Do-it-yourself engraving at home. Self-production of an engraving machine Electric hand-made engraver for granite

Engraving on metal always attracts the eye. This trade has fed artisans since ancient times. And today it has not lost its relevance. Craftsmen can turn household items into real works of high art, decorating them with fancy miniatures. Sometimes you can see entire paintings of considerable size, made by engraving artists. And few people know that absolutely anyone can do this business.

Photo 1. Souvenir engraved hunting knife, an ideally good gift to give to hunters.

Do-it-yourself engraving can become a profitable and interesting business if you really want it.

Decorate small metal objects You can do it yourself by engraving at home. This activity will arouse the respect and envy of friends and acquaintances. In Zlatoust, thousands of craftsmen practice this craft at home. Engraved items are expensive. A saber costs approximately 300 thousand rubles, a hunting knife costs up to 100 thousand (photo No. 1). Agree, this is good money. How to make engraving on metal at home with your own hands? For this lesson you need to prepare the simplest equipment that can be found in any house, in any apartment.

Let's start experiments

Decorative patterns using the engraving method are applied to plates, knives, pistols, sabers, medals, cups, and apartment numbers. All patterns and inscriptions are preserved almost forever and do not require expensive and rare Supplies and special equipment. The design can be applied to steel, aluminum, brass, copper, and metal alloys. The method does not pollute environment. It is impossible to wash off or erase the drawing in the usual ways and means.

Photo 2. Engraved wedding rings, the wedding date and the initials of the bride and groom are usually written on them.

Nail polish that my wife doesn't really need.
Toothpick with sharp tips.
You may need an ordinary match.
Salt.
Charger for car battery. It can be successfully replaced by charging from a mobile phone.
Glass or porcelain dishes in the form of a glass, mug or jar.
Nail polish remover.

The work is done in this order:

Take a spoon and cover it with nail polish. The entire surface must be varnished very carefully, otherwise there will be defects in the work.
Using a match or toothpick, a pattern, name, or other image is scratched through the layer of varnish.
Pour 2 tablespoons of salt into a glass glass or jar. Some people add a spoonful of salt and a spoonful of soda.
Water is poured into the vessel, the salt is thoroughly stirred until completely dissolved.
Automotive or other Charger We connect the positive terminal to the product being processed, and the negative terminal to any metal object that will be placed in a vessel with water. This item could be another spoon, a piece of thick wire, or a metal plate.
The rectifier is connected to the network. Almost immediately, an etching reaction will begin in the glass with darkening of the liquid. It lasts 1-5 minutes. It depends on the magnitude of the current. The product is checked periodically. After reaching the desired etching depth, it is removed from the container.
The varnish is washed off with nail polish remover. The result should look something like this (photo No. 3).

Photo 3. Personalized engraved spoons and, interestingly, engraving can be done on various metal objects in a simple home environment.

In this way you can process any metal objects at home. If you make an inscription with varnish, it will be convex on the etched background. For better performance, it is recommended to purchase special tool- engraver. It can operate from the electrical network and from built-in batteries. The kit usually includes drills different shapes. They can work on glass, plastics and other materials. Engraved wedding rings are an excellent gift for newlyweds (photo No. 2). But you can do this yourself only when you are completely confident in the result of the work.

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Glass engraving

Photo 4. For home engraving you will need regular salt, nail polish, nail polish cleaner and a glass of water.

Do-it-yourself engraving on the glass surface is done chemically and mechanically. Mechanical method involves the use of a nozzle that is driven by an electric motor. Procedure:

Using a dark marker, the drawing is transferred to the glass.
A damp sponge is applied to the image on the glass. This must be done carefully so as not to smudge the drawing.
When working, you must use safety glasses.
After completing the drawing, it is washed and examined for gaps. If necessary, missed places are processed again.

Good day everyone. I’ve been meaning to talk about this instrument for a long time, but I only got around to it now.

And so I present to your attention a HAND ENGRAVER or a hand router. I found many uses for such a thing, from drawings on glass to sharpening in hard-to-reach places.

In front of you appearance devices. It consists of a box for the electric drive, a cable (I took a speedometer cable from a car), a holder and a cutting part.

