Stunt Engraving: Don't Try This at Home - Engraving Etc. Forum

<body> <h1>Full Version: <a href="https://www.engravingetc.org:443/archive/index.php?webtag=EE&msg=4084.1">Stunt Engraving: Don't Try This at Home</a></h1><a name="a4084_1"></a><p><b>From: Stunt Engraver (DGL)</b> [<a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=4084.1">#1</a>]<br /> 14 Jun 2006<br /><b>To: ALL</b></p> Well, I guess I can't really make that admonishment.<br /> <br /> Home, is exactly where I engraved these items. <span class="e_smile" title=":-)"><span class="e__">:-)</span> </span><br /> <br /> From the following photo, the project seems harmless enough.<br /> <br /> <div align="center">ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â <img src="http://engravingetc.org/DGL/VAWMug.JPG" alt="VAWMug.JPG" /> </div><br /> <br /> The color-filled emblem on the cast, pewter tankard was part of the original manufacture. The customer wanted to personalize each tankard, aftermarket.<br /> <br /> No big deal; right?<br /> <br /> Well, no big deal if the group would have settled for diamond-drag engraving. They wanted names engraved, that would have the same impact as the black, color-filled image on the front of the tankard.<br /> <br /> Now, that's a pretty tall order!<br /> <br /> The organization also wanted the characters to be large, meaning 3/4" on the capital letters.<br /> <br /> Now, they're getting ridiculous! I mean, who in their right mind, would, or could, meet such a requirement?<br /> <br /> I never claimed to be in my right mind, at any point, during my career as a Stunt Engraver. In fact, I don't recommend taking these types of jobs on at all.<br /> <br /> For me, it's too late to take my own advice. As tedious and difficult as these jobs can be, I truly enjoy the challenge.<br /> <br /> Here's how I went about the project.<br /> <br /> First, I wanted a typeface with some style to it, but not a multi-line font. I chose "Cursive."<br /> <br /> Hurdle #1: My brass set of type would never generate a 3/4" capital letter.<br /> <br /> That's why I used a computerized rotary engraving system, to engrave 1 1/2" high charcaters on plastic templates, which, when engraved at 2:1 on a manual pantograph, would render 3/4" characters.<br /> <br /> Hurdle #2: Since using a nose-regulator, for depth control, would scratch the surface of the tankard and the item has tapered sides, there wasn't much choice, but to engrave without a depth regulator at all!<br /> <br /> That means I would have to control the depth and width-of-cut, strictly by sight and feel! Yikes!<br /> <br /> I really don't recommend that method of depth control, unless you have a lot of practice on scrap material. Of course, this job didn't leave any margin for error.<br /> <br /> I was in my comfort zone. <span class="e_smile" title=":-)"><span class="e__">:-)</span> </span><br /> <br /> Using a .060, carbide-tipped cutter, I began to make the irreversible incisions. Starting at the higher end of the taper (bottom section) and carving my way down the taper, I watched the "walls" of the engraved characters, to guage depth, while visually tracking the width-of-cut.<br /> <br /> It's important to do this type of work under ample lighting, or ideally, natural daylight, in order to see how consistent a stroke you're developing. You don't want to be fooled by shadows.<br /> <br /> Using multiple passes and going over areas that needed "beefing up" I engraved all characters at an approximate depth of 1/16".<br /> <br /> That's pretty deep, in anyone's book.<br /> <br /> Hurdle #3: Paint-filling on a curved surface.<br /> <br /> On tankards with longer names, color-filling all the letters at the same time, meant paint would run out of some of the characters. I had no choice, but to fill the letters in sections, going back to unpainted letters as previously-filled sections partially dried.<br /> <br /> Final cleanup was done with WD-40; enough solvent to break down the dried enamel, and enough oil content to "glide" across letters without pulling the paint out.<br /> <br /> With 32 tankards to engrave, I didn't take pictures of the process, but I did make a point of capturing a sample of the finished product.<br /> <br /> <br /> <div align="center"><img src="http://engravingetc.org/DGL/BernieMug.JPG" alt="BernieMug.JPG" /> </div><br /> <br /> Hurdle #4: Getting the desire to ever engrave these items again!<br /> <br /> But we know I will. <span class="e_smile" title=":-)"><span class="e__">:-)</span> </span> <hr /><h4><a href="lthread_list.php?webtag=EE">Back to thread list</a> | <a href="llogout.php?webtag=EE">Login</a></h4> <h6>© 2025 <a href="http://www.beehiveforum.net/" target="_blank">Project Beehive Forum</a></h6> </body>