Build a pneumatic metal engraver for cheap

Рет қаралды 182,045

7 жыл бұрын

Several months ago I happened upon a KZfaq channel called "Shaun Hughes Hand Engraving". His artwork is fantastic, but he also has a few videos describing how to build an air-powered engraver. Simple AND cheap?! I can't resist something like that. The pump modifications and the engraver were completed in a single evening and cost less than $40 total.
The air pump must be modified to produce air that oscillates in two directions rather than a constant flow in one direction. Air pumps are built using a set of two (one-way) valves. In this mod, the holes used as air passages for the first one-way valve were threaded and plugged with screws. The second one-way valve was then removed completely and replaced with an aluminum washer to maintain proper spacing. The modifications are easily reversible to restore it to normal inflator operation if needed.
The engraver is connected to the pump using aquarium hose. A brass barb fitting and bushing adapt that hose into a 1/2" copper elbow, which then connects to the copper cylinder. If I did it over again I would not use copper pipe from the hardware store. It was out of round enough that I had to squash it around a bit in the vise before the piston would fit perfectly. I chose it because it can be easily soldered and because it has no internal seam.
Inside the cylinder is a spring, a piston, a spacer, and an end-plug where the graving bit attaches. The spacer was used to tune the operation after cutting the spring to length.
The tool I use in this video is not shaped or sharpened correctly! Graving cutters normally have a particular geometry that I didn't attempt to reproduce. This project was just a quick proof-of-concept for fun, so I know it's not an ideal setup. I have a few more designs in mind, including some which don't require an oscillating air supply. Perhaps I'll try those next...
Thanks again to Shaun Hughes for sharing the tool concept, and for the enticing artwork. Metal engravings have a very cool, distinct appeal.
/ express375
What do you think? Have you made a similar engraver? Did I miss anything obvious in my attempt? Can you think of a way to bring the cost down even further? Leave a comment!

Пікірлер: 124

@express375 7 жыл бұрын

Ahh thats very nice of you,we are all making scratches in metal. You was doing well.It just shows what an advantage a power assist graver is. You could actually engrave on your first attempt. It equivalent to hammer and chisel,but you can use your other hand to turn the work.If you had a transfer on the metal you would have engraved a picture. Things that might help. A lighter piston actually produces more power,even a thinner tube would be better. I can hear that there is quite large gap between the spring and the piston. You only need no gap to a few mm to get the best control and power.A really springy spring is good also. You saved me a job making such a good video. i was about to video the part about the cylinder mod. Folks are a bit confused by it,and keep asking me to make them a machine. Now I know where to send them :) Have a look at the Rick Alexander HP. He's given away the plans for all. I'm guessing,you might hardly use it,as your a tinkerer like us all,but if you did,there is a queue of people who would buy the machine off of you,so you could make a profit. Cheers

@thisstuffido9141 7 жыл бұрын

You were totally spot on about the piston weight. I turned an aluminum piston this morning and I was able to run the air pump much faster. This gave better power and control just like you said.

@Vei2aC 6 жыл бұрын

lol good old shaun =], im here because of you lol.

@mcearl8073 6 жыл бұрын

Is the piston inside the hand piece the only thing moving? For some reason I assumed the cutting piece would be moving but I suppose that isn’t the case. Another question on the engraving, when doing some engraving, say something that would be easy for a beginner, how many bits(I dunno what they are called) are used? Is there like one main one or is a bunch of various sizes/shaped ones? I’d like to play around with this a bit for fun

@StuffUCanMake 5 жыл бұрын

I have just discovered this channel and I am amazed by the depth of skill and attention to detail. I am looking forward to be a regular here.

@BennettTheSmith 3 жыл бұрын

Oh thank god. No offense to the others that have made videos like this, but you actually explained and clearly showed how it works in

@OldSkoolF 3 жыл бұрын

I completely agree.. Shaun makes it look easy... Every now and again a person comes along with such an amazing skill and understanding that opens our eyes to what Humans are actually capable of.. They are just naturally good at it.. So good, that we could only hope to be half as good... They give us the inspiration for our work.. Da Vinci, Shakespeare, Beethoven, Tesla, Ruth, Jordan, Winfield, Dale, Gahan, Pahlow, Lee, Hughes... Every Human is unique... We need each other... Remember that.