And so on in order.

Inside the box there is a motor from a reel-to-reel tape recorder. More engine power is not needed. Using a transition coupling, the motor shaft is connected to the drive cable.

The cable sheath is rigidly connected to the body.

Also, the outer shell of the cable is rigidly connected to the handle holder. The handle was machined from fiberglass. A stepped hole is drilled inside in such a way that the cable sheath is firmly held, the rotating cable passes freely to the working element, and at the end of the holder a tube is inserted inside which the chuck drive rotates.

The chuck consists of two halves fastened with a screw. A cutting tool with a diameter of 2 to 5 mm can be clamped into such a chuck. The main thing is not to forget about balancing the cartridge and full compatibility of the cartridge drive square and the windows of the cartridge itself.

Since my hands are busy when working with such a tool, and it shouldn’t rotate constantly, I made a pedal for it. Simple design.

I used a regular push button as a switching device.

However, as a flexible shaft for the engraver, it is possible to use the drive shaft from a drill or the shaft for the speedometer of a car or motorcycle. We use this option for our homemade product.

Due to the flexible shaft, the device has an advantage. There is no unnecessary strain on your hands during operation of the device. This is due to the fact that the shaft head is several times lighter than a power tool with a built-in drive.

Manufacturing working attachment

Working nozzle body, in clamping mechanism which will fix the cutting tool, you can also use it from a drill or make it yourself. In our case, it is made of steel (we used the services of a turner - a neighbor in the garage). This option has its advantages - strength and accuracy, but also disadvantages - more weight. Due to small loads, it is possible to make a case from non-ferrous metal (for example, lighter aluminum alloys) or from a PCB block, drilling a stepped hole for bearings in its inner part and processing the outer contour of the case to fit your hand for comfortable holding.

The threaded part of the housing is designed to connect it to the used flexible speedometer shaft and corresponds to it in thread. In our case, it is M18x1.5 with a length of 10 mm. The 70 mm long body is bored out for two ball bearings with a diameter of 22 x 8 mm.
As a drive shaft with a collet clamp, which will be installed in the housing, we use a double-sided hand tool with replaceable collets, which is sometimes used for drilling holes in boards. It's time to mechanize this tool.

The outer diameter of the tube (handle) of the tool body is 8 mm, slightly increased when performing the knurling operation. The thread of the collets screwed into the tool is M6. We disassemble the tool and complete the assembly with two ball bearings.

For the width of the bearing, to ensure a tight fit, we clean the corrugations from the edges of the tube. We press the bearing on one side. To fix the shaft when clamping a cutting tool in a collet, select a sleeve of suitable dimensions, install it in the middle of the tube and secure it with a pin. We drill a 3.5 mm through hole through the installed bushing, in diameter, to install a stopper when clamping.

IN threaded hole tool tube, on one side (instead of a collet), screw in a piece copper tube with a diameter of 6 mm. To do this, we first cut an M6 thread at one end, and carefully compress the other end until the square fits tightly at the output end of the flexible speedometer shaft. As a result, the total length of the drive shaft must match the length of the housing.

We press the second bearing on the other side.

We measure the distance from the front end of the tube to the hole for the stopper. Install the assembled shaft into the housing until it stops back wall. Mark the location of the locking hole on the body. We remove the drive shaft and drill a locking hole in the housing. After lubricating the bearings, we assemble the working attachment. Check the alignment of the holes for the stopper. If the bearings are unprotected, cut out and install, on the collet side, a protective washer made of plastic or felt.

After the working nozzle body is completely assembled, the open end of the drive shaft should coincide with the end of the body, and the crimped end of the copper tube should be flush with the threaded end.

Install the collet of the required size.

We attach the flexible shaft to the body.

To secure the cutting tool

We use a drift as a stopper.

