which tools to buy or make?

[Binraker]

Apologies for the long rambling post.

A number of projects recently have required a bit of engraving or careful hammering so I am contemplating buying or constructing some form of powered engraving tool. The question is which one.

I had a go at knocking up a quick prototype pneumatic engraving tool with limited results:

It works like an air chisel with a floating disk valve but I'm not sure this is the best type of reciprocator for the job. It tends to be a bit hard to hold still due to all the mass flinging around so perhaps that's why the commercial ones don't use this system.

So...
OPTION 1: Air
A quick look around the market reveals the AirGraver is about £2k, the EnSet looks to be a little, but not much, cheaper and the GRS 901 hand-piece and bits is £300 and then another £700 for the controller.

The price and fact that I am currently doing this as a hobby means the AirGraver and EnSet are out, however the 901 hand-piece is an option and what's more given the work to make and perfect something like that, especially getting the spring rate and hammer mass optimised, the price isn't too bad. The controller looks as if it can be built relativity simply (they patented it so the info on what's in the little £700 box is easily available).

A further option is a Chinese knock off like this. (Cookson people, new product maybe?) but having only ever bought one or two things from abroad and had both good and bad experiences of customs charges I'm not sure what I would actually be charged for one of these. (Anyone buy tools from China got any experience?)

OPTION 2:Pendant attachment
Foredom do the No15 hammer handpiece but it doesn't take standard gravers so some cleaver grinding of the standard anvil pieces would be needed or some form of chuck manufactured, both doable. The shape however does not look as nice as the air gravers. Foredom also do the 9D which looks better for engraving and carving but his need a special low speed motor. Again I am not certain it looks all the comfortable to use.

OPTION3:Something else.
Either I make something (I was thinking that no one appears to have made an electro-mechanical engraving tool that looks like a classical graver in the same way the air ones do, but given my experience, maybe there's a reason for that...) or is there something else on the market I should be looking at?

Any advice much appreciated.

[ps_bond]

One thing to be aware of is that the patents on both the major brands of air tools are vigorously defended. Knock-offs are not a good idea, from the viewpoints of both giving support and receiving it in the future.

I've used GRS a little bit, I use an Airgraver (with Palmcontrol) as well as Foredom hammer handpieces (both the flexshaft and the micromotor variants; for some reason, the micromotor has a graver attachment while the flexshaft does not). I've never tried the Enset and I've no compelling reason to do so at the moment. The other systems I can think of offhand are the GRS System 3, the NGraver Magangraver; Foredom also do a standalone power engraving set, the PowerGraver.

If it's just hammering, then the suggestion I've had several times is to use a Chicago air scribe; run it with a foot pedal and regrind the tip to make for a useful hammer setting tool. IIRC, it was described as Stuller's preferred in-house tool.

For powered engraving - if you actually need powered - then the Airgraver remains my tool of choice. It's compact (no control box), effective and easy to control. While at the moment I do very little decorative engraving, it'll supply everything I need for that too. It was also proving very effective for shaping 18k white beads earlier today (trimming them before forming with a beading tool mounted in it).

[Wallace]

One thing to be aware of is that the patents on both the major brands of air tools are vigorously defended. Knock-offs are not a good idea, from the viewpoints of both giving support and receiving it in the future.

I've used GRS a little bit, I use an Airgraver (with Palmcontrol) as well as Foredom hammer handpieces (both the flexshaft and the micromotor variants; for some reason, the micromotor has a graver attachment while the flexshaft does not). I've never tried the Enset and I've no compelling reason to do so at the moment. The other systems I can think of offhand are the GRS System 3, the NGraver Magangraver; Foredom also do a standalone power engraving set, the PowerGraver.

If it's just hammering, then the suggestion I've had several times is to use a Chicago air scribe; run it with a foot pedal and regrind the tip to make for a useful hammer setting tool. IIRC, it was described as Stuller's preferred in-house tool.

For powered engraving - if you actually need powered - then the Airgraver remains my tool of choice. It's compact (no control box), effective and easy to control. While at the moment I do very little decorative engraving, it'll supply everything I need for that too. It was also proving very effective for shaping 18k white beads earlier today (trimming them before forming with a beading tool mounted in it).

tool envy - I so want an airgraver to save my poor hands!

[Binraker]

Thanks for the detailed response Peter,

Yes, the air graver with palm control would be nice but at $2.6k its a bit pricey for me and although the pound to USD is quite good at the moment I would imagine once everything to do with the importing was paid the price would probably be the same but with a '£' in front.

I hadn't spotted the Magnagraver in my searching. It appears to work similarly to the foredom No.15 so they have moved a bit further up my list.

The air scribe was an option i was contemplating but as you point out it would probably just be for hammering.

some thought is still required...

[steelarts]

Thanks for the detailed response Peter,

Yes, the air graver with palm control would be nice but at $2.6k its a bit pricey for me and although the pound to USD is quite good at the moment I would imagine once everything to do with the importing was paid the price would probably be the same but with a '£' in front.

I hadn't spotted the Magnagraver in my searching. It appears to work similarly to the foredom No.15 so they have moved a bit further up my list.

The air scribe was an option i was contemplating but as you point out it would probably just be for hammering.

some thought is still required...

I realise this is nearly a year old thread but I think you've got your pricing a bit wrong re the Airgraver. An Airgraver 'Classic' will set you back $1244 (about £830) inc. regulator and foot control. Of course the PC will cost much, much more but the foot controlled tool is less than half of what you quoted in your original post. You can go even cheaper and get the non-adjustable Airgraver Artisan for about £400 + controller and regulator. Of course you need to factor the cost of a compressed air source into the equation but your original quote of £2k is way off beam.