Metal Marking Example

[tobnpr]

Will it get deep enough to be visible after Cerakote? I assume it wont work over Cerakote?

Absolutely does get deep enough. You can etch as deep as you like, or as shallow.
To each their own, but the look is plenty "professional" for me.

 

[INTJ]

For about 6000 bucks you can get a 50-watt fiber laser that can do anything we need.

Our laser is similar to that. You just type what you want in the computer, line up the sighting dots with your felt pen mark on the barrel, and hit enter.

 

[V35]

Absolutely does get deep enough. You can etch as deep as you like, or as shallow.
To each their own, but the look is plenty "professional" for me.

Looks good, I am going to try it on my current build.

 

[DaveTooley]

For about 6000 bucks you can get a 50-watt fiber laser that can do anything we need. :/

Let us know how it works out.

 

[LVLAaron]

Let us know how it works out.

There are a number of smaller/cheaper laser and desktop CNC machines coming out of china right now... I'm researching for something that fits the use case... Not sure I want to spend 6k on a laser for a hobby shop.

 

[DaveTooley]

There are a number of smaller/cheaper laser and desktop CNC machines coming out of china right now... I'm researching for something that fits the use case... Not sure I want to spend 6k on a laser for a hobby shop.

Just poking fun at you. I probably should have gotten something 10 years ago but they were pretty pricey then. I still might if the right contract comes along.

 

[Tucker65]

I have a Haas mini mill in my home shop but I'm sure you could do the same on one of the small cnc bench mills. I use a program called Millwrite to generate the code. Those two lines I was able to engrave in one setup without a 4th axis.

 

[Ksracer]

New Hermes pantographs are not hard to find and not that expensive. Manual drag machines are about 2-300 and sets of types are about $100 each. If you wanted to get a powered head go to about 500-800.

That's what I did. The only catch is the powered heads don't engrave a consistent depth on curved surfaces. The larger the type, the more noticable it is. I made a custom guard for mine that follows the barrel contour better and it does an acceptable job and it's only takes 5 minutes start to finish.

 

[akajun]

That's what I did. The only catch is the powered heads don't engrave a consistent depth on curved surfaces. The larger the type, the more noticable it is. I made a custom guard for mine that follows the barrel contour better and it does an acceptable job and it's only takes 5 minutes start to finish.

Lol they made the rounded tips which I got a hold of a few but yes would be easy to make

 

[TrapperBR549]

What are these stencils doing? Are they blocking light or blocking the movement of some kind of material?
If blocking light check with a local screen printing business. They will often develop them for you.
If they are to block the movement of material maybe a vinyl cutter would work? Often times screen printers and sign shops have a vinyl cutter too.

 

[Judd]

I wonder what the Go-To place is around Ft Worth is for someone to do a laser job on barrels?
I usually just stamp mine, but it looks archaic.

I know a guy in Plano that does awesome work…$50-100 depending on how much you want done. Pm me if you want his number, does good cerokote work too.

 

[LVLAaron]

What are these stencils doing? Are they blocking light or blocking the movement of some kind of material?
If blocking light check with a local screen printing business. They will often develop them for you.
If they are to block the movement of material maybe a vinyl cutter would work? Often times screen printers and sign shops have a vinyl cutter too.

It's a "reverse" stencil. So the part you are etching stays exposed. and can be etched out with your electrode.

^ that's my first attempt with it. It's kinda big... and the hobby vinyl cutters can't get much smaller without it looking like crap.

 

[Kck]

I bought the little Brother printer but didn't have good luck at all with the stencil paper I bot (probably got the wrong stuff) but I also bought the Cricut. Aaron, yeah but it's damn near impossible to get a small stencil cut and the little dots on "A" or "8" always pop off so you don't get the detail. I'm thinking about just having one too many scotch's and buying a 50 watt laser before I can sober up and cancel the order...hahaha

 

[WayneShaw]

Using the Etchomatic paper to make a stencil (the blue paper and paper back ) you have to use an old manual typewriter. Type out what you want then peal off the blue. Tape it in place so it doesn't move then go at it. They said a dot-metrics printer will work too, but I never had any luck with those.

 

[xr650rRider]

I bought the little Brother printer but didn't have good luck at all with the stencil paper I bot (probably got the wrong stuff) but I also bought the Cricut. Aaron, yeah but it's damn near impossible to get a small stencil cut and the little dots on "A" or "8" always pop off so you don't get the detail. I'm thinking about just having one too many scotch's and buying a 50 watt laser before I can sober up and cancel the order...hahaha

There is a way to make a stencil with Cricut software that leaves a tiny piece of vinyl attached to the centers of letters and numbers like 8's, 6's, A's that normally stay behind and make your etch look LVLAaron's above.

This older post references a video on youtube on how to do it. I keep my font a 72 point or 1" tall while I'm modifying it and then shrink it to 1/8" tall right before printing. I might print 4 or 5 of same thing and then it takes some patience under a magnifyer to weed it off of stencil. It works, I've done a lot of them.

 

[TrapperBR549]

View attachment 1373070

It's a "reverse" stencil. So the part you are etching stays exposed. and can be etched out with your electrode.

^ that's my first attempt with it. It's kinda big... and the hobby vinyl cutters can't get much smaller without it looking like crap.

I am not sure what the technology is like today but a vinyl cutter might very well be able to accomplish that.

 

[LVLAaron]

I'm thinking about just having one too many scotch's and buying a 50 watt laser before I can sober up and cancel the order...hahaha

Just keep drinking until it shows up.

 

[Danny1788]

Electro etching takes practice and the right stencils. I have a place in Massachusetts make mine. They aren’t cheap but they last a long time. I use a stainless electrolyte solution from McMasterCarr and an old battery charger

 

[Dusty Stevens]

@Walt Krafft has a very nice laser

 

[AccelR8]

That looks good. Can you explain the process and what you use to do it?

I know I said I would write up an overview but I have been unable to find a few minutes free to do so without rushing through it. Here is a video link to an instructional video that details the process in depth . This is the company my gear came from. I've been doing this for at least 25 years.

Stencils are a subject all their own. I've had stencils made, I've made my own using the photo emulsion/silk screen (actually polyester mesh) method and for me, right now, the most effective method in terms of cost and time, especially for one-off marking, is to buy from Dogfightink.