Tool
The following tools are used to transform a compact engraving device into a multifunctional processing device:
- drills, with the help of which the engraver turns into a mini-drill;
- milling cutters of various designs, allowing processing of flat and shaped surfaces, as well as holes, grooves and recesses of various configurations;
- disk tools used to perform cutting operations on materials of small thickness;
- metal brushes, which are used to clean the treated surfaces from traces of corrosion and other contaminants;
- abrasive tools with working heads of round, semicircular, oval and cylindrical shapes, used for grinding and polishing surfaces;
- tools with a conical working head for applying inscriptions and patterns to the surface of the workpiece;
- tools, the working head of which is made of felt, for performing polishing operations.

Sufficiently high-quality cutters for engraving machines can be made from broken drills, if you give their working part the required configuration using a regular sharpening machine.

Device drive
Drive electric motor, which can be any motor powered by electric current voltage 220 volts. It could be the engine from washing machine or another one you do not use household appliances.

Optimal for homemade engraver is an electric motor from sewing machine, since it is possible there to regulate the shaft rotation speed within fairly wide limits. Such motors, as a rule, are capable of shaft rotation speeds of up to 6 thousand rpm, which is quite enough for a household engraver. It is better to work with soft materials at slow speeds, since high speed rotation will lead to overheating of the tool or melting of the edges of the workpiece. It is recommended to work with metal at medium speed. Handle hard natural stone best at maximum speed.

As a drive for the engraver, you can use an angle grinder with a “flying” gearbox, a drill or a screwdriver.
This temporary use option is also possible.

Engraving, grinding, cutting on metal, glass, plastic, bone - all this is included in the capabilities of the electric engraver. For those who are still deciding which instrument to choose, an overview of its varieties will be useful. Tips and video instructions for working with an electric engraver, as well as a description of some breakdowns and how to fix them, will be useful to owners of the tool. And the lovers individual approach learn how to make it at home.

Electric engraver - features, main tasks, types

An electric engraver is very similar in shape and general operating principle to a drill. The main difference between the engraver is its miniature size (you can work with one hand) and high speed, that is, the number of revolutions per minute. This tool allows you to work also with high accuracy. An electric engraver, as the name suggests, is primarily designed for engraving - applying letters, lines, backgrounds to a surface. But it's not that simple.

Kinds

Trying to find myself suitable model, not for long and get confused. In catalogs and in the names of manufacturers there are many names: “engraver”, “mini-” or “microdrill”, “dremel”, “drill”, “straight grinder”. What should you consider? What to miss? I want certainty. A review of models depending on their capabilities, as well as reviews from those who already use the tool, will help solve this problem.

Shock

In a very strict sense, an engraver is a percussion instrument; the principle of operation is similar to a hammer drill. It is designed simply. It is accurate in operation, but noisy and produces an unpleasant sound. An impact engraver is designed for a small range of work - namely, dot engraving or, if you get creative with the attachment, carving; it is perfect for working on metal and inscriptions. Dot engraving produces a silky finish. You can also make contour drawings on stone or work on glass, but you must be careful with this material - there is a high risk of breaking the surface. Among impact engravers Most of the models on the market are Dremel, there are Chinese analogues, they are inexpensive, but the quality of their work is a big question.

Video: review and test of the Dremel Engraver

Network devices with motor and tip in one housing

Many manufacturers and craftsmen also call engravers mini-drills, drills, straight grinding machines. These are tools that work on the principle of rotation: the motor turns the spindle, a chuck is attached to the spindle, into which the equipment (attachments) is installed. The peculiarity of such a device is the abundance of attachments for it; you can either purchase them or make them yourself. They can perform a huge number of operations - grinding, polishing, drilling, milling, sharpening. The devices within this huge group differ depending on the structure of the case and the method of power supply. But they are all united by miniature size and precision processing.

Corded tools operate from an electrical network and are more similar to a small drill than others. As a rule, they are made in a plastic case. The group is very large, the scope is very wide. Most cheap Chinese models with rather modest characteristics belong to this type of instrument. A special cable with a tip - a flexible shaft - and a special stand make it possible to expand the functions of such devices, turning them into an analogue of suspended machines.

Suspended machines

The tip of these devices is connected to the body with a flexible cable. The speed is controlled not by a switch, but by a pedal.

Mobile electric engravers

The peculiarity of such devices is that they receive power not from the mains, but from batteries. You can work with them anywhere. Such a device will be especially useful for a craftsman working with wet material - battery-powered power tools are the safest in such cases.

