Using Baker Rotary Jig for small dia engraving - for Wooden/acrylic pens

[Russel]

I have been making lathe turned pens for several years and have always wanted to engrave them. Laser engraving is way beyond my budget. However, the Baker Rotary jig may do the trick, if it can be modified to accommodate something less than 1/2" dia, using a mandrel to support it. Has anyone else done this, or does anyone have any ideas how to do it? I am not intimately familiar with rotary jigs, but they appear to be a possibility.

[ladjr]

The main things is you need the 2 inch diameter at the ends, so it will turn. Someone did use smaller insides for something I can't remember. I think you could glue 2 inch blocks on each end of your pen slab.

[dbfletcher]

Not sure what your budget is, but you can get quite capable laser for under $2k these days.

http://fslaser.com/products/lasers/hobby-lasers/40wbasic

T (http://fslaser.com/products/lasers/hobby-lasers/40wbasic)his particular model even has a rotary attachment that was designed by one of our CW forum members. Off Hand I dont remember who it was, but I'm sure if he see's this he'll chime in. There are also a whole slew of other things you can do with a laser cutter/engraver. It is probably the most used machine I own.

[mtylerfl]

Not sure what your budget is, but you can get quite capable laser for under $2k these days.

http://fslaser.com/products/lasers/hobby-lasers/40wbasic

T (http://fslaser.com/products/lasers/hobby-lasers/40wbasic)his particular model even has a rotary attachment that was designed by one of our CW forum members. Off Hand I dont remember who it was, but I'm sure if he see's this he'll chime in. There are also a whole slew of other things you can do with a laser cutter/engraver. It is probably the most used machine I own.

Good prices, but you will need some type of ventilation so the laser lens doesn't get ruined (coated) in short order. Looks like another $1200 bucks or so would do it!
;)

Al Who has laser experience..maybe he can chime in too. Oh, on re-reading it appears you have a lot of experience, too! Tell us more! Can venting be done "on the cheap"?

[dbfletcher]

Good prices, but you will need some type of ventilation so the laser lens doesn't get ruined (coated) in short order. Looks like another $1200 bucks or so would do it!
;)

Al Who has laser experience..maybe he can chime in.

There are a lot of us on the fslaser forum that just run a $40 240CFM 12 volt Marine Air pump. More than enough to keep our optics clean.

http://www.amazon.com/Rule-240-Marine-Blower-4-Inch/dp/B000O8D0IC/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&qid=1372360691&sr=8-18&keywords=12v+marine+pump+air

A (http://www.amazon.com/Rule-240-Marine-Blower-4-Inch/dp/B000O8D0IC/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&qid=1372360691&sr=8-18&keywords=12v+marine+pump+air)s far as venting... some users share the vent with there clothes dryer, but I think more of us just vent outside to whatever window is closest. Some make a plywood insert with a 4" connector for there window... and some just throw the vent tube out the window when they use it. So the somewhat short answer is.. yes venting can be done pretty inexpensively

And to keep this pretty Carvewright-centric, the CW & Laser compliment each other very nicely! I'll have to upload some project I did where both machines where used. I can generally etch text (vector or raster) much faster on the laser than the CW... and can easily get down to 4pt text or less and still have it legible.

[mwhatch]

I also turn pens, and I use the rotary jig. Have not combined those two yet but have been thinking about it. Instead of using the pins on each end of the spindle. One might use a long single rod with the pen blank mounted in the middle and a two inch piece on each end. I will have to think about this for awhile. I did mke a small rotary axis for my desktop cnc, it worked ok but was not precisely accurate. I think the rotary jig can work if we can find a good way to secure the pen blank and bushings to the rod. OK, now my mind is wondering, maybe one could make a rotary jig just for making pens. It would just require a jig that would use 3/4 to 1" stock. Now I will stop rambling.

[lawrence]

What I REALLY want is a way to use the scanning probe to probe an already existing area- say a gun stock or baseball bat (or pen) and then load this scan up into the designer software... then tell the software that this is an "existing" carve and do a centerline text or carve on the item where it conforms to the shape of the item.

Lawrence

[mwhatch]

I would think that would be totally doable if you can get your object centered in the jig. Only limit is the size of the jig. Or could you scan one side and mirror that for the other side, then add detail and carve on the round. I'm rambling again. By.

[Digitalwoodshop]

If you are thinking Laser's then Sawmill Creek is the best place to investigate them. From American Made to the Inports... Lots of stuff....

The limitation with the CW and a rotary doing something like a pen is the ability to do small text and designs.... Pens are a little small for the CW... The Resolution of small text is limited.

The best tool is the Laser... and you don't even need a rotary.... Many do pens with text and logos in a flat pen jig a dozen at a time. And manually index each pen then laser the next line of text....

Some have gotten a Jaw Chuck assembly to work with the Laser with a rotary jig.

A Harbor Freight or Penn State Ind. 4 inch Dust Collector is the norm for sucking the smoke out of the laser.

WAY back in 2006 I was planning my Shop for 8 Lasers... I had a Laser Buddy that did Pharmaceutical Shows. He did Pen Boxes with the Drug Name and web site before the show. At the show they would grab a business card from the doctor as they entered and a Hard Sell was given on the Drug of the DAY... On the way out... The Laser Guy had engraved the doctors name in the pen box and pen....

THEN the rules changed.... NO MORE gifts for Doctors at the Shows... Killed a big 50 Show a year road show.... I have since removed the 8 Vent Pipes from the Blower Room....

Shop is wired for 8 Lasers and 8 Blower Stations.... Never happened... Early Brown Plastic Side Lasers. Then 2 Epilog Lasers, sold the bigger one have the old 20 watt now. And a picture of a Rotary Jig for the Laser.

Good Luck,

AL

Check out Laserbits.com for a Pen and Laser How too....