JDow
Member
Has anyone engraved a stainless steel cigar tube before? Any tips or suggestions for holding properly for cutting and inlaying gold?
Thanks in advance!
Thanks in advance!
Cigar Tube
- Thread starter JDow
- Start date
never did one. thermoloc or hotmelt glue might go a long way to secure it to a wood block. if it's flimsy, it would be wise to stuff the tube with a matching wood dowel to give it stiffness.
Chujybear
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
I’d fill the hole with shellac. Or something that will be sure to find the voids... as long as it doesn’\t have any paint or anything on it you want to preserve.. you’ll have to heat it, and soak it in alcohol or something to clean it up... could also just use plastercine.. but it will get runny with any heat.. maybe a combo of dowel and plastercine, for a relatively low mess situation that should be pretty rigid.
Here is one engraved by C. J. Cai though I only assume it is stainless...
WOW!
rmgreen
Elite Cafe Member
That's just a bit short of "Unbelievable" WoooooooooW!
not sure where, but i've seen this before
It was in an issue of The Engraver and perhaps Gun Digest that I know of.
BrianPowley
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
CJ's work is never disappointing, for sure.
As far as any advice for your project, all I can offer is from the work I do on flute instruments.
I use a mandrel to fill the tube and provide a solid support in both the holding and the engraving.
I suppose a dowel rod or something like bismuth shotshell shot would help.
As far as any advice for your project, all I can offer is from the work I do on flute instruments.
I use a mandrel to fill the tube and provide a solid support in both the holding and the engraving.
I suppose a dowel rod or something like bismuth shotshell shot would help.
Crossbolt
Elite Cafe Member
I have not but it occurs to me that it would be like engraving a gun barrel where pipe wrench mechanisms are useful.
JDow
Member
Interesting... pack it with shotshell... never tried that before.
Leland Davis
Elite Cafe Member
I did a stainless flask once I packed it with casting sand it worked but took a while to get washed out.
i forgot. there's a metal material called "jigging metal". it can fill the tube safely. it can be melted with very hot water. leaves no residue. enough to fill the tube--- maybe 60 or so bucks at mcmaster carr. i had a disaster years ago with it. i supported a piece of gold jewelry for repair. yikes! it began to disolve the gold.
silvermon
Member
Commercial name is Cerrotru. Bismuth and tin, which is why you had a reaction with gold jewelry. Some alloys of gold will alloy with the bismuth or the tin. Cerrotru is generally safe with sterling and common 18K gold alloys. I haven't tried it with 14K (I never use 14K) or Argentium. 10K gold alloys are definitely risky with Cerrotru.
Just wondering, I've never used the low melting temp metal... would it work better, i.e. not bond to another metal, if you used something like a silicone mold release spray? Assuming this would be for a similar use - filling a container or concave surface to provide support, and not a flat object.
Thanks,
Doug
Thanks,
Doug
silvermon
Member
I used old engine oil, applied very thinly. Soak a paper towel and using a large tweezers to rub it in the tube. It worked fine. Remember that the metal will flow at 208 degrees (I think) Fahrenheit, most oil won’t even smoke at that temperature. I also use Olive Oil a lot. BTW, you can also accomplish your goal using raw pitch. Cheaper, but it is messier.
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