@bentoombs 6 жыл бұрын

Good video. I'm going to be in the process of building one myself because of Sauhn

@mohamedd3330 7 жыл бұрын

Beautiful and effective

@dragonflywoman5539 6 жыл бұрын

Thankyou for the video :)

@sirdrakey 7 жыл бұрын

That's really cool

@fvrrljr 6 жыл бұрын

DAMN, if only I could work as fast as you my name would be Speedy Gonzales. Goldsmith Master Jeweler here with 55 years experience 3rd generation. I am very impressed. I don't care if it's ugly (there's beauty in ugliness) low tech. You had the satisfaction of making it and are Superior To Me in the sense that you know what you're doing. I Like, OLE!

@ghosthead2008 7 жыл бұрын

Safety tip: ALWAYS keep your non-engraving hand (the hand you use to hold/rotate the piece) below, or off to either side of the tip of the engraver. All it takes is ONE slip.

@thisstuffido9141 7 жыл бұрын

Sounds like good advice, to which the many scars on my hands and fingers lend credence.

@brandysigmon9066 6 жыл бұрын

This is good advice, I do some engraving and had a bad slip. It gave me a lot of trouble, the damage was done in that spot between the forefinger and thumb. That area always moves and takes forever to heal.

@frisaregood 6 жыл бұрын

6:30, surprised he didn't get penetrated lmao

@andreaschristodoulou4274 6 жыл бұрын

its so useless, its harmless to your hand or fingers

@NigelTolley Жыл бұрын

@@andreaschristodoulou4274 if it is, then it's not been sharpened properly!

@dragonflywoman5539 6 жыл бұрын

You need to shape and sharpen your graver tip, it is a blank.

@buckstarchaser2376 4 жыл бұрын

I would like to see how it would work with a little oil taking up some of the dead space on top of the air pump piston. Also, removing the superfluous manifold and pressure gauge will likely improve response a bit more. Get rid of some of that springy air, is what I'm thinking.

@pacman10182 5 жыл бұрын

harbour freight has an air file, $18 I wonder if it would work (just a reciprocating weight in a tube)

@TheCominghome 4 жыл бұрын

Holy crap you sure work fast, wist I could do that........

@SweetSpotGuitar 5 жыл бұрын

I would def go for the lighter piston to get a higher frequency of oscillation. This is really a 2nd order system (mass, spring, damping), so it can be tuned with the mass and the spring to get the frequency you want. Very cool vid, tho, as I have been looking at some of these amazing engraving guys on YT, and their gear can be over a kilobuck easy.

@brettbond9045 7 жыл бұрын

Interesting, I used the same pump for my home made graver, you know if you take that second piston cylinder off that goes on the main piston wall, the one that really does nothing but raise the intake like a few millimeters it will be silent and increase air pressure. You get a lot of rattle by keeping that piece on. I ran an elbow out of the air pressure valve hole after expanding it and left the hose on to use as an exhaust. I have it so fine tuned now I have to run it on 2. It sounds like a Lindsay when I turn it up on 7. I would love to try an aluminum piston though, mine is to heave hence why I have it on 2. I never used a lave before so I don't really know anything about them. Great video though. I got my pump at Walmart for 30 bucks.

@thisstuffido9141 7 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the tip! I'll give that a try today.

@brettbond9045 7 жыл бұрын

Let me know how that works out for you, you will also have to remove the fake heat sink plastic piece, I don't think it will fit after taking that extra cylinder wall out. If you have a lave I can send you dimensions on a hand piece. The one you have probably won't give you fine tuning although it works with this compressor set up right it will increase power and cause your hand piece to vibrate more. This will cause your cuts to look jagged. I have my machine on like 3 on the router speed control and if I have to much stroke it is to much power.

@triplesevensix291 6 жыл бұрын

Shaun does do great work right? Just been watching a vid of his set up & tools. Good stuff man. Cheers. Would you get whitefinger vibration off this if used enough? Lol.

