Question about New Hermes "Engravograph"

Peter E

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I recently acquired a New Hermes "Engravograph". It seems like a motorized version of a Pantograph that can be used for design transfers, etc.

Does anyone have experience or knowledge of the usefulness of this machine that desires to share an opinion?

It is like this one I saw on ebay, but there are only a few of the brass plates with letters on them:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/180944973763?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

Thanks
 

Brian Marshall

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Hi Peter,

What do you need to know? We have 4 machines, usually used to transfer designs to be filigreed, sometimes used to lay out for hand engraving - rarely used for their original purpose...


Brian


P.S. There are actually a couple (without motor) out in the back room for sale. They belonged to a jeweler who retired. I think the ad is still here in the BUY/SELL. I'll go look it up and bring it to the top
 
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BrianPowley

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I have a New Hermes XTL Floor model and use it constantly. The small table top models are very limited to small, flat plates and such. The larger floor models allow you to put complete barreled rifle actions in them.
I can chuck up a Ruger No. 1 or a Winchester Model 94 receiver, tape down a nice picture of a white tail, adjust the pantograph ratios to fit, perfectly trace the anatomy of the animal right onto the gun in about 10 minutes.
I can go from picking out a picture to actually engraving it in on the gun in less than 20 minutes.
No drawing, no scanning, no reducing by trail and error to make it fit, no printing on film, no transferring---No problem!
It's great for lettering too. Just pantograph the lettering onto the metal, head to the work bench and engrave it.
 

BrianPowley

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Here's a floor plate laid out with my pantograph.
The entire design, including the scrolls, was laid out in about 10 minutes.


 
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Peter E

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What I would like to know is if the motorized version can also be used to transfer and scale designs as Brian has shown with his pantograph.

Thanks.
 

Brian Marshall

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You can, but I am a smith, for me it was relatively easy. Just took a cutter blank and soldered a diamond scribe tip from another brand of machine to the end of it. (Made a quick jig for the soldering)

You'll also need to lock the rotation. I beleive we ran a pin through the fingernut (is that a word?) at the top.

There will be slightly more play than you might get with the holder specifically designed for diamond drag, not much though.

If you are really handy you could even make a holder from scratch.


B.
 

monk

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a very valuable ( to me ) is the fact that i can "cut" my own master templates for mine. it allows quick layout on lighters and such which can then be engraved by hand. very handy to lay out scroll spines on stuff. then fill in details as you want. a nice feature is the ability to downsize from an original template from 1/2 to 1/7 the original size in 21 increments. shown are just 2 that i made. the one is a complete sed of diamond monogram. the other a design i stole from ldn, it is very large, about 6" in height. can be used on lighters, buckles, whatever. i began cutting my own many years ago and now have several hundred designs from which to choose.
 

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BrianPowley

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Also like monk, I have dozens of templates I made myself. Great for lighters, money clips, watch back, whatever.
21 different sizes from one template!
Bought mine New-in-Box 32 years ago. Has never needed maintenance.
 

Peter E

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I am fairly handy and may be able to fabricate a scribe. Would anyone be able to post a picture of what it looks like?

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Brian Marshall

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There's one in the bottom image of my ad in the BUY/SELL. Unfortunately it's not a close up and I no longer have that machine. The ones currently in the shop are different makes or I would go get a close up for you. I forget which student bought it.

Someone on here who makes a living at this has to have one though...


B.
 

monk

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my third and final try at this. the black area is the diamond "point". as you can easily see, it's rounded a bit.
 

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Peter E

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Thank you very much. I have a couple of carbide scribes that would perhaps suffice?

The metal I would be scribing is typically soft.
 

monk

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if you're going to do this in carbide, you don't want an actual sharp point. it should be ever so slightly rounded. i cant get my camera/computer system to show the fotos. by the time i get things working properly, you will probably have created one.
 

Peter E

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Your photo shows enough detail to give me a good idea what is needed Monk.

I took a look at the arm that is there, and it seems fairly straightforward to change from the cutter to a scribe, and remove the motor. It looks like the limitation will be the ability to hold the object to be scribed in the plastic jaws on the table. Perhaps some jigs can be cobbled for that?
 
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