Diamond tipped engraving bits, angle?

Hengelo_77

Hengelo_77

Joined
Mar 2, 2006
Messages
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What angle would be best suited for engraving hardened stainless?
How do these different angles work, does a steeper angle go deeper in to the steel?

s-l1600.webp
 
The stylus tip angle makes wider and narrower lines in soft materials like brass, but hard steel doesn't penetrate deep. The harder the object engraved, the easier a thin tip chips, so you don't use a very thin diamond tip on hard steel. IIRC, I use a 90° on hardened steel.

Press just hard enough to get a good drag but not too much to create chatter.

Big Tip - Put a cork on the end of the blade. I can't tell you how many times I have poked or cut myself when I didn't.
 
Drag. Those stylii won't work for rotary engraving.
A little WD 40 on the work will help the stylus run smoother.
 
Drag is what I've used in the past, but I've read about rotary diamond engraving bits. I realize it's a no-no to post links to vendors, but this is sorta special case, so I do hope it's OK. This link says "When using with a Spring Loaded Engraving Tool the Diamond Drag Engraving Tool can be held stationary for drag/scratch engraving, or it can be rotated in a machine spindle."

www.2linc.com

Diamond Drag Engraving Tools, For Drag And Rotary Engraving - 2L Inc.

Diamond Drag Engraving Tools, Use For Both Scratch, Drag Engraving And Rotary Engraving Of Fine, Shallow Letters, Lines On Brass, Glass, Stainless Steel, More.
www.2linc.com www.2linc.com
 
I have used pantograph engravers ... both drag and rotary ... for over 50 years and never heard of anyone using a diamond stylus in a rotary engraver. Rotary styli have offset hardened tips for cutting plastic, wood, and soft metals. There are carbide styli for rotary engraving of images and use on hard metals.

I guess it would work. While a diamond stylus will fit the rotary head, it would still be a drag type cut whether rotating or not. I think Ken's link is using them as a rotary stylus for etching photos and such on glass and other hard surfaces. It specifically says, "fine shallow letters, lines"
 
I'm sure you're right Stacy - as I mentioned I've only used the diamond stylus as drag engraving and never even considered using as rotary. A drag stylus really doesn't have much of a cutting edge so I expected to see different stylus for rotary use. Never saw any on the website that says "these for rotary" and the others for "drag engraving". I was never able to get the drag stylus to engrave as deep as I wished. Now with the laser to engrave with I've not even considered the drag engraving.
 
You are correct, drag won't engrave deeply in hardened steel.

Think about what a Rockwell hardness tester does. It forces a very similar diamond point into the metal with the force of 150Kg. It still barely makes a dent in hard steel. If you move anything while using that much force you will chip the penetrator. Same for drag engraving, too much downward pressure will chip the stylus. You need a wider angle tip for higher pressure.

In jewelry work we have diamond flywheel cutters that have the flat or curved edge of a diamond exposed and are turned at high speed to cut lines in soft metal. They cut from the side of the rotating wheel, not the end of a rotating shaft. If you try to use one on hard metal, you will destroy an expensive cutter in a split second.
 
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