[nitewatchman]

I have just completed two orders made from G10/FR4. While these are simple parts, the drawing required that the part number be applied to every one. Additionally, these parts are for an FTA "Buy America" Project and must be distinguished from similar parts that are not made from domestic material. Previous vendors of these parts marked the parts with a Sharpie Pen which not only looks sloppy, the marking is not permanent.

I decided to mark the parts using the Tormach Drag Engraver. I submitted sample parts to my customer marked this way and they loved them. In fact they like the parts enough to send additional parts my way provided, you guessed it, they were also engraved. As an added bonus the machine can engrave the idenity faster than I can mark the information using the Sharpie Pen.

I LIKE this tool!!!

nitewatchman

[BAMCNC.COM]

I've been wanting to get one, have you used it on any metals?

[tbaker2500]

Nice!! I've been tempted, but haven't pulled the trigger yet.

[SCzEngrgGroup]

I'm curious about the fixture in the photos - how are you holding the work piece? What aer the little metal doo-dads in the last two photos?

Regards,
Ray L.

[nitewatchman]

I've been wanting to get one, have you used it on any metals?

Works just as well on Steel although the Heavy Spring is the only one that I use. The spring compression on the G10/FR4 parts is .050" after tip contact. This works well with Aluminum and Brass also. For steel I use .075" to .100".

The text was generated using the MACH3 Write Wizard. Works but is awkward for me and requires a little manipulation. I usually embed this into the rest of the program and tool change to the Drag Engraver.

nitewatchman

[nitewatchman]

I'm curious about the fixture in the photos - how are you holding the work piece? What aer the little metal doo-dads in the last two photos?

Regards,
Ray L.

Those are Lithograph Offset Press Plate Clamps. These were used on large offset presses to clamp the lithograph plates to the press bed. They are wonderful! I have a handfull, 20 or 25, and a wrench.

To use the clamps you determine where the edge of the part is, add 1/16" and drill a 1/2" hole 5/8" deep into the fixture. The clamps have a hinged toe that bears against the wall of the hole and kicker that bears against the other side of the hole. There is a screw in the center that bears against the kicker and forces the clamp over while rotating the top of the clamp down towards the top of the fixture. The clamping force to the side and down is very high. With one clamp in place you cannot tap the part side to side in the fixture without really whacking on it.

The fixture is made of a piece of scrap G10 and has a 1/4" high stop on the back side that the part is clamped against. There is a 3/4" tooling hole in the center to roll in X-Y Zero and Z zero is on the top of the fixture pocket. The part is 1-1/2" x 3/4" x 3" +/- .005". In this fixture the part is machined on both ends, the top cut to height, center slot is cut and ID is engraved.

I got these while working in a printing plant as a summer engineering intern in 1971. The Litho Press were being scrapped and there were thousands of these clamps that were thrown away. I wish that I had taken all of them!

nitewatchman

[SCzEngrgGroup]

Those are Lithograph Offset Press Plate Clamps. These were used on large offset presses to clamp the lithograph plates to the press bed. They are wonderful! I have a handfull, 20 or 25, and a wrench.

To use the clamps you determine where the edge of the part is, add 1/16" and drill a 1/2" hole 5/8" deep into the fixture. The clamps have a hinged toe that bears against the wall of the hole and kicker that bears against the other side of the hole. There is a screw in the center that bears against the kicker and forces the clamp over while rotating the top of the clamp down towards the top of the fixture. The clamping force to the side and down is very high. With one clamp in place you cannot tap the part side to side in the fixture without really whacking on it.

The fixture is made of a piece of scrap G10 and has a 1/4" high stop on the back side that the part is clamped against. There is a 3/4" tooling hole in the center to roll in X-Y Zero and Z zero is on the top of the fixture pocket. The part is 1-1/2" x 3/4" x 3" +/- .005". In this fixture the part is machined on both ends, the top cut to height, center slot is cut and ID is engraved.

I got these while working in a printing plant as a summer engineering intern in 1971. The Litho Press were being scrapped and there were thousands of these clamps that were thrown away. I wish that I had taken all of them!

nitewatchman

Could you post a picture of one? I get the general idea, but would love to see how they're actually made.

Regards,
Ray L.

[nitewatchman]

Could you post a picture of one? I get the general idea, but would love to see how they're actually made.

Regards,
Ray L.

The clamps are commerically called Sterling Toggle Hooks and come in several sizes. The clamps I am using here are #1's.

nitewatchman

[Scott_M]

Here is another ++1 for the drag engraver. I recently used it on a 1911 to put the customers logo on the back of the slide and to do a full "French Border" around the slide. It worked great. Keep in mind that this is hard steel. About 35 Rockwell C. The first one is as engraved right off the machine the rest are after final polish and re-bluing. The customer was very happy.

Scott

[SCzEngrgGroup]

The clamps are commerically called Sterling Toggle Hooks and come in several sizes. The clamps I am using here are #1's.

nitewatchman

Those are very cool! Thanks!

Regards,
Ray L.

[C*H*U*D]

Those are very cool! Thanks!

Regards,
Ray L.

I agree. I definitely want to get some! In case nobody else searched for it, here they are:

Toggle Hooks - Sterling Toggle - We manufacture the best toggle hooks on the market

[Jim72]

I agree. I definitely want to get some! In case nobody else searched for it, here they are:

Toggle Hooks - Sterling Toggle - We manufacture the best toggle hooks on the market

Hi,

If you do get some could you let us know the prices please? I tried to find out but they want you to register or create an account. I don't know that I want to do that yet, if I knew the prices I may want to.

Thanks,
Jim