"Rex B" wrote in message
...
You can do it on a drillpress.
You need a moveable "fence" to guide the material
Fence needs to have regular markings so increment the pattern.
You need something to chuck into the DP to make the circular patter. For
a small pattern, a cheap inkpen with an ink eraser on it works well.
For something bigger, you need something similar - A piece of round
plastic and some valve grind compound might work.
So you start your pattern at point X. Hit it with the drillpress and
whatever tool you are using. Then advance the work by 3/4 of the
diameter and make the 2nd circle. Repeat to end of workpiece. Then move
the fence back the same amount as you incremented in the Y axis and
start 2nd row.
If you have a mill with 2-axis DRO, it's a piece of cake.
That's a very general description. I'm sure better ones will be
forthcoming.

You are describing an 'engine finish'. Engine turning is a sort of wavy
pattern produced by a machine-driven scriber. It used to be popular on
cigarette lighters and cigarette boxes.

Leon