Engraving, grinding, cutting for metal, glass, plastic, bone - all this is included in the capabilities of an electric engraver. For those who are just deciding which tool to choose, an overview of its varieties will be useful. Tips and video instructions for working with an electric engraver, as well as a description of some breakdowns and how to fix them, will be useful to tool owners. And lovers of an individual approach will learn how to do it at home.

Electric engraver - features, main tasks, types

An electric engraver is very similar in shape and general principle of operation to a drill. The main difference between the engraver is its miniature size (you can work with one hand) and high speed, that is, the number of revolutions per minute. This tool also allows you to perform work with high precision. An electric engraver, as the name suggests, is primarily intended for engraving - drawing letters, lines, backgrounds onto surfaces. But it's not that simple.

Views

Trying to find a suitable model for yourself, do not get confused for long. In the catalogs and in the names of manufacturers, there are many names: "engraver", "mini" or "micro drill", "dremel", "drill", "straight grinder". What is worth considering? What to skip? I want certainty. A review of models depending on their capabilities, as well as feedback from those who already use the tool, will help solve this problem.

Shock

In a very strict sense, an engraver is a percussion instrument, the principle of operation is similar to a hammer drill. It is arranged simply. In work it is accurate, but noisy, makes an unpleasant sound. The impact engraver is designed for a small range of works - namely, for point engraving or, if you trick with the attachment, carving, it is perfect for working on metal, inscriptions. Spot engraving produces a silky finish. You can also make a contour drawing on stone, work on glass, but you must be careful with this material - there is a high risk of breaking the surface. Among the percussion engravers, Dremel models are the most represented on the market, there are Chinese counterparts, they are inexpensive, but the quality of their work is a big question.

Video: Dremel Engraver review and test

Networked devices with motor and handpiece in one housing

Many manufacturers and craftsmen also call engravers mini-drills, drills, straight grinders. These are tools that work on the principle of rotation: the motor turns the spindle, a chuck is attached to the spindle, into which the equipment (attachments) is installed. The peculiarity of such a device is the abundance of attachments for it, they can be either purchased or made by hand. They can perform a huge number of operations - grinding, polishing, drilling, milling, sharpening. The devices within this huge group differ depending on the structure of the case, the method of power supply. But all of them are united by miniature size and precision of processing.

The network tools work from the electrical network, more than the rest they look like a small drill. As a rule, they are made in a plastic case. The group is very large, the field of application is very wide. Most of the cheap Chinese models with rather modest characteristics belong to this type of instrument. A special cable with a tip - a flexible shaft - and a special stand allow expanding the functions of such devices, turning them into an analogue of suspended machines.

Suspended machines

The tip of these devices is connected to the body by a flexible cable. The number of revolutions is not regulated by a switch, but by a pedal.

Mobile electric engravers

The peculiarity of such devices is that they receive power not from the mains, but from batteries. You can work with them anywhere. Such a device is especially useful for a master working with wet material - a battery-powered power tool is the safest in such cases.

Which electric engraver to choose

Weight, noise, power, number of revolutions - these are the main characteristics that directly affect the quality and convenience of work. As with other tools, there is no perfect engraver. Powerful models lose rpm, fast models lose power. A heavy tool is not so convenient to perform long operations, a light one is often characterized by a low quality of materials from which parts and the body are made.

Key Features Affecting Performance

In order to make it easier to decide which parameters can be waived when choosing a machine, and which not, the list contains not only the technical parameters of the tool, but also the relationship between them:

• power. The power gap of the machines on the market is very large - from about 12 to 350 watts. Very often the weight is directly related to the power. The higher the power, the heavier the apparatus. Power is also directly related to torque. This parameter is measured in Newtons per centimeter. It's kind of the power of the car. Manufacturers often do not indicate it at all, limiting themselves to power. Among other things, the torque affects how the machine will perform with large tool diameters. The larger the diameter, the larger this indicator should be. The torque depends on the size of the motor. The larger the diameter, the higher the indicator will be. The higher the engine speed, the lower the torque;
• number of revolutions. This is the speed at which the nozzle rotates. The run-up is also very large, on average it reaches 35,000 rpm at the maximum, at the minimum - from zero. The speed control function is very useful, the vast majority of models are equipped with it;
• collet. Accessory holder. The ability to mount different sized chucks and collets will be an advantage - you will be able to attach tooling from different manufacturers to the tool. Pay attention to how standard the thread on the chuck is.