Which electric engraver to choose

Weight, noise, power, number of revolutions - these are the main characteristics that directly affect the quality and ease of operation. As with other tools, there is no such thing as an ideal engraver. Powerful models lose speed, while fast models lose power. It is not so convenient to perform long operations with a heavy tool; a light one is often distinguished by the low quality of the materials from which the parts and body are made.

Key Features Affecting Performance

To make it easier to decide which parameters you can sacrifice when choosing a machine and which you can’t, the list contains not only technical specifications instrument, but also the relationship between them:

power. The difference in power between the machines on the market is very large - from approximately 12 to 350 W. Very often, weight directly depends on power. The higher the power, the heavier the device. Power is also directly related to torque. This parameter is measured in Newtons per centimeter. This is a kind of machine power. Manufacturers often do not indicate it at all, limiting themselves to power. Among other things, torque also affects how a machine with large-diameter equipment will operate. The larger the diameter, the greater this indicator should be. Torque depends on engine size. The larger the diameter, the higher the indicator will be. The higher the engine speed, the lower the torque;.
number of revolutions. This is the speed at which the attachment rotates. The spread is also very large, on average reaching 35,000 rpm at maximum, at minimum - from zero. The speed control function is very useful; the vast majority of models are equipped with it;
collet. Nozzle holder. The ability to mount chucks and collets of different sizes will be an advantage - you will be able to attach accessories to the tool different manufacturers. It is worth paying attention to how standard the thread on the cartridge is.

The collet chuck and collets influence the versatility of the electric engraver. It depends on the type of cartridge whether it is possible to install attachments with different sizes shank

Table: types of materials and optimal tool parameters for working with them

Plastic	Melts easily. You cannot work with it at high speeds - when heated, the material will soften, deform, and begin to stick to the tool. Very viscous. The processing torque must be high
Bone	At high speeds, the bone also deteriorates, burns, and clogs the surface of the instrument. It is extremely important to choose the right equipment - a small notch gets clogged very quickly, while a too large one spoils the material, tearing out pieces. At low speeds it is processed poorly, chips, and a torn surface is obtained. The tool may even jump off and “move” - and this can lead to injury. RPM for working with bone - 10,000–35,000. High torque is not needed
Stone	RPM indicator of great importance does not have. But processing requires a lot of effort. Need a powerful tool with high torque
Glass	It is a very fragile material and you cannot apply much force to it. You don't need high torque, but you do need high rpm. At low speeds there is a danger that the glass will break
Tree	Depends on the type of wood. It is better to study this topic separately - each type of tree requires its own parameters and equipment. For example, for loose rocks, more revolutions and not very high torque will be required

What exactly needs to be done with the tool is also important. Engraving, cutting or grinding? Or maybe polishing? When cutting you need high speeds, and when polishing you need more power. The more difficult a task a master sets for himself, the less likely it is that he can handle it perfectly alone. universal tool. If you plan to process wet material, you must only use a device with a battery or flexible shaft - this is a matter of your safety.

It is best to choose one - expensive and high-quality - tool for basic work and a second - cheaper and simpler - for what you plan to do less often.

Equipment

Engravers, as a rule, are equipped with a storage case, as well as a variety of sets of attachments. When buying your first engraving machine, you shouldn’t chase an abundance of consumables and overpay for something that will never be useful. Take the standard set. Among the additional equipment included in the package, you can pay attention to the flexible shaft - it will provide more opportunities for precise work - and a stand for hanging the engraver itself when working with the flexible shaft.

For complex tasks, for various types When working with materials of different properties, you will need a tool with an extended set.

The extended configuration of the electric engraver includes not only attachments, but also an additional battery pack, a handle for fine work, a compass and other accessories.

Engravers are produced under many brands. These are “Zubr”, “Caliber”, “Whirlwind”, Intertool, Hammer, Bosh, Watt, Wortex, Ryobi, Sturm, Einhell, Proxxon and others. The most famous brand, Dremel, is named after the inventor of the tool with a small electric motor and high speed, Albert Dremel. Now this word has become a household word - any electric engravers are often called Dremels.

