Question: Have some questions about engraving a paintball gun

[deaallen]

Hey guys, firstly apologies if I have posted this in the wrong section or if it goes against the forum rules. As far as I am aware it is ok to post this here!?

I'm a big fan of paintball, and in the paintball community theres a culture of customising paintball markers. This is one of the parts I really enjoy, every paintball marker I have owned I have customised in some form or other, and I have owned a lot!

What I've always wanted to do however was have a marker engraved like the old shot guns are, however this isn't a service that i have ever seen done to a paintball gun, they always seem to be annodised and laser engraved. In the end I went ahead and got mine engraved with a simple filigree design. It wasn't the results I initially wanted but for the price (£100) I thought it was ok.

Now however I have seen a paintball marker engraved exactly how I was hoping to get mine done:

After seeing this I've got the bug again and want it done to one of mine. I have asked a couple of companies here in the UK, only one has so far replied with a quote of £800 GPB however, and for a marker that costs around £200 GBP thats just too much for me unfortunately.

So what I would like to know is if this is indeed hand engraved or pehaps done by a machine?
How long would a job like this take roughly?
How much should it cost approx?
What kind of investment would it take (time and money wise) to learn to do engraving to that standard.

The material of the gun is 6061 annodized aluminium fyi.

Many Thanks, Dean

 

[monk]

there's plenty of room here , no matter your particular engraving interests may be. hang around- you will learn as much as you're willing to. this was done by hand. look closely- too many little imperfections to be cnc work. your gun, the foto doesn't show well. so cant comment on what you did. look in the archive- many different examples there to light your fire. as to how much one of us would charge-- anybodys' guess. if you wish to go at this art in a very professional manner, rather than with hand made tools like i did-- you're lookin at a cash investment of at least 3-4 grand. unless you take the h&c way. sharpening system, gravers, ball vise. air assist tool- just to start for a serious jump into this art. good luck & thanks for posting.

 

[deaallen]

From just having a quick look at the other engravings found on this site I'm guessing the level of engraving I'm aiming for isn't the top level? For that reason I'm willing to give it a go myself, and I'm also guessing I won't be needing all the top end tools for that level of work?

What would you say is the best way to get involved with engraving? I live in the UK in Hampshire and I know theres a big tradition in the area for having shot guns engraved, so I'm assuming there must be places where I could take a couple of classes, would this be a good place to start or could I learn what I need to from the likes of the net and youtube?

Thanks for all the help, it really is appreciated!

 

[monk]

classes from a pro are best. poke around this forum. look in the tips section at page top. much info here. it's free, and very easy to learn the ways many engravers do their work. if jargon confuses you, roger bleile has posted a glossary of standard engraving terms. many of us have different names for a common item. roger clarifies this very well.

 

[Andrew Biggs]

Hi deaallen

There are no top or bottom end tools that produce better or lesser work............there are only tools. It's how they are used that produces the top or lesser end work. Buying the tools is the easy part and can be done relatively cheaply. Learning how to use those tools and everything that goes with it is the expensive part.

It would be cheaper for you to commission the engraving than to do it yourself. By the time you gear up and then spend the time learning how to use them then you will be well out of pocket and time. To cut the examples you have posted is a lot harder than it looks. It would only be worth your while if you intended to take up engraving as a permanent hobby/profession. Basically it would be like buying a car to drive to the local pub when a taxi would be far cheaper.

Cheers
Andrew

 

[Roger Bleile]

Dean,

To give you some idea of the level of effort needed to become a proficient gun engraver, it is about the same as mastering a musical instrument. Many engravers of my acquaintance are also musicians and I have learned this comparison from them.

Roger

 

[deaallen]

Thanks for the honest replys, It is something I'm interested in learning. The only issues at the moment is time - I'm currently involved with 3 companies each of which are less then 2 years old, so I really am pushed at the moment, and after hearing the level of dedication it requires, it might be best to come back to it at a later stage.

As for commissioning someone to do the work for me, the only reply I have had was quoting £800 - I don't doubt the work involved is worth that much, for me its just far to much unfortunately, especially as the gun was sold for $400.

Would a cnc engraver be able to get similar results and would that be any cheaper?

 

[Beathard]

I have done several paintball guns for high school students. I usually charge them $500. They usually pay me in cash, but in labor on my ranch. Surely you can find someone that will do it.

 

[Mike Fennell]

To my knowledge, the only machine that can do hand-type-engraving is the Artesa, invented by my friend Leonardo Di Benedetto of Barcelona, Spain. At this time it can only engrave flat surfaces, not curved surfaces. Nor can it achieve the level of detail that a competent hand-engraver can produce. However, on the flat surfaces it can do very well. My wife has a very nice silver pendant that was a gift from Leonardo. I believe it is also doing some fine work on faces and backs in the watchmaking industry.

Perhaps you should look at the impressive work of Antonio Montejano, also of Spain. His acid-etch methods give excellent results, requires less equipment, and may work well on curved surfaces with proper masking. The learning curve required to achieve the level of result you seek may also may be shorter than what is required for minimal results in hand-engraving. Don't know--haven't tried it yet.