Collet chuck and collets affect the versatility of the electric engraver. It depends on the type of cartridge whether it is possible to install nozzles with different shank sizes.

Table: types of materials and optimal tool parameters for working with them

It is also important what exactly needs to be done with the tool. Engraving, Cutting or Grinding? Or maybe polishing? Cutting requires high RPM and polishing requires more power. The more difficult the task the master sets for himself, the less chances that one universal tool will perfectly cope with it. If you plan to process wet material, you should only use the machine with a battery or flexible shaft - this is a matter of your safety.

It is best to choose one - expensive and high-quality - tool for basic work and the second - cheaper and easier - for what you are going to do less often.

Equipment

Engravers, as a rule, are equipped with a storage case, as well as various sets of attachments. When buying your first engraving machine, do not chase an abundance of consumables and overpay for something that will never come in handy. Take a standard kit. Of the additional equipment in the package, you can pay attention to the flexible shaft - it will give more opportunities for precise work - and the stand in order to hang the engraver itself when working with the flexible shaft.

For complex tasks, for various types of work with materials of different properties, an extended tool will be required.

The extended complete set of the electric engraver includes not only attachments, but also an additional battery pack, a handle for fine work, a compass and other devices

Engravers are produced under many brands. These are Zubr, Caliber, Whirlwind, Intertool, Hammer, Bosh, Watt, Wortex, Ryobi, Sturm, Einhell, Proxxon and others. The most famous brand, Dremel, is named after Albert Dremel, the inventor of the small electric motor and high speed tool. Now this word has become a household word - any electric engravers are often called dremels.

In 1906, a young mechanic, Albert Dremel, came from Austria to the United States. At first he had to work in a workshop, where he did all the rough work - he adjusted parts with a file, sharpened workpieces on a lathe. And for the soul, I played a little violin in local pubs on weekends. In 1931 he founded his own company - Dremel Manufacturing Company. Its first successful product was an electric razor sharpener. And the next invention of Dremel forever won the hearts of all kinds of self-made people.

Tatiana Fam

Journal "Popular Mechanics" № 12 from 2015

Reviews, opinions about electric engravers

The perfect tool does not exist - it has been tested in practice. But reviews, both positive and negative, can still help with the choice: it is always useful to know what you may encounter when using a typewriter. Here are some reviews for the various models.

The Dremel is good for its sheer number of accessories, almost a versatile tool. The rpm control also helps. I bought myself a whale 300 series - I'm not overjoyed. But the thing is not a budget thing, yes, a set of 3500 came out, and even almost the same number of nozzles, and that's not all. As for the rest, they say that the accuracy is not the same, but the build quality. It is understandable, it is more profitable for them to sell at a higher price. You can try to look for used, there are good options.

Romick

http://www.tehnari.ru/f34/t57749/#post593402

I am the owner (about 4 years old) Dremel 4000. The machine is very good, reliable. But if I’m going to buy another, then Dremel will no longer choose. The reason is simple - the use of exclusively branded, far from cheap and not very high quality consumables. Tools from other manufacturers are rarely suitable. The set included only a collet for shanks of 3.2 mm, and most of all you have to work with dental burs. I tried to order cartridges in China, but contrary to the assurances of the sellers (I ordered twice from different ones), the thread does not fit. I did not receive any response or greetings to an order in a Russian online store, and, most likely, there are the same ones from China. So Dremel stands in a homemade stand for drilling boards, and only Japanese drills are used with him for drilling boards with a 3.17 mm shank. The rest of the load is carried by an inexpensive, but as practice has shown, the no less reliable Chinese Wolf MD32, the cartridges to which were approached without question.

