Question: Thoughts on engraving onto plastic?

[nshin313]

Hello all! I've recently been trying to "engrave" on a plastic laptop case. Initially, I tried to use a rotary engraving tool, but the lines produced were unsatisfactory, as the lines were rough, and weren't "clean". As a result I'm curious to know if any engravers on this forum have ever tried engraving on plastics, and what the results were. If not would any one have any suggestions for alternative options of transferring artwork permanently to plastic? Thanks

 

[Roger Bleile]

I have used my regular hand engraving tools (gravers) to engrave in plastic many times. Many years ago I was head engraver for an award manufacturing firm. I cut patterns into Plexiglas sheets to be used by the machine engravers.

I usually cut the patterns with a #52 round graver with a 50 degree face and slight heel for lift. I can also cut plastic with a 90 degree square graver with a 50 degree face and 20 degree heel. That all probably sounds like Chinese to you if you are not a hand engraver.

Plastic is usually the easiest substance for a beginner to to begin learning how to use a push graver. Nevertheless, if you don't have someone to show you how to properly sharpen a graver (they don't come sharpened from the factory) and then how to hold and use it, you are in for a hard time and will probably stab yourself in the hand several times before you get the hang of it.

 

[nshin313]

I have used my regular hand engraving tools (gravers) to engrave in plastic many times. Many years ago I was head engraver for an award manufacturing firm. I cut patterns into Plexiglas sheets to be used by the machine engravers.

I usually cut the patterns with a #52 round graver with a 50 degree face and slight heel for lift. I can also cut plastic with a 90 degree square graver with a 50 degree face and 20 degree heel. That all probably sounds like Chinese to you if you are not a hand engraver.

Plastic is usually the easiest substance for a beginner to to begin learning how to use a push graver. Nevertheless, if you don't have someone to show you how to properly sharpen a graver (they don't come sharpened from the factory) and then how to hold and use it, you are in for a hard time and will probably stab yourself in the hand several times before you get the hang of it.

Thanks for your reply! I should have mentioned that I'm not a hand engraver [yet], but Ive had an interest in it for some time now, and was wondering if it was possible to engrave plastic with successful results.

 

[mitch]

some plastics hand engrave pretty well. i've tried a bunch of 'em, and off the top of my head Delrin/acetal/POM was my favorite. some are too soft, some chip/crack, some just don't cut cleanly, but it seems the acetal family was fairly amenable to the process.

 

[monk]

i have made hundreds of "master templates" for pantographers. for several years, i made all the custom templates for the things remembered outlets. all were made from common engravers plastic. i believe the specie was styrene. a good one is callled metallex. very thin folis of brass and aluminum are bonded to a black styrene substrate.i used a gravermeister with a # 53 or 54 round. these sizes worked well in the panto. styli.

when push graving the stuff, it cuts with very little resistance. as mentioned, excellent for beginning push work.

the templates withstood the abuse of people operating the pantographs.not one ever returned for replacement. as mentioned, plastics of the acetal group are good, as they are tough enough to take thousands of tracings before thew show signs of wear.
as for rotary work, the dreml type have too much slop to be useful for serious work. for such, the more expensive, varible speed units have more torque at about 30k rpm. the dental type, at around 400k rpm, less torque, slower to cut, but far easier to control.

 

[dogcatcher]

I use pieces of PVC pipe fpr bands on duck calls. The PVC will polish up almost as good as ivory and is easy to engrave with hand gravers.

 

[monk]

I use pieces of PVC pipe fpr bands on duck calls. The PVC will polish up almost as good as ivory and is easy to engrave with hand gravers.

i did 2 projects out of white pvc.faux ivory, i think it's called. the stuff looked real. the client knew ahead of time what it was.

 

[Eric Olson]

I seem to remember seeing somewhere that plastic silverware is great for practicing bulino or scrimshaw.