@nejcmazej1129 7 жыл бұрын

Nice job. cool concept about the machine. I should also get the AC compressor instead of 12v DC. would save me some components :) I'll give you a thumbs up, the video was cool to watch and I like to watch others get into engraving. Shaun helped us all. he is a great guy and shares everything with us. keep up the good work! enjoy

@thisstuffido9141 7 жыл бұрын

Thanks. I enjoyed several of your videos as well. Very soon I will be creating a completely custom-machined graver that utilizes a regular air supply instead of pulsed. Will keep you posted...

@roberttinari562 7 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for the video! I've watched many of the DIY engraver builds from Shaun and others. I'd like to use the AC pump instead of the dc one. Are you having a problem with the pump being slow starting with the speed controller? DC is supposed to work better with this type of graver. I am very interested in your last comment about making a graver that uses a regular air supply. The Lindsy type of graver seems to hit harder and deeper faster. Can you share any info on making that type yet?

@thisstuffido9141 7 жыл бұрын

A haven't had any problems with my AC pump. The engraver used to lose power at high speed but I followed Shaun's advise and made a new piston from aluminum instead of steel and that helped. For the new engraver design I've constructed 2 working prototypes of the mechanism and have designed the third, which will incorporate the mechanism into an engraver handle and bit. Hoping to machine that this weekend. I'm designing it for the super-sensitive, high-control small stuff like Shaun does rather than the hard-hitting that this version did. Funny enough, version A is based on the 1800s 'King's Jackhammer' patent. I also have a rotary-valved version 'B' that I haven't prototyped yet. Perhaps I'll post a video of just the prototypes before the real thing is complete. The spool valves require very precise machining and the piston is only 1" long, so it's tiny compared to what I'm used to working on. I've also cooked up an electric solenoid-based version but it generated too much heat to hold comfortably more than a minute or so. Thanks for your comment!

@roberttinari562 7 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for the reply! I've been trying to understand the difference between the GRS type and the Lindsay type engraver. Does the Lindsay type have the piston in the handle. Is it like a piston in a car engine in the sense that it is highly machined in a cylinder inside of the engraver? Where can I find a drawing for this type of graver? When I think of this design for some reason I think of a blow dart in the barrel of a blow dart gun. But what makes it reciprocate up and down?

@thisstuffido9141 7 жыл бұрын

Lindsay is a bit "patent-happy" in my opinion, but I get that he's got to make a living. He seems to tweak the basic idea every few years and re-patent. Some of his patent descriptions are quite vague. You can view his patent drawings online. I understand the GRS founder is a buddy of the Lindsay family. GRS www.google.com/patents/US6508315 Lindsay www.google.com/patents/US6095256 www.google.com/patents/US6691798 [several more] Don't get me wrong, you can tell by his diagrams that he is a highly skilled mechanical engineer, and certainly a very talented engraver. He definitely deserves to benefit commercially from his inventions. Nothing against him, I just think the US patent system has gotten a little wonky. As for pneumatic mechanisms, there are a few good resources. This site has several useful animations and descriptions: www.mekanizmalar.com/menu-pneumatic.html The "King's jackhammer" patent I mentioned before: www.google.com/patents/US513941 There are also a few videos on KZfaq of people who have made pneumatic 'flip-flops' and self-oscillating air contraptions.

@moonolyth 6 жыл бұрын

If one dos not have a lathe there are many ways to get around this, just have to look around for parts that fit. At this time I'm working on building a vice. So fare as the spring coil probably a good idea to make it soft and adjustable in side the tool. You could try looking at lamp parts for the gun. I believe there are 2 or 3 size threaded pipe sleeves for lamps including many nut shapes to make these with adjustable handle. This would be a nice choice as you can fancy them up with brass and nice looking decorative parts or go cheaper with plain metal. Look on line for old style lamp parts and you will see what I'm talking about.... These parts are not the cheep way to go though just a consistent way to build w/o some tooling.

@thisstuffido9141 5 жыл бұрын

Bearing balls can be purchased for a few cents each in just about any size down to hundredths of a mm precision if you don't have a lathe.