uzren

http://www.tehnari.ru/f222/t247517/#post2397508

Available from Proxxon FBS 240 / E. I have been using it for several years. When I compared him with others, I settled on him. The 50th seemed rather weak. I took it when I had to repair an expensive interchangeable lens from a Canon DSLR camera. They banged him and broke the zoom lens. It was necessary to drill four holes with a diameter of 0.4 mm in a wall with a thickness of 0.82 mm. The machine coped with a bang, the cartridge does not hit at all, it works smoothly. Later he acquired the necessary equipment, in particular, a flexible sleeve with a regular chuck and a chuck for collet. It should be noted that the collets for him are three-jaw, and this already says something. I use it as a "thin" instrument. There are other tricks for coarser work. I am thinking of taking another drilling and milling head BFW 40 / E from the same office. I had to work with hand tools from other manufacturers, but, in my opinion, this one is the best.

VlaDZeniN

http://www.cqham.ru/forum/archive/index.php/t-23998.html

I have Ferm (type Austrian). He paid for his money long ago (his price was something like 30-40 bucks). I cannot say that it is terribly low-quality. The most useful thing is the flexible shaft. All that is missing from the nozzles in the basic kit is purchased separately. Cut-off wheels are a weak thing and not dependent on the manufacturer (the exception is reinforced, but it is difficult to find them here), in the end I make myself out of 1 mm of a grinder's cut-off wheel. The rest does not require the laying on of hands.

SknUA

http://forum.amadeus-project.com/index.php?showtopic=719&view=findpost&p=10410

Electric engraver nozzles - types, methods of application and DIY modifications

Most often, a set of accessories is supplied with the tool. You can buy the necessary ones later. Ideally, the attachment should be of the same company as the engraver - only then the manufacturer guarantees the quality. But if the "native" attachment is not on sale or it is too expensive, you can use analogs or even homemade ones. The main thing to pay attention to is that the tail diameter (shank) of the nozzle matches the cartridge in the engraver. Inexpensive nozzles, especially those made in China, most often have a shank with a diameter of 3.2 mm.

The attachments are usually easy to change. It is necessary to press the stop button, thereby blocking the spindle. Using the wrench that comes with the tool, loosen the collet chuck, then unscrew it and remove the nozzle. Insert a new one. For a thicker or thinner bit, you will have to change the collet. The chuck makes this easier - depending on the size range, nozzles with different shank diameters are installed there.

Engraving bits, burs

They are produced from various alloys, with different types of coatings, and various shapes. Designed mainly for drawing a pattern on a surface. The type of boron depends on what material you are going to work with. So, the following are most often used:

• hard-alloy - very durable, high-quality and expensive nozzles, a special type of hard-alloy burs - in the form of a peak, they work well on plastic, bones, they make tracing with these burs - they display the main lines of the drawing;
• steel - the main cutting tool, come in various shapes and configurations;
• combined - the base is steel, and the head is tungsten;
• diamond-coated nozzles - very productive; they can be bought at a medical equipment store, they are also on Chinese sites - of quite acceptable quality.

Manufacturers sometimes color the burs. The color also indicates the degree of sharpening. Burs with black markings are very productive, but the sharpening of blue and green ones is weaker. Burs with yellow markings are well suited for finishing.

Handcrafted boron - triangular lance

If a suitable nozzle is not found on sale, you can make it. For example, boron in the form of a triangular peak. Factory (Kazan) options are thin, elongated, with a high pyramid, but their tip has some rounding. It is quite possible to eliminate this disadvantage at home. You can re-grind the factory ones, or you can make it yourself on the basis of an old boron - a truncated cone. Sharpen on a diamond disc. Before sharpening, you need to find the middle of the working part of the workpiece bur and sharpen at an obtuse angle. After a kind of bullet has turned out, you can direct the edges. After sharpening, the nozzle must be checked on the material, and then, with the help of sandpaper, finish it by hand.

Video: making a nozzle - a triangular peak with your own hands

Other types of attachments

In addition to engraving with a machine, you can perform a huge number of operations. It is for them - cutting, drilling, grinding, polishing - that other types of attachments are intended.