In 1906, a young mechanic, Albert Dremel, came from Austria to the United States. At first he had to work in a workshop, where he did all kinds of rough work - he adjusted parts with a file, sharpened workpieces lathe. And for fun, I played the violin a little in local pubs on weekends. In 1931 he founded his own company - Dremel Manufacturing Company. Its first successful product was an electric razor sharpening machine. And Dremel’s next invention forever won the hearts of all kinds of DIYers.
Tatiana Pham
Magazine "Popular Mechanics" No. 12 of 2015

Reviews, opinions about electric engravers

There is no ideal tool - tested in practice. But reviews, both positive and negative, can still help with the choice: it is always useful to know what you might encounter when using the machine. Here are some reviews of various models.

Dremel is good with a huge number of attachments, it is almost a universal tool. Adjusting the speed also helps. I bought myself a kit 300 series - I couldn’t be more pleased. But the thing is not a budget thing, yes, the set came out to 3500, and there are almost the same number of attachments, and that’s not all. About the rest they say that the accuracy is not the same, but the build quality is not the same. This is understandable; it’s more profitable for them to sell at a higher price. You can try looking for a used one, there are good options.
Romick
http://www.tehnari.ru/f34/t57749/#post593402

I am the owner (about 4 years) of a Dremel 4000. The machine is very good and reliable. But if I decide to buy another one, I won’t choose Dremel. The reason is simple - the use of exclusively branded consumables that are far from cheap and not of very high quality. Tools from other manufacturers are very rarely suitable. The kit included only a collet for 3.2 mm shanks, and most of the work has to be done with dental burs. I tried to order cartridges from China, but contrary to the assurances of the sellers (I ordered two times from different ones), the thread does not fit. I didn’t receive an answer or a greeting when ordering from a Russian online store, and, most likely, there are the same ones from China. So the Dremel stands in a homemade rack for drilling boards, and only Japanese drills for drilling boards with a 3.17 mm shank are used with it. The rest of the load is carried by the inexpensive, but as practice has shown, no less reliable Chinese Wolf MD32, the cartridges of which fit without any questions.
uzren
http://www.tehnari.ru/f222/t247517/#post2397508

Proxxon FBS 240/E is available on the farm. I've been using it for several years. When I compared it with others, I settled on it. The 50th seemed rather weak. I took it when I had to repair an expensive interchangeable lens from a Canon SLR camera. They slammed it down and broke the zoom lens. It was necessary to drill four holes with a diameter of 0.4 mm in a wall with a thickness of 0.82 mm. The machine did a great job, the cartridge does not hit at all, it works smoothly. Later I acquired the necessary equipment, in particular, a flexible hose with a regular chuck and a chuck for collets. It should be noted that the collets for it are three-jaw, and this already says something. I use it as a “thin” tool. For more rough work there are other adaptations. I’m thinking of getting another BFW 40/E drilling and milling head from the same company. Had to work hand tools and from other manufacturers, but, in my opinion, this one is the best.
VlaDZeniN
http://www.cqham.ru/forum/archive/index.php/t-23998.html

I have Ferm (Austrian type). He has already recouped his money a long time ago (his price was something like 30–40 bucks). I can’t say that it’s terribly poor quality. The most useful thing is the flexible shaft. Everything that is missing from the attachments in the basic kit must be purchased separately. Cutting wheels are a weak thing and independent of the manufacturer (the exception is reinforced ones, but they are difficult to find here), in the end I make them myself from 1 mm cutting wheel Bulgarians. Everything else doesn't require hands on.
SknUA
http://forum.amadeus-project.com/index.php?showtopic=719&view=findpost&p=10410

Nozzles for electric engraver - types, methods of application and do-it-yourself modifications

Most often, a set of attachments is supplied with the tool. You can purchase what you need later. Ideally, the attachment should be from the same company as the engraver - only then the manufacturer guarantees quality. But if the “native” attachment is not on sale or is too expensive, you can use analogues or even homemade ones. The main thing you need to pay attention to is that the tail diameter (shank) of the nozzle matches the cartridge in the engraver. Inexpensive nozzles, especially those made in China, most often have a shank with a diameter of 3.2 mm.

