Buying new engraver, has anyone used one of these?

R

Rustystud

New member
I know a number of you have got New Hermes type engravers. I talked with Butch Lambert and others who use them. The used New Hermes engravers out there all apear to be in tatters, pieces and expensive. I did some searching and found a number of New Hermes clones out there. They all looked to be very simular. The prices varried from $360.00 to $1,600.00. One clone seller said they all were made in the same over seas Chinese factory and just were sold by different retailers. I have ordered the below listed model. I will try it as a scribe type machine and it that does not work I will make a new stylus with an air powered pencil die grinder.


http://www.gemsondisplay.com/shopexd.asp?id=632&mID=111

It should be here by the end of the week. I will keep you posted. I have already spent a couple hundred dollars on metal stamps and another couple hundred dollars on an etching machine. Now I will have all the bases covered.

Rustystud
 
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I have one

It was super simple to attach a couple of pieces of aluminum angle and a couple of thumbscrews to make a barrel vise. It ain't a New Hermes but it's doing a good job for me.

I did have to check each and every screw and bolt for tightness. Any looseness will affect the quality of the scribed letters.

Shelley
 
different fonts

If you guys want different fonts I just got some new engraving software for my Prototrak. It would be pretty quick work to engrave a plate that YOU had already cut to fit your machine. You could get the more popular calibers or your logo done on a plate. Any font I've got on my computer. Here's a link to the AR forum where I've got some pics.
http://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/9411043/m/452105338
I've used the New Hermes and the biggest pain was looking for the right letter. And only being limited to whatever font was in the box of letters. As for engraving, It worked pretty good providing you didn't try and take too big of cut.
gunmaker
 
Making Fonts w/ CNC

GunMaker:

I have access to a Hass VF20 and two Bridgeport clones with ProtoTrak(s). I currently use GibbsCAM to write and tool out text engraving and machining operations. I could not justify using a CNC machne that cost $68.00 a hour to just do text.

I also was told by Butch Lambert that CNC lettering was not smooth enough to use with a pantograph engraver.

Your thoughts is that they are?

Rustystud
 
I purchased a New Hermes on Ebay and it was in good shape and it works well using 120 degree diamond stylist. Even pressure makes nice looking barrel marking.
 
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Rustystud said:
I know a number of you have got New Hermes type engravers. I talked with Butch Lambert and others who use them. The used New Hermes engravers out there all apear to be in tatters, pieces and expensive. I did some searching and found a number of New Hermes clones out there. They all looked to be very simular. The prices varried from $360.00 to $1,600.00. One clone seller said they all were made in the same over seas Chinese factory and just were sold by different retailers. I have ordered the below listed model. I will try it as a scribe type machine and it that does not work I will make a new stylus with an air powered pencil die grinder.


http://www.gemsondisplay.com/shopexd.asp?id=632&mID=111

It should be here by the end of the week. I will keep you posted. I have already spent a couple hundred dollars on metal stamps and another couple hundred dollars on an etching machine. Now I will have all the bases covered.

Rustystud
Click to expand...

Hi Nathan,
How about some pics of the fonts. I am also interested in a machine like yours. -----Bill
 
I still don't completely understand how these Hermes type engravers work. I'd love to see a video of the machine in action and a few closeups of the results on a rifle barrel.........Does this exist anywhere on the web?
 
Nat,
I guess that I wasn't clear on the CNC fonts. I was speaking of the New Hermes fonts. They are not as smooth as the older handcut fonts. I am sure whatever Gunmaker Makes will be of better quality.
Butch
 
Got my new engraver

I got my new engraver and set it up. Took abut 15 minutes. The instructions are less than desired but I had read a couple of web sites instructions and I was off to the races. First they back ordered one set of fonts. My practice was going to be with script characters. After my first couple of tries under my belt my engraving had improved greatly. I think I am going to buy some used New Hermes Character sets. I believe it will work well on barrels, actions and bolts. When I get a little more skill under my belt I will post some samples.
Rustystud
 
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Nat

the machine in the link - could you advise if it has a powered engraving tool or does it cut by hand pressure (scribing) alone?

Ive been looking at machines in the UK and this is half the price of anything available here, so may suit my requirements.
 
hermes engraver

I have engraved hundreds of guns on a Hermes engraver.

All it is basiclly a computer driven engraver (CNC) You can enter on the computer patterns, pictures, fonts etc.

Learning how to get set up and having different fixtures for holding the work piece takes up most of the time for the engraving ,depending on the detail of the engraving to be done.

chris
 
The Unit I bought is a scribe type.

Redmist and others:

The model I bought is a scribe type. The replacable parts are interchangable with a New Hermes machine.
I may make a mechanical scribe to fit this machine with a air powered pen die grinder.

The fonts that the machine came with are double line 1 script and the other doube line plain text.

I have ordered a set of New Hermes 1 1/4 X 5/16 text size single line text text to use for engraving barrels. I was told this would allow the best choices for barrel engraving. This will provide text size under a 1/16 up to just over 1/8 inch.

I have also ordered a set of single line text that is cut on acetate (plastic). It cost about the same as used New Hermes fonts. These fonts should allow for text sizes just over 1/4 inch.

"ill kep you posted.

Nat
 
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