@Ice_Industrial_Auto 7 жыл бұрын

I know about as much as you do concerning ENGRAVING and ARTWORK, but i recognize that toolbit as a GRAVING TOOL, something ive used recently to turn english wheel anvils. Not much is documented anywhere, and the experts are usually too old to create documentation on the net. Usually.... Most of what i know is self taught and from a few books as well as just experience, so i can confidently advise you that a "hollow grind" on the face of the toolbit will be much more effective and prevent slips as well as adding aggression to the dig in. Picture the radius of the grinding wheel forming a concave shape to the diamond pattern. Also the angle should be a little more than 45 degrees. I second the guy who said try to keep your hand away from the front of it, it can easily stick right through your hand and break a few bones too. Havent had that experience on the lathe as safety is paramount, and i shudder to think of it... This video just jogged that fear. With regards to the actual content though which is the cheap engraver, thumbs-up, awesome.

@brandysigmon9066 6 жыл бұрын

Don't turn the graver from side to side, turn the piece you are engraving. That is why the engraving vices swivel like they do. You will get the hang of it

@NigelTolley Жыл бұрын

Yes. Make a ball vice. I did one by taking a half bowling ball and mounting a vice on it, then putting the whole thing into a correctly sized ceramic dish! 5 minute hack.

@pedroelcubano1 3 жыл бұрын

Hi.. To where do you connect the speed regulator?

@letsmakeit989 5 жыл бұрын

So the ¨graver head¨ is fixed to the body?

@saxonsoldier2257 6 жыл бұрын

Build a pneumatic metal engraver for cheap....step 1: buy a lathe......:/

@thisstuffido9141 6 жыл бұрын

There's always a catch, eh? ;) Shaun's model uses a ball bearing. The local hardware store sells round stock that fits pretty well. That could be used for both the piston and front cap.

@NPCSN 6 жыл бұрын

I was just thinking the same thing lol. I was like "sweet, a cheap simple... LATHE?" Lol well crap.

@mcearl8073 6 жыл бұрын

To be fair though it’s a super simple little piece, I’d bet there’s someone local that could make that for not very much money

@NPCSN 6 жыл бұрын

Bmac 814 .... uh... now I feel stupid... Lmao of course... good call I bet a machine shop could make a couple of those pieces for a 6-pack and a handshake. Lol good call good sir. 😅

@mcearl8073 6 жыл бұрын

Johnathan Deverouxe Yea for sure. The last time I needed a little machining job done it took me a few shops to find one that was interested in the small job but once I found one they did it no problem and it was very cheap, maybe 15 or 20 bucks. If you want to spend a little more, there’s another guy on KZfaq that made a very nice hand piece and he gives the plans away to anyone that asks for them so you could probably just take the plans into a shop and have them make the whole thing. I’d imagine it would cost quite a bit more by the looks of it though.

@victorlederman9191 7 жыл бұрын

Could one use the switch of a cordless battery drill to control statr/stop and speed of the 12V compressor?

@thisstuffido9141 7 жыл бұрын

Yes. I've done this. I had an old variable speed 18v harbor freight drill laying around and I needed a motor speed controller quickly. However, you can also buy DC motor speed controllers pretty cheap on ebay such as the one below. Not endorsing it or anything, but this is the same kind I bought for an 18v battery adapter project (will post video on that later) and it was cheap and works well. Available from many Asian sellers. www.ebay.com/itm/12V-40V-10A-13khz-Pulse-Width-Modulation-PWM-DC-Motor-Speed-Control-Switch-h-/112234539521 This one is $3.22 shipped. You may even be able to find cheaper. Here's one for £2.56 if you're UK: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12V-40V-10A-13khz-Pulse-Width-Modulation-PWM-DC-Motor-Speed-Control-Switch-FH3-/322028139414?hash=item4afa5f7396:g:jNUAAOSwmmxW2Y4S Also several options available on Amazon at slightly higher prices.

@savava1000 7 жыл бұрын

Спасибо ! Классно получилось !!! )))

@thisstuffido9141 7 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for your comment. Спасибо за комментарий!

@dorianmatthes9512 2 жыл бұрын

"like a little mini jackhammer" Great! Here, try it on my new Rolex. 😢

@YourOldDog 4 жыл бұрын

Your chisel will cut much better with a "tiny" flat spot on the bottom that meets the metal. It is the equilibrium between the face of the chisel seeking depth and the heal "flat-spot" holding it back a little. While holding the tool on the stone at your comfortable engraving angle, rotate the chisel tip on a sharpening stone 2 or 3 times till you can see where the very sharp tip now has a flat heal on the bottom. Good luck, its a lot of fun......one more thing, brass is not the easiest metal for a rookie as it is more brittle than soft. What you want to cut will look like damp clay as your chisel finds its way through the metal. Don't think of metal as glass, it is more like damp clay under a serious microscope 10x power. Most any steel similar to gun steel will cut very nice. I "think" most gun steel is SAE 1020 but not positive.