The entire array of equipment can be divided into groups. Here is some of them:

• drills - like burs, there are carbide and steel;
• brushes - steel, muslin fabric, thread;
• rubber cylinders - often the craftsmen "bring them to mind", putting them on the spent burs, grind the tip with an abrasive, giving the shape of a bullet, a good grinding attachment is obtained;
• grinding stones - differ both in shape and material;
• grinding discs - emery wheels (they can be cut out of ordinary sandpaper and glued to the base, attached to the disc holder), diamond rings;
• special holders on which felt is screwed; they very often come in tool sets along with the tool; instead of such a holder, you can also use an old bur, and attach the felt pad with superglue;
• nozzles "Hedgehogs" made of tungsten carbide, these are burs with spraying with needles and chips; they can be used to work with plastic, artificial stone, wood; require special care when using - you can get hurt.

How to work with an electric engraver

Before you start, it does not hurt to think over the organization of the workplace. You will have to deal with small details, elements, precision is required. Therefore, take care of the lighting in advance. When working, dust and small particles are likely to fly - cover the surface of the table, furniture with something.

Step-by-step instruction

1. First, create a blank - what you will end up engraving on. Many operations, especially on wood - cutting, grinding - can be done with an electric engraver.
2. Then secure the stencil. You can draw lines on paper by placing a drawing on a surface. And you can transfer directly to the material using, for example, a carbon copy. The surface must be degreased before drawing. If you have a ready-made stencil drawing, secure it to the surface with tape. If you work with gloves, there will be no marks on the degreased surface. For engraving on glass, the pattern must be placed under it.
3. Start with the outline and only then move on to the small details of the drawing. Mark complex lines with dots, and then connect them. Chiaroscuro in the picture, tone, if any, is best done last.

Video: making an engraved wooden shelf

Safety engineering

• be sure to wear glasses;
• start at low rpm - this is less likely that the tool will jump out of habit;
• when drawing a line, guide the engraver away from you if possible;
• take breaks, ideally every 10-15 minutes, this will help not to overheat the instrument; if the device has a good cooling system, it can be interrupted less often, but remember about your own fatigue - it will be a shame to spoil the work just before the finish;
• before starting work, be sure to inspect the tool and attachments: the power cord must be in good working order, attachments - no damage or chips; damaged ones must be replaced.
• consumables, discs, nozzles should correspond in their parameters to the tool, first of all, it concerns the dimensions of the shank.

Care

Less repair costs and a more enjoyable work experience - this can be achieved by taking proper care of your instrument. Moreover, especially laborious maintenance and cleaning is not necessary.

The engraver can be used, as they say, out of the box - the tool does not require any special tweaks before the first use. But after use, you need to clean it - just sweep the dust from the tip and body. Particular attention should be paid to the ventilation slots. You can use a paintbrush or brush.

Repair - what you can do yourself

In case of serious breakdowns, of course, it is better to contact a workshop. But in many cases, you can handle it yourself. If we are talking about a Dremel tool, it is easy to disassemble it - just unscrew the screws and pry off the parts of the case with a screwdriver. They disperse easily.

Electric engraver device

The machine consists of a motor (stator, anchor), a spindle (shaft), brushes, a cooling system, a tip to which the equipment is attached. Some models are equipped with a speed switch, impact force, electronics (display showing the number of revolutions). But the general principle remains the same.

The electric engraver can be easily disassembled - just unscrew the screws and, using a screwdriver, pry open the case

The internal structure of the electric engraver: 1 - speed switch, 2 - brushes on the sides, 3 - engine, 4 - "fan" at the anchor, 5 - stop button; 6 - tip.

Photo gallery: components of an electric engraver

Stator - external, stationary part of the engine Anchor, or rotor, is the inner, movable part of the engine Bearings mounted on the edges of the armature

The device emits an uncharacteristic sound, the air flow from the fan increases

Perhaps the armature is clinging to the stator. One of the reasons is the failure of the rubber ring - the coupling, over time it can wear out or even break. In order to replace the clutch, it is necessary to disassemble not only the housing itself, but also the engine.

Video: disassembling the electric engraver motor, replacing the clutch

Overheat

If the machine heats up too much and too quickly, the bearings may be clogged with dirt and need to be cleaned and lubricated. It is necessary to remove the armature, it is not necessary to remove the bearings from it. First, using an awl, carefully remove the anthers, then rinse the bearings with kerosene. Rinse very thoroughly. For this, as for lubrication, you can use a syringe. If the anthers are deformed during disassembly, they need to be straightened - a small flat screwdriver is convenient for this.

