If they want it, we'll do it!

[Brian Leavitt]

I'm curious why there are so many people coming on here for recommendations on buying their first laser, but I don't know if I've ever seen a new person coming on here for recommendations on their first diamond drag or rotary machine. That's what got me wondering about the state of the process. I know many existing members here have and use them, but I don't see new people coming in asking about them. We'd be hurting without the diamond drag machines, but we're also an awards shop. I know a lot of people on here don't necessarily do awards.

[Mike Null]

In my opinion the laser is more versatile and easier to use. I've contemplated selling my Newing Hall many times.

I've offered the school customer lower prices on other types of plaques but they won't hear to it.

[Kev Williams]

Around this area, there's a ton of 'engraving shops' around, many of us are old-timers with 'real' engraving machines, but those using only lasers don't last long. Almost once a week someone finds me who had their lasering done somewhere else but now they're gone.

And while it seems everyone is buying fiber lasers, I know of at least 4 shops/people that were using a fiber that aren't now...The 'people' either didn't make their quick million or plain get tired of it, and a couple of shops I know of, their fiber broke down and they've never pursued getting them fixed. Then there's those whose work quality drives their customers to me. One guy, (don't know him personally, I'm quoting my customer) because of his work ethic (leaves town for days telling no one), his method of following instructions (let's his spell-checker correct wrong-on-purpose logo words) and chutzpah (and felt he should charge to re-work HIS mistakes), gifted me with an additional $20k+ worth of annual fiber work. No complaint.

Back to diamond etching, even though I don't do a whole lot of personalizing, I have found that probably 1 in 4 people really like diamond engraving, especially when I refer to it as "traditional" engraving. But about 3 out of those 4 end up going with lasered black brass or aluminum, due to font choices, easy borders, etc. I engrave alum. alloy serving trays and platters for a local import company, until I got the fiber those have always been diamond etched. It's kind of hard to talk people into buying them lasered over traditional, but the detail I can get in less than half the time- cheaper for them- folks are coming around :)

But some items, only a diamond can do right, like this ice bucket lid- While I could make it look pretty good with the fiber, only a diamond can make it look like this ;)

357296

[Kristian Matz]

We have 2 IS400 Volume machines that are used most days. We mostly engrave silver trophies on them. I do not think I have engraved an engraving plate with a diamond in years. Pretty much all plates except for our custom deep etch brass plates are done on the laser. There are not a lot of shops that do (or are willing) to engrave on a cylinder. People ship us trophies from all over the country to engrave.

Here are some examples of our mechanical engraving.

357300357301357302

[Mike Null]

Kristian

That's outstanding work. Easy to see why you're busy. Two of the larger engravers in town no longer do diamond work on cylindrical items. I have declined to do their work as I am busy enough with other work.

I use the hatch fill on pewter mugs and get a nice premium for it.

[Brian Leavitt]

We still do quite a lot of diamond dragging on metal plates. Mostly brass and nickel. The materials like black brass and aluminum I try to get on the laser whenever possible, but there are still many customers who want it scratch engraved. We do plaques for a local county Fire and Rescue Department. I've tried to get them to switch to laser engraving, but they'll have no part of it. Each plaque takes 45 minutes to run - mostly because of the logo. They pay more because of this, but it's what they like so it's what they get.

We also do diamond engraving on cylindrical items. A lot of perpetual trophies, bowls, cups, etc. I know of only one other place around here that can do these, but it is a national chain and the work they do is sub-par at best. About the only thing we can't do are items for which a fiber would be a necessity. There have only been a few of those, though.

[Kristian Matz]

We do not have any real local business other that the occasional person who happens to find us. Almost everything we do is shipped to our customers. I am working on getting more local jobs, we have never tried before.