Power For Engravers

[JJ Roberts]

Last week I received a call from Dave Riccardo, engraver who knows I live close to the NRA museum. His call was about an old power assist engraving tool driven by an electric motor which was to be donated. This engraving tool is before GRS, Ngraver, Lindsay and En-Set. I surprised Dave also as I was familiar with this machine. Years back I found an article in Gun Digest dated 1960 by John Murphy the inventor of this machine. Mr. Murphy was a dental technician by day and engraved part-time for himself and took no commissions. From the article in Mr. Murphy's own words “Gun engraving is perhaps 25% mechanical technique and 75% artistry and the power tool merely simplifies the mechanical end of the job. It still requires an artistic hand to guide itâ€￾.

I made a telephone call to the museum and requested an invite so I could see it before it went on exhibit. Yesterday, a fellow engraver Jim Lowe and I met with Doug Wickland the Curator to see the machine, and take pictures before it is actually placed on exhibition. Eventually the exhibit will have practice plates and an actual gun engraved by Mr. Murphy on display. Here are a few pictures:

 

[Marrinan]

wouldn't that have been a find at a junk sale. Thanks for sharing. Fred

PS-I did a google search of John Murphy engraver and found that Vision Engraving Systems was started by a John Murphy. the make the machines that do a lot to the laser cut engravings on guns knives and many other materials.

 

[leo]

Wow that looks sido familiar to an engraving system I am not saying Wich one but thank you Jj for sharing great story amaizing

 

[DakotaDocMartin]

It looks like the motor runs a reduction gear box that turns the wood cam. That cam has a roller that follows it and causes the impulse down a cable to the handpiece. Nifty.

 

[don hicks]

Looks like Mr Murphy was a visionary, inventor and quite a fabricator. That thing is really compact. Look at the end caps on that electric motor, that thing was built to last a lifetime. Love to see the guts of the hand piece and see the blue prints for the speed control.
Thanks for posting.
Cheers
Don

 

[Bob A]

That is awesomeness chock full of awesome. Thank you so much for the photos and the share!

 

[Roger Bleile]

JJ,

Does the graver reciprocate or does the cable tap it from inside the hand piece?

Roger

 

[Joe Jacob]

Looks similar to a patent for a mechanical tool, patent # 4727941.
Check out:
http://www.google.com/patents/US4727941

 

[JJ Roberts]

Roger,You'll have to call Dave Riccardo he did have the engraving machine running and said it works fine.I've knew about this tool for many years and wondered what ever happened to it,glad it found a good home at the NRA.The engraving machine will go on display with a pistol and some practice plates in the section with engraved firearms,I'll be sure to get more pictures then. J.J.

 

[LVVP]

Very old machine, however very interesting to know how does it work?

 

[monk]

omg ! what a beauty that is ! thanks, jj for taking the time to share the fotos. i just wonder how that handpiece may have felt in ones' hand during an engraving session.

 

[JJ Roberts]

I think this would be an interesting article for The Engraver. J.J.

 

[monk]

well, it is certainly historic, and worthy of recognition.

 

[JJ Roberts]

monk,Your right it is an a historic piece of the art of engraving and John Murphy deserves the recognition. J.J.

 

[mdengraver]

JJ thanks for the article you mailed me about the earliest version of a pneumatic engraving machine. It would make an interesting article for the engraver. Maybe Dave Riccardo can talk about his experience trying it out. The National Firearms Museum may have some additional information to contribute to the feature in "The Engraver". I hope Andrew from the land down under reads this. The "S" is for the man of steel. We all know Superman could engrave on steel without the need of hammer and chisel or a pneumatic engraving machine.