Video: cleaning and lubricating bearings

Poor speed switching

The switch may be faulty due to clogged dust - small particles flying during operation. To do this, you need to disassemble the device and clean it. It is very effective to blow the interior of the instrument with compressed air from a small cylinder. Remove remaining dust with a brush.

Video: cleaning the speed switch

How to make an electric engraver yourself

A tool designed for simple tasks can be made by yourself using various foundations. Household appliances with a motor, such as a blender, are perfect. The hand blender is also good because its handle is anatomically shaped, comfortable to hold, and the motor in this device is powerful enough. To do this, you need to purchase a collet chuck and a switch so that you do not have to manually press the button all the time.

Step-by-step instruction

1. Disassemble the blender body.
2. Remove the printed circuit board, motor.
3. Measure the spindle - you will need a collet chuck for this particular diameter.
4. Clean the parts, especially the old engine, thoroughly.
5. Slide the chuck onto the spindle.
6. Install the switch lever instead of the blender button. To do this, you need to remove the button contacts from the printed circuit board, and instead solder the wires for the switch.
7. Drill a hole in the housing for the lever.
8. Install the board and switch, replace the motor.
9. Assemble the case.

Video: do-it-yourself blender engraver

An electric engraver is a versatile tool that can perform a huge number of operations, not limited to drawings and inscriptions. The choice of models is very wide, and the most famous brand Dremel has worthy competitors. The machine should be selected for the type of work and for the main material with which you are going to experiment. There are a lot of nozzles for an electric engraver, but if you couldn't get the right one, you can make some yourself. At home, you can also repair the machine and even make it from another household appliance, such as a blender.

Good time everyone!

In this post I want to share with you the process of creating a laser engraver based on a diode laser from China.

Several years ago, there was a desire to purchase a ready-made version of an engraver from Aliexpress with a budget of 15 thousand, but after a long search, I came to the conclusion that all the options presented are too simple and, in fact, are toys. And I wanted something desktop and at the same time quite serious. After a month of research, it was decided to make this device with our own hands, and rushed ...

At that moment, I still did not have a 3D printer and experience in 3D modeling, but everything was in order with drawing)

Here's actually one of those ready-made engravers from China.

Having looked at the options for possible designs of mechanics, the first sketches of the future machine were made on a piece of paper ..))

It was decided that the engraving area should be at least A3 sheet.

The laser module itself was one of the first to buy. Power of 2W, as it was the most optimal option for a reasonable price.

Here is the actual laser module itself.

And so, it was decided that the X-axis would go along the Y-axis and its design began. It all started with a carriage ...

The entire frame of the machine was made of aluminum profiles of various shapes purchased from Leroy.

At this stage, the sketches on the notebook leaves no longer appeared, everything was drawn and invented in the Compass.

Having bought 2 meters of a square profile 40x40 mm to build the frame of the machine, in the end only the carriage itself was made from it ..))

Motors, linear bearings, belts, shafts and all electronics were ordered from Aliexpress during development and plans for how the motors would be mounted and what kind of control board would be changed on the fly.

After a few days of drawing, a more or less clear version of the design of the machine was determined in the Compass.

And now the X-axis was born ..))

Y-axis sides (sorry for the quality of the photo).

Fitting.

And finally the first launch!

A simple 3D model of the general view of the machine was built, in order to accurately determine its appearance and dimensions.

And away we go ... Plexiglas ... Painting, wiring and other little things.

And finally, when everything was adjusted and the last part was painted black 8), the home stretch came!

Engraving equipment, with the help of which you can successfully perform various technological operations, is actively used today by both specialists and home craftsmen. Although purchasing such a device on the modern market does not present any problems, many of those who would like to have it in equipping their workshop do differently and make an engraver with their own hands.

