Saxophone engraving advice

[Doctorslava]

Hi, I have a client that wants to put a name on his saxophone. Since i never engraved on such a big item I try to gather information. My first plan was to transfer the image and engrave it normal way with air assisted tool. I realized then it is too tight for handling. I addition holding a saxophone is another problem. I put the saxophone to the small bag and filled the space between the instrument and the bag with sand. Before working on real expensive instrument I got a sacrificial saxophone from friend a mine. During experiments I found the saxophone comes up like an air bubble in water so my solution is not working.The client showed me what he wants, and it looks that the work was done with rotary tool instead. I think I am going to make just a sequence of small dots with my NSK rotary tool if nothing better will be found. Seems like client is fine with this.He wants his name on two saxophones. One has 5" diameter horn and the other is 3.75". Here is a picture of what I got from the client and another one with my design.
What you guys think?
Thanks
Slava

 

[monk]

first order of bizzness: you must figure a way to safely cradle the sax. all the keys must be protected from damage. 2nd: go to yer local junkyard. get a couple brass lamp bases-- and practice the "wriggle" cut. 3rd: make bags of rice, sand, or whatever to protect the instrument whilst wriggling. this protects the inside from crumpling or denting. 4; i'd learn the wriggle rather than relying on any dreml type tool. why?? the wriggle is the traditional method used to embellish brass wind instruments. getting in a hurry can lead to disaster.

 

[dhall]

+1 for what Monk said, and the real reason for wriggle cutting is that in many cases the brass is fairly thin and wriggle cutting is quite shallow. Conventional cutting might go too deep, and that's a whole big load of not much fun.

 

[tdelewis]

Wriggle yes and the text should be smaller.

 

[rweigel]

I visited a wind instrument fair last year and they had an engraving demonstration stand there. YES, the manufacturers use the wriggle cut, the one where the flat graver ist hold high (or steep, if you like) and it‘s tip „walks“ over the metal, leaving a row of traces.