Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Re:success with glass engraving

I've used my high speed (several hundred thousand RPM) hand held air driven
engraving tool and carbide cutters to engrave designs on glass mirors. No
water cooling was required....the air coming out of the tool works just fine
here. You might want to try something like that. You won't have to run the
machine as slow. Just be sure to wear a good face mask and eye protection
when operating the machine....and maybe add a smll vacuumn pickup near the
spindle as well.

Lets see...using the X axis as a "rotator"? You've got me there. I was
think more along the lines of wrapping the design around a cylinder (via
vetcor CAD) and using a rotary axis setup. All you'd need to move then
would be the X axis, the Z axis and the rotary axis.


I think (not 100 % sure without a picture) I see what you mean about using
the X axis as a rotator.
You want to leave the part stationary (not rotating) and use a combination
of XYZ moves to engrave the pattern? That sounds feasible but I'd see a
problem in "indexing the glass to get at other areas if you wanted to egrave
most of the way around the glass. I've seen programs available already that
will allow you to "wrap" your design on complex curved surfaces, so
engraving a cylindrical glass or even a tapered one should be pretty easy.

Smoke