Despite the simplicity of the design, the homemade engraving machine allows you to successfully perform the same technological operations as the serial model engraver. Such operations include, in particular:

• milling of flat and shaped surfaces, as well as holes and grooves of various configurations;
• drilling and boring of small diameter holes;
• cutting thin sheet material;
• cleaning the product from traces of corrosion and other stubborn dirt;
• application of inscriptions and patterns to the surface to be treated;
• grinding and polishing.

The materials that a homemade electric engraver can handle are metal, wood, plastic, ceramics, glass, bone, artificial and natural stone.

What is required

The functionality, reliability and technical characteristics that a homemade engraving machine will have depends entirely on what materials and mechanisms you will use to make it.

To make a simple yet easy-to-use and functional engraver, you will need the following accessories.

1. A flexible shaft and a working attachment to it, in the clamping mechanism of which the tool will be fixed. As a flexible shaft for the engraver, you can use a drive shaft from a drill or a cable that drives the speedometer of a car or motorcycle. The working attachment can also be removed from the drill or made independently from a piece of textolite by turning it to the required diameter and drilling a stepped hole in its inner part. The diameter of the hole in the working attachment of the engraver must be selected in such a way that its walls reliably hold the stationary part of the drive cable, but at the same time do not impede the rotation of its movable core. A tube is inserted into the hole in the front of such a homemade working attachment, inside of which the chuck of two halves, fastened together with a screw, rotates freely. The chuck, which must be necessarily balanced, can accommodate a tool with a shank diameter in the range of 2–5 mm.
2. A set of tools with which the processing will be performed. If you use a handle from a drill as a working attachment for a homemade engraver, then the tools should also be from dental equipment that fit it in the diameter of the shanks. For a homemade working nozzle, as mentioned above, any tool with a shank diameter from 2 to 5 mm is suitable.
3. A drive motor, which can be any motor powered by an electric current with a voltage of 220 volts. This could be a motor from a DVD-player or from an old reel-to-reel tape recorder, a washing machine, or any other household appliance you are not using. An electric motor from a sewing machine is optimal for a homemade engraver, because it already has a rheostat in its equipment, which allows to regulate the shaft rotation speed within a fairly wide range. Such engines, as a rule, are capable of developing a shaft rotation speed of up to 6 thousand rpm, which is quite enough for a household engraver.

Bed Cover Bracket and clamp
Bush and elbow Holder Electric motor connection diagram

To make an engraver, you will also need an electric drill, a sharpening machine and a standard set of locksmith tools.

How a homemade engraving machine works

A homemade engraver of the proposed design works according to the following principle. Rotation from the electric motor is transmitted by means of pulleys and a rubber belt to a flexible shaft, which, in turn, communicates it to the working attachment and the tool fixed in it.

A do-it-yourself engraving machine can also be made in a different design, which assumes that the flexible shaft is connected to the electric motor by means of an adapter coupling. At one end, such a coupling is pushed onto the motor shaft and securely fixed on it with a pin, and a movable flexible shaft core is inserted into the square hole made at its second end.

After all the structural elements of the future homemade engraver are prepared, they begin to manufacture it.

1. For a reliable and stable fastening of all structural elements of the engraver, it is necessary to make the simplest base-base, for which you can use a sheet of textolite or thick plywood by cutting out a piece of the required size from it. At pre-marked places on the surface of such a base, an electric motor and a bracket with a clamp are attached, in which the rear tip of the flexible shaft will be fixed. After tightening the fastening nut on the bracket of the bracket, the end of the flexible shaft must be firmly fixed in it.
2. Prefabricated pulleys, which can also be removed from old appliances, are fixed to the motor shaft and to the flexible shaft's movable core. To perform such a fixation, it is necessary to drill holes in the flange part of the pulleys and on the shafts, into which the pins will then be inserted. Regular epoxy will help to ensure the reliability of the connection. The transmission of rotation from the electric motor to the flexible shaft, carried out by means of pulleys and belts, is convenient in that, by changing the diameters of the pulleys used, it is possible to adjust the rotational speed reported to the grower.
3. The final stages of manufacturing the engraver of the proposed design are the installation of a rubber belt on the pulleys of the flexible shaft and the electric motor, connecting the motor to the electric power supply, fixing the working attachment with the tool at the front end of the flexible shaft and testing the finished device.