@carrcohol 5 жыл бұрын

What does the inside of the copper tube look like with the nut banging around? And i believe i may have seen someone comment, but you can choose your profile of a graver tip. The graves I've seen are a little more delicate. Smaller stroke or less weight reciprocating. Good work though, cool project. You're inspiring me to try my own!

@thisstuffido9141 5 жыл бұрын

For $30 and an hour or two, definitely worth fooling around with. Give it a go. Agree on better graver grind and smaller oscillation. The biggest problem with copper tube is that it just isn't round. I had the squish it a few different times for a good piston fit.

@mohamedd3330 7 жыл бұрын

I also encouraged the videos of this professional to enter the field, and I loved very much seeing copper coils and aluminum winding in front of the chisel

@dontcallmetravis 7 жыл бұрын

You just turned that piece of metal on your lathe? How simple and affordable!

@thisstuffido9141 7 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your comment. I guess if you factor in the cost of the lathe, this project was quite expensive indeed! I really love being able to turn objects on the lathe whenever I need them though, so it has become indispensable in the shop. Recommend everyone pick one up.

@robertaugust7425 4 жыл бұрын

Check out Rick Alexander's build videos. He shows both ways. Lathe and just a drill press.

@binaykumaryakso3440 6 жыл бұрын

not bad at all...Can u make a numatatic tattoo machine out of this machine?the machanic function parts look similar...

@PP.EKOTECH 3 жыл бұрын

Great job ... !!! 👍+sub ... !!! 🙂 Regards Paul P.

@budm.1450 5 жыл бұрын

You need to grind the nose of the graver so that you can see what you're cutting.

@thisstuffido9141 5 жыл бұрын

+1 for this. I didn't grind the tool at all, just left it square. Shaun has a nifty grinding template that would have worked well.

@leebrewer1190 5 жыл бұрын

Great video - definitely on the cheap - only spend $2,000 to buy the metal lathe first and you are set to go.

@thisstuffido9141 5 жыл бұрын

I love the lathe. If you have the means I highly recommend picking one up.

@robertaugust7425 4 жыл бұрын

If you look on Rick Alexander's KZfaq page, he shows you both ways. Lathe and just a drill press. It's a very comprehensive build series, and his hand piece is better than this one. Check It out...

@dariovelasco7336 3 жыл бұрын

No hablo ingles pero por lo q entendí el compresor expulsa y subciona el aire?

@thisstuffido9141 3 жыл бұрын

Si. Con la válvula de lengüeta desactivada, el compresor mueve el aire hacia adelante y hacia atrás en lugar de bombear en una dirección.

@dariovelasco7336 3 жыл бұрын

@@thisstuffido9141 muchas gracias. Yadecia yo. Como iba a funcionar solo soplando. Yesq no t aclaran osera q nobles entiendo😂

@Strothy2 6 жыл бұрын

well build this one 10x bigger and there u go homemade *ucking maschine!

@spencerdasilva 5 жыл бұрын

Where do I get the chisels?

@thisstuffido9141 5 жыл бұрын

eBay, Amazon, jewelry supply. Search for 'HSS graver'. If you are making your own you can use HSS (High Speed Steel) or carbide blanks, round or square. In a pinch you could grind down a drill bit shank.

@dmhguitars1225 5 жыл бұрын

How much do you want for that little setup? I'm dying to get one just like that !! Also could you make it so I can run it on 12v in my truck?? Let me know how much you want please

@ywassilie Жыл бұрын

Should sell these stuff

@mohamedd3330 7 жыл бұрын

Thank you shaun

@hugozavala33 5 жыл бұрын

Real cool stuff would u sell me one made 4 u ?

@Reesicup 6 жыл бұрын

. . . I've seen handheld engraver for $10-30+ So wouldnt it be easier and cheaper just to buy one? Or i s it more about the satisfaction of making it urself?

