Ok... I have a spring loaded drag engraver I use occasionally for misc
jobs. I originally used diamond tipped stylus in it, but the diamond tip
would snap off on some pretty insignificant irregularities. When I needed
to do some stuff once, and did not have a good diamond tip on hand I chucked
a broken carbide end mill in the lathe and used a fiber wheel to
grind/polish it to a nice point. It worked well enough for the application
on brass. I have since used it on aluminum, brass, and steel (tests on the
side of a socket). With some steels it take 3 or 4 passes to make a nice
image, but it works. What do the diamond tip drag styluses do that this one
doesn't?

Well, on some materials (like brass) the carbide one does leave a rough feel
if you run your hand over it.

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message news
Ok... I have a spring loaded drag engraver I use occasionally for misc
jobs. I originally used diamond tipped stylus in it, but the diamond tip
would snap off on some pretty insignificant irregularities. When I needed
to do some stuff once, and did not have a good diamond tip on hand I chucked
a broken carbide end mill in the lathe and used a fiber wheel to
grind/polish it to a nice point. It worked well enough for the application
on brass. I have since used it on aluminum, brass, and steel (tests on the
side of a socket). With some steels it take 3 or 4 passes to make a nice
image, but it works. What do the diamond tip drag styluses do that this one
doesn't?


Carbide, for one thing....

"PrecisionmachinisT" wrote in message
news:l7OdnYfjBL3RpL3NnZ2dnUVZ_qWdnZ2d@scnresearch. com...

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
news
Ok... I have a spring loaded drag engraver I use occasionally for misc
jobs. I originally used diamond tipped stylus in it, but the diamond tip
would snap off on some pretty insignificant irregularities. When I
needed
to do some stuff once, and did not have a good diamond tip on hand I
chucked
a broken carbide end mill in the lathe and used a fiber wheel to
grind/polish it to a nice point. It worked well enough for the
application
on brass. I have since used it on aluminum, brass, and steel (tests on
the
side of a socket). With some steels it take 3 or 4 passes to make a nice
image, but it works. What do the diamond tip drag styluses do that this
one
doesn't?


Carbide, for one thing....

ROFL. OK. I hadn't thought of that. I guess I should get some diamond tip
ones to engrave the sides of my carbide end mills. ;^)

Well, on some materials (like brass) the carbide one does leave a rough feel
if you run your hand over it.



I have a Scripta grinder http://www.dgrep.com/cuttergrinder.htm

grind a pencil point and then make it into a "D" bit. great use for
small used carbide endmills that you can buy for peanuts on fleabay.

Karl

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message ...
"PrecisionmachinisT" wrote in message
news:l7OdnYfjBL3RpL3NnZ2dnUVZ_qWdnZ2d@scnresearch. com...

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
news
Ok... I have a spring loaded drag engraver I use occasionally for misc
jobs. I originally used diamond tipped stylus in it, but the diamond tip
would snap off on some pretty insignificant irregularities. When I
needed
to do some stuff once, and did not have a good diamond tip on hand I
chucked
a broken carbide end mill in the lathe and used a fiber wheel to
grind/polish it to a nice point. It worked well enough for the
application
on brass. I have since used it on aluminum, brass, and steel (tests on
the
side of a socket). With some steels it take 3 or 4 passes to make a nice
image, but it works. What do the diamond tip drag styluses do that this
one
doesn't?


Carbide, for one thing....

ROFL. OK. I hadn't thought of that. I guess I should get some diamond tip
ones to engrave the sides of my carbide end mills. ;^)


Got you to thinking at least...

http://www.tedpella.com/company_html/hardness.htm

The last table is probably the most relevant