To make your engraver safer to use, make a compact cover for its electric motor and belt drive (you can use ordinary plywood). Since when working with the device, hands are busy holding the workpiece and the working attachment, you can equip the engraver with a foot pedal to turn it on and off. The basic element of such a pedal, which is also often made of plywood, is a conventional push button.

As a drive for the engraver, you can use a grinder with a "flying" gearbox.

When deciding which flexible shaft to use to equip your homemade engraver, it is better to choose drive elements from dental drills. This is recommended for the reason that such shafts, even those removed from old drills, are already equipped with working attachments with collet-type clamping mechanisms, in which the used tool is very conveniently and reliably fixed.

Meanwhile, the use of a flexible shaft from a dental drill as a driving element of the engraver's attachment has certain inconveniences. They consist in the fact that for dental attachments it is not always possible to select the tools required when working on an engraving machine. This problem is solved quite simply: many tools for the engraver can be made independently, using available materials for this.

So, sufficiently high-quality cutters for engraving installations can be made from broken drills, if, using a conventional grinding machine, you give their working part the required configuration. Abrasive heads of various shapes, which are actively used when processing with an engraver, can be made from fragments of a grinding wheel of medium hardness.

First, such debris must be equipped with a shank, which is made of steel wire with a diameter of 2.6 mm. Then such a shank is inserted into a previously made hole in the abrasive debris and embedded in it with epoxy resin. The last thing that remains to be done to turn such a blank into a full-fledged tool for the engraver is to give its abrasive part the required configuration using a grinding machine equipped with a high hardness wheel.

However, as a flexible shaft for the engraver, it is possible to use a drive shaft from a drill or a shaft for a speedometer of a car or motorcycle. We use this option for our homemade products.

Due to the flexible shaft, the device has an advantage. During operation of the device, there is no unnecessary strain on the hands. This is due to the fact that the shaft head is several times lighter than a power tool with a built-in drive.

Making a working nozzle

The body of the working nozzle, in the clamping mechanism of which the cutting tool will be fixed, can also be used from a drill or made independently. In our case, it is made of steel (I used the services of a turner - my neighbor in the garage). This option has its advantages - strength and accuracy, but also disadvantages - more weight. Due to low loads, it is possible to make a case from a non-ferrous metal (for example, lighter aluminum alloys) or from a piece of textolite by drilling a stepped hole in its inner part for bearings and processing the outer contour of the case for your hand for easy holding.

The threaded part of the housing is intended for its connection with the used flexible shaft of the speedometer and corresponds to it in thread. In our case, it is M18x1.5 10 mm long. The housing is 70 mm long and bored for two 22 x 8 mm ball bearings.
As a drive shaft with a collet clamp, which will be installed in the housing, we use a double-sided hand tool with replaceable collets, which is sometimes used to drill holes in the boards. It's time to mechanize this tool.

The outer diameter of the tube (handle) of the tool body is 8 mm, slightly increased when performing the knurling operation. The thread of the collets screwed into the tool is M6. We disassemble the tool and complete the assembly with two ball bearings.

To the width of the bearing, for its tight fit, we clean the corrugations from the edges of the tube. Press the bearing on one side. To fix the shaft when clamping the cutting tool in the collet, select a sleeve of suitable dimensions, install it in the middle of the tube and fix it with a pin. We drill through the installed sleeve, in diameter, a through hole 3.5 mm for installing a stopper when clamping.

Into the threaded hole of the tool tube, on one side (instead of the collet), screw a piece of copper tube with a diameter of 6 mm. To do this, at one end of it we pre-cut the M6 ​​thread, and the other end is carefully squeezed until the square fits tightly at the output end of the flexible shaft of the speedometer. As a result, the total length of the drive shaft must match the length of the housing.

We measure the distance from the front end of the tube to the hole for the stopper. We install the assembled shaft into the housing, all the way into the rear wall. We mark the location of the locking hole on the body. We remove the drive shaft and drill a retaining hole in the housing. Having lubricated the bearings, we assemble the working nozzle. We check the alignment of the holes for the stopper. If the bearings turned out to be unprotected, we cut out and install, from the collet side, a protective washer made of plastic or felt.