@thisstuffido9141 6 жыл бұрын

Definitely satisfaction of making for me.

@brandysigmon9066 6 жыл бұрын

A lot has to do with self gratification, but a top-of-the-line setup will cost a couple thousand U.S. dollars.

@NPCSN 6 жыл бұрын

Just curious, but what type of engraver were you seeing for so cheap? Cause the rotary type (imo) can't keep up with the quality of the impact type. (Fwiw)

@Reesicup 6 жыл бұрын

Johnathan Deverouxe . . . Lowes h as one for $19. hobby lobby I believe also has a couple for that price... whether they are actually decent or not, who knows.

@NPCSN 6 жыл бұрын

Reesicup 0815: reeeeealy.... hmmm... Lol I'm gonna have to check that out. :) thanks. Edit: wait, do you mean rotary type or impact/pneumatic type?

@reaper539 4 жыл бұрын

I wonder if you could use a tattoo gun works on same principle I believe you could figure it out LOL the one you made is cool

@kmalnasef1512 6 жыл бұрын

real engraver doesn't need to push !! there are internal hammer do the pushing job.

@edwardhendersen5643 5 жыл бұрын

Squiggly Doo boop boop didly Doo😂

@thisstuffido9141 5 жыл бұрын

Squibbly Flabbily Doo! Wackity schmackity.

@stanleydenning 5 жыл бұрын

Very strange thing... Opening fraim.. Two screwdrivers sitting on the table. I have both of them in my tool box. WTF ?

@giraffewithtattoos2770 5 жыл бұрын

All I need is $1,200 lathe and I could make a $50 engraver!

@Gantzz321 5 жыл бұрын

there is good an bad things about this video, simple enough for the most part, which is good. BUT then every so often a little nonchalant "JUST TURNED ON THE LATHE" tossed in there, cause everyone has a metal lathe. this is obviously bad.

@thisstuffido9141 5 жыл бұрын

All metal things are made on big expensive machines.

@robertaugust7425 4 жыл бұрын

If you look on Rick Alexander's KZfaq page, he shows you both ways. Lathe and just a drill press. It's a very comprehensive build series, and his hand piece is better than this one. Check It out...

@waliza001 5 жыл бұрын

graver has a wrong angle.

@zavhugo1888 5 жыл бұрын

would you sell me one ?

@thisstuffido9141 5 жыл бұрын

eBay would be a better choice. Electric Handpiece Power Engraving Kit 5 Chisels Sculpture Carving Woodworking ebay.us/ozFYw1 www.aliexpress.com/item/Free-shipping-Polishing-paste-6pcs-lot-diamond-Lapping-Grinding-paste-compound-with-W0-5-W1-W1/32724374737.html ebay.us/t5W3xD

@terryshubitowski9395 4 жыл бұрын

You just made a chipping hammer

@mahmoudebrahiim2419 4 жыл бұрын

Torque is weak. You need a compressor with a gearbox. Also the copper pen is not standard. You mentioned that you have Lathe. Make a better pen. finally . The hose you are using is rubber, so it will waste air pressure

@illegalraghav8505 7 жыл бұрын

use it as hammer

@thisstuffido9141 7 жыл бұрын

Your comment got me wondering if maybe the design for a pneumatic palm nailer could be miniaturized for engraving...

@bluntwrapent.2051 3 жыл бұрын

Hm, squiggly doo!

@barrycass2820 6 жыл бұрын

A tattoo gun on air.

@nclove502 2 жыл бұрын

it's not a handicraft anymore ;(

@ChatBot1337 6 жыл бұрын

Buy a lathe in order to make a cheap DIY engraver? Ya lost me at hello.

@user-bz6vv8gp2s 3 жыл бұрын

ㅇㄷ

@effrus1 5 жыл бұрын

For what you spent, you could have just purchased an engraving pen. How stupid, i want the last 3 minutes of my life back,,,

@thisstuffido9141 5 жыл бұрын

Kind of missed the point Harry. I think I stated at the beginning of the the video that I don't have the artistic sense to engrave anything useful. That wasn't really the objective. I fooled around in the shop for an hour or two and had a good time. Mission accomplished.