How to Engrave Metal Plates & Badges
Metal plates and badges can be used to adorn doors, desks, plaques and myriad other applications. In order for the plates and badges to read something, you will need to engrave your intended wording or design directly into the metal. You can easily engrave all of your plate and badge projects with a professional look by using a manual engraving machine. The machine is easy to use, once you know a few basics of dealing with engraving metal.
Things You'll Need
- Denatured alcohol
- Soft cloth
- Manual engraving machine
- Engraving copy template
Instructions
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1
Wipe down the plates and badges with denatured alcohol and a soft cloth. Make sure the metal is completely free of dirt and other impurities that might interfere with the engraving.
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2
Fit the first piece to be engraved in the engraving machine. Make sure the piece is fixed properly under the blade of the scribing tool.
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3
Set the engraving template under the stylus of the engraving machine. Align the beginning of the template under the stylus and position the scribing tool where you want the engraving to start.
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Lower the stylus down onto the copy template and guide the scribing tool down onto the metal. Move the stylus slowly along the lines of the template.
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Move the stylus several times in one spot of the template until the the engraving is as deep as you want. Continue to move the stylus gradually until the entire template is transferred onto the metal in a consistent pattern.
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Replace the engraved piece with the next one and reset the stylus and scribing tool orientation to the correct positions. Repeat the engraving process with each piece, using the appropriate template.
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Tips & Warnings
You use premade copy templates or make your own engraving template using a laser cutting tool.
Don't make excessively heavy passes into the metal or the engraving cuts may turn out deeper than you want.
References
- Photo Credit metal pattern image by ElsSh from Fotolia.com