After complete assembly of the working nozzle body, the open end of the drive shaft must coincide with the end of the housing, and the crimped end of the copper tube must be flush with the threaded end.

We install the collet of the desired size.

We attach a flexible shaft to the housing.

For securing the cutting tool

We use a drift as a stopper.

Tool
The following tools are used to transform a compact engraving device into a multifunctional processing device:
- drills, with the help of which the engraver turns into a mini-drill;
- cutters of various designs, allowing for the processing of flat and shaped surfaces, as well as holes, grooves and grooves of various configurations;
- disk tools used to perform cutting operations on materials of small thickness;
- metal brushes, which are used to clean the treated surfaces from traces of corrosion and other contaminants;
- abrasive tools with working heads of round, semicircular, oval and cylindrical shapes, used for grinding and polishing surfaces;
- tools with a conical working head for applying inscriptions and patterns to the surface of the workpiece;
- tools, the working head of which is made of felt, for performing polishing operations.

Sufficient quality cutters for engraving installations can be made from broken drills, if you give their working part the required configuration using a conventional grinder.

Fixture drive
A drive motor, which can be any motor powered by an electric current with a voltage of 220 volts. This could be an engine from a washing machine or other household appliances you don't use.

An electric motor from a sewing machine is optimal for a home-made engraver, since there it is possible, within a fairly wide range, to regulate the speed of rotation of the shaft. Such engines, as a rule, are capable of developing a shaft rotation speed of up to 6 thousand rpm, which is quite enough for a household engraver. It is better to work with soft materials at slow speeds, as high speed of rotation will entail overheating of the tool or melting of the edges of the workpiece. It is recommended to work with metal at medium speed. It is best to machine hard natural stone at maximum speed.

As a drive for the engraver, you can use a grinder with a "flying" gear, drill or screwdriver.
Such a temporary application is also possible.

You will need

• A flexible shaft with a set of cutters from a dental drill, a low-power electric motor, a set of locksmith's tools, a sharpening machine, an electric drill.

Instructions

Pick up all the components needed to craft.
In general, the engraver is as follows: electric motor - pulleys - flexible shaft. From the electric motor, the rotation is transmitted through pulleys with rubber belts to a flexible shaft, at the end of which the engraving cutters are fixed.
It is not difficult to choose an electric motor, any model that operates on 220 volt alternating current is suitable - from a fan, tape recorder, electric shaver, etc. Sewing machine motors are very suitable because they are equipped with a rheostat to change the rotational speed.
The choice of flexible shaft is rather limited. The main and most optimal option is a flexible shaft from a dental drill. It has a collet for milling cutters, so there is no need to figure out how to fix the milling cutters.
Pulleys can be obtained from old tape recorders, which are stored in closets or attics of most homes. Together with them, you should take the belts.

Make a base to hold all the components of the device. Its design is a base (a sheet of PCB or thick plywood) with a bracket mounted on it for attaching a flexible shaft. It is most convenient to make the bracket in the form of a clamp, crowning the column, fixed to the base.

Mount the motor and flex shaft to the base. The motor is attached directly to the base, the flexible shaft is inserted into the bracket clamp. After tightening the nut, the clamp should grip tightly and securely fix the end of the flexible shaft.

Connect the pulleys to the motor and flex shaft shafts. If the diameters of the shafts do not coincide with the bore holes of the pulleys, adapter sleeves must be used. The pulleys on the shafts are attached by drilling their flanges together with the shafts and then pinning them. Epoxy can also be used to ensure a tight fit of the pulleys on the shafts.
The use of pulleys is beneficial in that they increase the rotational speed of the cutter. The higher the rotational speed of the bur, the higher the quality of the engraving. However, direct connection of the motor shaft to the flexible shaft is also possible - without the use of pulleys.

If it is necessary to directly connect the motor shaft to the flexible shaft, make it with a piece of rubber hose, the ends of which are put on the shafts to be connected. In this case, the hose plays the role of a coupling. The only requirement for it is that it tightly wraps around the ends of the shafts, eliminating their slippage.