Nozzles are usually easy to change. You need to press the stop button, thereby blocking the spindle. Use the key that comes with the tool to loosen the collet chuck, then unscrew it and remove the attachment. Insert new one. For a thicker or thinner nozzle, you will have to change the collet. A jaw chuck makes this task easier - depending on the size range, nozzles with different shank diameters are installed there.

Engraving bits, burs

Available in various alloys, with different types coatings, various forms. Designed mainly for applying patterns to surfaces. The type of bur depends on the material to be worked with. So, the most commonly used are the following:

carbide - very durable, high-quality and expensive attachments, a special type of carbide bur - in the shape of a peak, they are good for working on plastic, bone, with these burs they make tracing - they draw the main lines of the drawing;
steel - the main cutting tool, they come in various shapes and configurations;
combined - steel base and carbide head;
nozzles with diamond coating- very productive; You can buy them at a medical equipment store, they are also available on Chinese websites - they are of quite acceptable quality.

Sometimes manufacturers mark burs with color. The color also indicates the degree of sharpening. Burs with black markings are very productive, but the sharpening of blue and green ones is weaker. Yellow marked burs are good for finishing.

Making a bur - a triangular peak - by hand

If there is no suitable attachment on sale, you can make one. For example, a bur in the shape of a triangular peak. Factory (Kazan) versions are thin, elongated, with a high pyramid, but their tip has some rounding. It is quite possible to eliminate this drawback at home. You can resharpen factory ones, or you can make your own using an old bur - a truncated cone. Sharpen on a diamond disc. Before sharpening, you need to find the middle of the working part of the workpiece bur and sharpen it at an obtuse angle. After you have some semblance of a bullet, you can draw the edges. After sharpening, the attachment must be checked on the material, and then fine-tuned manually using sandpaper.

Video: making a nozzle - a triangular peak with your own hands

Other types of attachments

In addition to engraving with a machine, you can perform great amount operations. It is for them - cutting, drilling, grinding, polishing - that other types of attachments are intended.

The entire array of equipment can be divided into groups. Here are some of them:

drills - like burs, there are carbide and steel;
brushes - steel, muslin fabric, thread;
rubber cylinders - often craftsmen “bring them to mind” by placing them on used burs, grinding off the tip with an abrasive, giving it the shape of a bullet, resulting in a good grinding attachment;
grinding stones - differ both in shape and material;
grinding discs - emery wheels (they can be cut from ordinary sandpaper and stick on the base, attach to the disc holder), diamond rings;
special holders onto which felt is screwed; they very often come in sets of accessories along with the tool; instead of such a holder, you can also use an old bur, and attach the felt pad with superglue;
“Hedgehog” attachments made of tsungsten carbide, these are burs coated with needles and crumbs; they can be used to work with plastic, artificial stone, wood; require special care when using - you can get hurt.

How to work as an electric engraver

Before you start, it doesn’t hurt to think about the organization of your workplace. You will have to deal with small details, elements, and precision will be required. Therefore, take care of lighting in advance. When working, dust and small particles will probably fly away - cover the surface of the table or furniture with something.

Step-by-step instruction

First, create a blank - what you will eventually engrave on. Many operations, especially on wood - cutting, grinding - can be performed with an electric engraver.
Then secure the stencil. You can draw lines on paper by applying a drawing to the surface. Or you can transfer it directly onto the material using, for example, carbon paper. The surface must be degreased before applying the pattern. If you have a ready-made stencil design, secure it to the surface with tape. If you work with gloves, there will be no traces left on the degreased surface. To engrave on glass, the design must be placed underneath it.
Start with the outline and only then move on to the small details of the drawing. Mark complex lines with dots and then connect them. Chiaroscuro in the drawing, tone, if any, is best done last.

