Tips/Techniques Engraving numbers

[DPittman]

I made myself a marking gauge for laying out sheet metal a while back.

I set the gauge just by holding it up to a ruler but wish i could figure out a good way to mark the rod with measurements. I could cut slits/lines using a slitting saw in the mill but have no way of marking numbers.

Some sort of laser engraving is the best way I think of achieving this but that is not within my capabilities. Any ideas?

 

[DavidR8]

You could acid etch them I think but I have zero knowledge or experience on how to do that.

 

[DPittman]

You could acid etch them I think but I have zero knowledge or experience on how to do that.

Oh ya I sort of knew a little bit about that process a hundred years ago when I made a few knives. I never did any acid etching myself but read about it. I think that might be doable, I'll have to look into that again. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Perry]

I noticed on kijiji (In Calgary) there are a few home based laser egraving services listed. Might be reasonable pricing. I believe you need a fiber laser to engrave the metal.

 

[whydontu]

How wide is the flat?

 

[Chicken lights]

https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/sho...133-veritas-micro-adjust-wheel-marking-gauges

Lee Valley makes a couple styles, not as much fun as making your own

https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/sho...asuring/squares/32598-veritas-sliding-squares

 

[jcdammeyer]

You could acid etch them I think but I have zero knowledge or experience on how to do that.

Aren't you supposed to now suggest laser marking them? Or is cutting things(bodies) in half more interesting?

 

[DPittman]

How wide is the flat?

Only about 5mm wide.

 

[DPittman]

https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/sho...133-veritas-micro-adjust-wheel-marking-gauges

Lee Valley makes a couple styles, not as much fun as making your own

https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/sho...asuring/squares/32598-veritas-sliding-squares

Yes mine was loosely based on theirs.

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[phaxtris]

Wouldn't lines at a known increment be more useful ?...like how small would the numbers have to be to fit on a 5mm flat with a ticky line, gonna need a magnifying glass!

 

[Janger]

Two ideas.
A small number punch set just stamp them in to the metal.

Cnc milling … you could mail it to me.

 

[DPittman]

Wouldn't lines at a known increment be more useful ?...like how small would the numbers have to be to fit on a 5mm flat with a ticky line, gonna need a magnifying glass!

Yes the numbers would have to be pretty small.

 

[DPittman]

Two ideas.
A small number punch set just stamp them in to the metal.

Cnc milling … you could mail it to me.

The stamps would have to be pretty small but even so I'm not sure I want to stamp the flat as that is where my tightening brass screw rides against. Maybe that wouldn't matter. It's useable as is I guess.

 

[Janger]

Or how about an engraver - just write them on the metal.

 

[whydontu]

Only about 5mm wide.

a section from one of these, with some CA glue and tiny rivets

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My Engravograph can do 1/16” high numbers but getting the scale exact would take some fiddling.

 

[Janger]

https://www.princessauto.com/en/battery-operated-engraver/product/PA0008492225

I have something like this. Free hand engraving though not as nice as why don't u tool. Or a diamond bit in a rotary tool but they're pretty fat to hold as a pen.

 

[eotrfish]

Some sort of laser engraving is the best way I think of achieving this but that is not within my capabilities. Any ideas?

Have you considered using an Etch-O-Matic. Pretty simple to use - only problem would be making the letters and/or numbers small enough on the etch film.

 

[Dan Dubeau]

I'd just leave it as is, and set the offset with a 6" scale, by setting the point in the etching of the distance you want and tightening the nut with the face against the end of the scale.

A fiber marking laser will do a nice job of that though, but I would have done it in reverse order and marked it before drilling for the point as now you have to be precise in the setup of the laser to the tip you've created for accuracy. Outsourcing that to to someone who normally etches yeti mugs and live, laugh, love keychains, might not get the results you desire......

 

[Janger]

@eotrfish

Have you considered using an Etch-O-Matic. Pretty simple to use - only problem would be making the letters and/or numbers small enough on the etch film.

Do you have one? Any examples? Any one in Calgary have one?

Is anyone etching with salt water and power supplies? @Crosche were you experimenting with that?

 

[Crosche]

@eotrfish


Do you have one? Any examples? Any one in Calgary have one?

Is anyone etching with salt water and power supplies? @Crosche were you experimenting with that?

Yes, I built an electro etcher to mark my blades with. It works really well, but the stencils don't last very long. I was going to do a show & tell with the unit prior to Covid.