Author Topic: air powered engraver  (Read 9345 times)

Offline welafong1

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 7
air powered engraver
« on: February 21, 2012, 05:13:46 PM »
has any one built an air engraver  who can help me with plans or blue prints
thank you
Richard Westerfield

Online awemawson

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8966
  • Country: gb
  • East Sussex, UK
Re: air powered engraver
« Reply #1 on: February 22, 2012, 03:34:08 PM »
I made one some years ago for my cnc mill. I cnc'd a simple housing to take a spindle with a 36 tooth gear  that I hobbed in aluminium as a turbine wheel. The housing brought an air jet tangentially to impinge on the teeth of the wheel, and the air exited though the un shielded bearings of the spindle blowing downwards to clear the debris. Lubricated dry air is a must as I've clocked it at aproaching 50,000 rpm unloaded - spindle end was formed to take the smallest of the ER range of collets. Not used it for ages since my Bridgeport Interact fell of the back of the delivery lorry  :doh: BTW the bearings are not rated for anything like 50K but have survived so far. Haven't dared use it in my new to me Beaver Partsmaster as it has an auto tool changer - I've not worked out how to give it a torque reaction stop easily.

No plans - just did it by eye & ear.
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline welafong1

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 7
Re: air powered engraver
« Reply #2 on: February 22, 2012, 05:40:39 PM »
dear sir
 i ment a hand hold engraver that is air powered
thank you
Richard Westerfield
« Last Edit: February 23, 2012, 01:27:10 AM by welafong1 »

Offline PTsideshow

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2570
  • Country: us
Re: air powered engraver
« Reply #3 on: February 22, 2012, 05:49:45 PM »
Not plans or a home built but may give you some ideas, I have been thinking of getting one for the last couple of years. I have seen the dvd get stuff.
400,000rpm turbo carver
 :dremel:
"The internet just a figment, of my imagination!' 
 
 There are only 3 things I can't do!"
Raise the Dead!
        Walk on water!
                 Fix a broken heart!
and I'm working on the first two!
glen

Offline Country Bubba

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 54
  • Country: us
  • LaGrange, GA USA
Re: air powered engraver
« Reply #4 on: February 22, 2012, 07:15:58 PM »
The first one that I made used one of the "pencil" type die grinders and was rated at 60,000 rpm.
Basically, I put a top collar and bottom collar on it to resemble an R8 collet that my spindle uses. Then I took a piece of 1/8" Brass pipe and threaded it externally for the putting a nut on the top of the spindle to hold the air spindle tight. This was also internally threaded to allow the pipe/drawbar to be threaded onto the top of the air spindle and also to accept air on the top end.
Worked very well.
The taper on the bottom piece was made by mounting a rod (5/8") in a collet in the mill, and then clamping the raw stock to it and using the mill like a lathe to cut the taper. A lot easier than trying to do it in the lathe.
Couple of photos that I hope helps.
Art
Country Bubba

Offline gunsports

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 1
Re: air powered engraver
« Reply #5 on: July 29, 2012, 11:08:32 AM »
has any one built an air engraver  who can help me with plans or blue prints
thank you
Richard Westerfield

Richard, have a good look at the patents filed by Lindsay; especially for his first air gravers. Then, spend a few moments figuring out how it works (very, very simple). Make your own - without all of the fancy bits. (Mine took 3 hrs on the lathe. BTW, you don't need the air idling. Mine starts and runs on the power of a 28 lb diaphram pump and works like a charm.

Offline sshire

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 26
  • Country: us
    • LS Editions
Re: air powered engraver
« Reply #6 on: July 29, 2012, 12:34:54 PM »
When my brother retired from Dentistry he was able to turn brown stuff bowls full time.
He had done some pierced carving on his bowls with his dental air turbine hand pieces and shop compressor.
The copies of these hand pieces appear all over the web for well less than $75. They run on 30-50 psi.

http://www.izidental.com/dental-handpiece.html


I also found this video of egg carving/piercing.


Hope this helps

Best
Stan



Best,
Stan