Video: making a wooden shelf with engraving

Safety precautions

be sure to wear glasses;
start with low speeds - this way there is less chance that the tool will come off due to unaccustomed use;
when drawing a line, move the engraver away from you if possible;
take breaks, ideally every 10–15 minutes, this will help prevent the instrument from overheating; if the device has good system cooling, you can interrupt less often, but remember about your own fatigue - it would be a shame to ruin your work just before the finish line;
Before starting work, be sure to inspect the tool and attachments: the power cord must be in good condition, the attachments must be free of damage or chips; damaged ones must be replaced.
consumables, discs, attachments must match the parameters of the tool, first of all, this concerns the dimensions of the shank.

Care

Less repair costs and more pleasant work experience - this can be achieved by properly caring for the tool. Moreover, there is no need for particularly labor-intensive care and cleaning.

The engraver can be used, as they say, out of the box - the tool does not require any special tricks before the first use. But after use, you need to clean it - just sweep away the dust from the tip and body. Particular attention should be paid to ventilation slots. You can use a brush or brush.

Repair - what you can do yourself

In case of serious damage, of course, it is better to contact a workshop. But in many cases you can handle it yourself. If we are talking about a Dremel tool, then disassembling it is not difficult - just unscrew the screws and pry off the body parts with a screwdriver. They come apart easily.

Electric engraver device

The machine consists of a motor (stator, armature), a spindle (shaft), brushes, a cooling system, and a tip to which the equipment is attached. Some models are equipped with a speed switch, impact force switch, and electronics (screen showing the number of revolutions). But general principle remains the same.

The electric engraver can be easily disassembled - just unscrew the screws and, using a screwdriver, pry the body apart

Internal structure of the electric engraver: 1 - speed switch, 2 - brushes on the sides, 3 - motor, 4 - “fan” on the armature, 5 - stop button; 6 - tip.

Photo gallery: components of an electric engraver

Stator - external, stationary part of the engine The armature, or rotor, is the internal, moving part of the engine. Bearings are installed at the edges of the armature

The device makes an uncharacteristic sound, the air flow from the fan increases

Perhaps the armature is catching on the stator. One of the reasons is the failure of the rubber ring - the coupling; over time it can wear out or even break. In order to replace the clutch, you need to disassemble not only the housing itself, but also the engine.

Video: disassembling the electric engraver motor, replacing the coupling

Overheat

If the machine heats up too much and too quickly, the bearings may be clogged with dirt and need to be cleaned and lubricated. It is necessary to remove the armature; there is no need to remove the bearings from it. First, use an awl to carefully remove the anthers, then wash the bearings with kerosene. Rinse very thoroughly. For this, as for lubricant, you can use a syringe. If the anthers become deformed during disassembly, they need to be straightened - a small flat-head screwdriver is convenient for this.

Video: cleaning and lubricating bearings

Poor speed shifting

The switch may be faulty due to clogged dust - small particles flying during operation. To do this, you need to disassemble the device and clean it. It is very effective to blow out the insides of the instrument with compressed air from a small cylinder. Remove remaining dust with a brush.

Video: cleaning the speed switch

How to make an electric engraver yourself

A tool designed for simple tasks, you can make it yourself using various basics. Appliances with a motor, such as a blender, work well. Hand blender It is also good because its handle is anatomically shaped, it is comfortable to hold, and the motor in this device is quite powerful. To do this, you will need to purchase a collet chuck and a switch so that you do not have to manually press the button all the time.

Step-by-step instruction

Disassemble the blender body.
Remove the printed circuit board and motor.
Measure the spindle - a collet chuck will be needed exactly for this diameter.
Details, especially old engine, clean thoroughly.
Place the chuck on the spindle.
Instead of the blender button, install a switch lever. To do this you will need to remove printed circuit board button contacts, and instead of them solder wires for the switch.
Drill a hole in the body for the lever.
Install the board and switch, put the motor in place.
Assemble the body.

Video: DIY blender engraver

An electric engraver is a universal tool that can be used to perform a huge number of operations, not limited to drawings and inscriptions. The choice of models is very wide, and the most famous brand, Dremel, has worthy competitors. The machine should be selected according to the type of work and the main material with which you are going to experiment. There are a huge number of attachments for an electric engraver, but if you were unable to purchase the one you need, you can make some yourself. At home, you can also repair the device and even make it from another household appliance, for example a blender.

