Marking HSS/taps etc

[Welderpaul]

I have a load of old HSS toolbits, old taps etc that have been made by someone other than me - collected from various auctions etc and put in a 'that'll come in handy' box.

Some have been marked up with some sort of tool (electric arc??) that has very lightly engraved it. It's handwriting so not stamps. It is very fine.

What is the bit of kit that does it?

 

[daleyd]

When I worked for Pilkington we used to have proper professional engravers (hand held) that were used to engrave serial numbers into glass, they could etch into anything including hss, much better than the hobby type engravers you normally see.

 

[Robotstar5]

probably something like this one company I worked for used something similar to mark the die sets in the press tools.

 

[Fazerruss]

My brother has one that came from Leeds uni. Paul, if you need to re-engrave any of I could borrow it off him as it's not a tool he really uses very often. It was part of a job lot of tools he bought.
They are also really useful when doing an engine strip down to mark all components ( valve pushrods ect) so they go back in the correct place.

 

[Welderpaul]

My brother has one that came from Leeds uni. Paul, if you need to re-engrave any of I could borrow it off him as it's not a tool he really uses very often. It was part of a job lot of tools he bought.
They are also really useful when doing an engine strip down to mark all compon8so they go back in the correct place.

Is it an electric arc one or the vibrating type?

I have an engraving machine (an old thing) which is great for big stuff but it is a too big for marking small items. I'd like to go through my big collection of imperial taps and dies and mark them up properly (I've spent too long today straining at faint lettering to find the right ones).

The arc engraver looks just the job for marking tiny taps.

 

[Fazerruss]

It's an arc one

 

[Welderpaul]

It's an arc one

Great, no rush but yes, i'll borrow it please.
Thinking about it it would also be handy to mark the diameters on all the punches and dies on the Geka - the original marks wear off in no time and we mark them up using paint marker which wears off.

Ta

 

[Ton-up]

I bought one of these for our toolroom last month to replace the one they have had for 20 years. Excellent tool but pricey for home!

http://www.knighton-tools.co.uk/acatalog/Engraving_Machines.html#aACTOGRAP100_2f10

 

[brightspark]

saw one last month at ruffoth they normaly fetch 20 quid

 

[pedrobedro]

You can etch steel with salt and a PP9 battery quit effectively.Mask with nail varnish then scratch through to the metal you want marking. Our local Aldi have some small engravers in this week as well only £5

 

[awemawson]

Actograph is a make of pencil like engraving tool that works like a simple buzzer.

If you have access to a low power laser engraver you can mark steel using Dry Moly as I describe in this thread with pictures :

https://madmodder.net/index.php/topic,11174.0.html

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Could it be simple metal etching? As per here

 

[scott0031]

Robotstar5 and awemawson are on the right lines. They are etchers not engravers. They etch as mentioned with an arc just like an arc welder but no filler and small electrode. We would use blunt small drills sub 1 mm as the electrode. I cant recall what the proper name is but they are really only a transformer and a wooden pen and a metal tab is the best way i can describe it with the electrode clamped on, that's the only version i saw in the uk at least. I have one in the works and it may have a name plate on it... I managed to lose the pen though.. I have a feeling they may still be available. I'm sure i have seen them fro sole in more recent years but at a pretty high price, no surprise there!

I have seen a lot on these in toolrooms not only were they good for general marking but they were used to tighten die inserts if they became lose in the die, they were some very fancy versions out there too they had a whole host of setting so you could actually grown parts to make them a tight fit again, all press tool orientated. That's the bit of general useless info!

I will take a look for a plate on mine.

 

[scott0031]

I just found this. It does the same job apart from the uk bought versions were as above.

 

[scott0031]

This is not the same as the old original ones...... but does the same job...... told ya.... fortunes! It's a transformer lol! A small one at that!

http://www.knighton-tools.co.uk/acatalog/Engraving_Machines.html

 

[scott0031]

This is How i remember the pens to be or very similar. You will have to wait until all the annoying changing screens stops on the site, then it will show up clearly.

http://sparkmarking.com/en.html#about

The search term i have used is 'electric spark engraving pen'

 

[awemawson]

I use a TIG electrode (cut short) in my Actograph and they last for ages

 

[Gareth0123]

You only need an old Tig tungsten, two bits of wire and a PP3 9 volt battery to make an arc engraver.
City Saw Services here in Norwich have one on their counter.
They mark every saw blade going in for sharpening with the customers details so there is no confusion.