engraving

5741 Views 5 Replies 5 Participants Last post by customizedcreat, Aug 25, 2008

Noop

Discussion Starter · Oct 31, 2007

If you are engraving the metal on the firearms, how do you do this? Do some people hand engrave with chisels? Can you purchase some kind of do-it-all machine where you put in a graphic and it carves it into the gun's metal plating? How much does it usually cost to get your gun engraved by someone?

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Dgunsmith

· #2 · Nov 2, 2007

Depends on what you are calling engraving ?

Basic letters are done with a panograph or on a CNC mill. $ 1,500 to 20K machine. Local Jewelers may do lettering for $ 6 to 10 per letter.

Scanned images can be done with a lazer. Machine starts at about $ 5000
As a service costs about $ 50 Min.

Fancy scroll engraving may be done by hand and can run into $ 1,000's of dollars depending on how ornate or detailed. All hand work and then finishing.

Hope that helps !

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Glock_Holiday

· #3 · Jun 25, 2008

Dgunsmith said:
Depends on what you are calling engraving ?

Scanned images can be done with a lazer. Machine starts at about $ 5000
As a service costs about $ 50 Min.

Hope that helps !

For 5K your going to get a Chinese ebay special. A good American made laser is going to run you 12K - 15K minimum. I have about 20K in mine after computers, software, exhaust equipment etc.

$40 - $50 is about the norm for a single engraving on a firearm.

GH

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dclevinger

· #4 · Jun 25, 2008

Noop, I use a chisel for my engraving. The machines available today are great for lettering, logos, and such but it doesn't have the same "life" that hand engraving has, especially on scrolls and animals. Hand cut work has lines that vary in width and depth which creates a much more interesting and life-like look.

The cost will vary depending on the amount of coverage, style of scroll and the complexity of the design. The engraver's experience and reputation will also affect the price. Someone that is just starting out may charge $300 for something that one of the top engravers in the country would charge $3000 to do. If the beginner does quality work and builds his reputation, the value of his work will go up which can make a very good investment but there is some risk involved. The well known engraver will create an instant investment but you will have to pay more upfront. If you're not concerned with investments, you're best bet is to find someone that does work that you like and talk to them about your project.

A great resource to find engravers is www.fega.com . Just look under "Engravers & Photos"

David

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customizedcreat

· #5 · Aug 25, 2008

I use a CNC for basic engraving, letters, calibers and simple designs.

$35 to start , and it goes up from there. I also do all the chrome plating and polishing ( as well as Cerakote you see in the pictures ).

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