Very often, when performing relief image on a wooden surface, craftsmen, in order to make their task easier, use special drills with various attachments. This equipment can be used as a dental bur or special hand engravers for a certain type of material (glass, wood, metal). Wood carving using a conventional engraver, especially for beginners, requires certain skills and presents some difficulties.

The very first problem that you will have to face is choosing a drill from the huge variety of options presented on the modern market.

Learn wood carving with an engraver for beginners with your own hands

How to choose the right drill?

Despite the great variety of drills on the market, choose the right one, knowing the necessary specifications, not that difficult. The main selection criteria are engine power, which determines the number of revolutions of the drill per minute, and torque.

When choosing a drill, you will always have to make a choice between the ability to withstand heavy loads and the ability to work for a long time at high speeds, because not a single machine, unfortunately, combines these two important qualities. Exactly because of this reason the best option becomes the purchase of two drills with different technical characteristics.

The most the best option for wood carving will be:

Powerful drill with reinforced tip.
Compact micromotor capable of operating at high speeds.

If you really like to save money and also get along with technical equipment, then you can assemble the first drill yourself: for this you need to take a motor from washing machine or any other engine of sufficient power and, using a belt drive, connect to the sleeve from the drill. All this action requires dexterity and some skills, besides, the sleeve and tip itself will still have to be purchased.

Technical drills.

Russian production produces quite powerful sleeveless drills “Profile” with a pedal - This model is very reliable and allows you to perform an incredibly wide range of technical operations: drilling, grinding and much more, despite the low speed.

For years, the drill machine from Foredom SR from the USA has gained its authority in the market (you can see this device in the photo below). Very reliable in operation, even under high loads. All spare parts can be purchased at almost any store that sells tools for jewelers. The choice of attachments is very large and varied: from power collet attachments to convenient quick-release attachments.

Micromotors.

Micromotors These are unique mini drills - they are more compact and do without a flexible shaft. Their motor is mounted directly behind the tip. Such machines are very convenient to use for the most delicate work; it is for these purposes that they are very convenient.

Among the Russian ones, the DPM 25-2 drill with a specialized medical handpiece should be highlighted. It fits very comfortably in the hand, the burs can be changed easily and quickly, and the price for a machine with such characteristics is not at all high. But it should still be noted that the medical handpiece is not designed for heavy loads, and therefore, if used too often, it can quickly fail. The micromotor cannot be repaired, since the carbon brushes, which wear out over time, cannot be replaced. Thus, from time to time you will have to change the engine or purchase a new drill entirely. Otherwise, it’s not very bad, budget and convenient option. You can also look for good analogues from Korea.

The following drills are attractive for their functionality and reliability, but in Russia Marathon or Strong drills are quite expensive. They have very high speeds and power - up to 30,000 rpm and a power of 65W. For a micromotor, these figures are very respectable. The best masters They work with exactly these drills.

It should be noted that the above micromotors are only suitable for small burs and small bur cutters. Using large cutters on them, you will significantly reduce the resource of the tool and its service life. It is for this reason that it is necessary to have at least two types of drills in your arsenal.

Usually the drill is equipped with a flexible shaft. It is convenient to use when performing small parts in the thread. However, when using a flexible shaft, the drill loses half its power.

Tips for carving.

So, carving is best done on wood species with a monolithic structure: linden, beech, alder, pear. Pine, ash and oak are less suitable for this purpose.

The first step is to transfer the sketch to the board and shade the background that you will remove.

The picture around the office should be outlined with a small drill with a round star-shaped section. After which the entire background is clogged with the same drill, except perhaps larger diameter, to get the job done faster.

In order to select a large amount of background, it is convenient to use the limiter attachment that comes with the drill.

The cutting depth must first be adjusted and practiced on an extra piece of wood.

After the background is completely cut through, it is sanded with sandpaper.

After this, the details are cut out in the drawing itself.

After completing the work, you should sand the entire picture and cover it with stain, then go over it with sandpaper so that the stain remains only in those places where the background is lower.

Video on the topic of the article

In the video lessons below you will see a couple of examples of how craftsmen work with wood engravers, as well as reviews of drills from some manufacturers.