# Engraver



## Charley Davidson (Dec 10, 2013)

Found this out behind my dads shop in the lean to, I know what it is but don't know if it's worth keeping for use or just send to the auctioneer.
Couldn't find any name on it other than "Ric"


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## kd4gij (Dec 10, 2013)

I would hang on to it and look around his place for the letters to go with it.


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## rangerman (Dec 10, 2013)

That's a pantograph letter engraver but it could also be used to engrave any form of design if you have the template for it.
I would use it to scale up or scale down a logo design to a piece of metal I wanted to engrave on.
You can make nameplates with it or adapt it to engrave a special logo into your product

Depending on the material to be engraved you need to have the proper cutting bit.
It can be used like a micro tracing mill machine especially in softer materials.


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## Dave Smith (Dec 10, 2013)

Charlie--I wouldn't think the auction would be the best for selling it---I would think you should see how the motor runs and if it has a small good collet on it---I would think a hobbyist would be happy with it --it could even be a good antique---look for any dates and co info on it.


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## Alan Douglas (Dec 10, 2013)

It appears to be a low-cost model adapted to engrave the top surface of a cylindrical object, perhaps for a particular job and was never needed again.  Without the entire font of master letters it's not too useful, unless, as mentioned, you want to engrave a logo and could make a master.  There's still not much way to hold the item being engraved however, and the reduction ratio seems to be fixed (50%?)


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## 4GSR (Dec 10, 2013)

That is a bowling ball engraver.  I recognize the motor that is used on it.

It was mad by the people that made the standard sign engraver to creates the plastic signs you see on office doors and such.  I use to have one that I bought many years ago with high hopes of making it big in the sign industry.  It never happened.  And I can't even remember the name of the company.


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## John Hasler (Dec 10, 2013)

Charley Davidson said:


> Found this out behind my dads shop in the lean to, I know what it is but don't know if it's worth keeping for use or just send to the auctioneer.
> Couldn't find any name on it other than "Ric"



I think "RIC" is the initials of the last guy who had his bowling ball engraved with it.


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## Charley Davidson (Dec 10, 2013)

4gsr said:


> That is a bowling ball engraver.  I recognize the motor that is used on it.
> 
> It was mad by the people that made the standard sign engraver to creates the plastic signs you see on office doors and such.  I use to have one that I bought many years ago with high hopes of making it big in the sign industry.  It never happened.  And I can't even remember the name of the company.





John Hasler said:


> I think "RIC" is the initials of the last guy who had his bowling ball engraved with it.



Both of those make sense. Thanks


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## SEK_22Hornet (Dec 10, 2013)

The pantograph that I have was made by New Hermes - now Gravograph, I believe.  They still make 3 different pantograph models. It may have been one of theirs.


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## davidh (Dec 11, 2013)

SEK_22Hornet said:


> The pantograph that I have was made by New Hermes - now Gravograph, I believe.  They still make 3 different pantograph models. It may have been one of theirs.



many fonts available on ebay in sets or singles, in the $100 range. . . .  keep it or sell it to me. . . I love gadgets. . .


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## Charley Davidson (Dec 11, 2013)

davidh said:


> many fonts available on ebay in sets or singles, in the $100 range. . . .  keep it or sell it to me. . . I love gadgets. . .



PM me an offer + shipping


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## 4GSR (Dec 11, 2013)

I found the name of the engraver.  It is a Scott Engraver.

Here's a link the their website. www.scottmachine.com

Of course, they don't make the bowling ball engraver anymore.  I do remember seeing it in one of the older catalogs when I bought mine almost 40 years ago.

Ken


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## rangerman (Dec 12, 2013)

Another unorthodox use for that engraver that may not be readily obvious to some is to replace the cutter with a grinding bit and use the machine to grind/form the profile on a form tool cutter. A single point involute gear cutter perhaps? Sure!
You have to first design a template to the profile of the form tool so that you would be able to use it as a guide for the engraver stylus.
You could then adjust the engraver to a certain scale that would effect the correct profile size on the cutter tool that you wanted to grind. 

It's not just for lettering.
 The limits of your creativity and imagination would determine the many possible uses for that pantograph engraver.


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## DAN_IN_MN (Dec 12, 2013)

Got an old ball around?  Let's see how that bad boy works! :jester:


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## The_Crusher (Dec 26, 2013)

It is a pantograph and the best cutter to use is an 1/8" 4 sided ground to a point carbide blank then you touch the tip to just make a small single flute on the tip. I have used these things for all kinds of stuff. Engraving reverse part numbers and info into mold cavities and even tracing a model with probe and cutting an insert or making an entire mold cavity with one. this was a mich ;larger pantograph though. Very cool and handy to have.


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