Engrave/etch barrels

[oxproskillzxo]

Just wondering if anyone knows how to engrave/etch on the slide of a KWJ g23, as it doesn't have any trade markings on the slide.

All I can find on the web is sending it to professionals for like a hundred bucks, I want to save that money and do it myself.

Anyone knows how to do this?

[ILLusion]

Sure. First, all you have to do is buy a $5000 CNC engraving machine (one of the cheapest ones available - better ones go as high as $50,000) Next take a course in CNC programming/operation. Shouldn't cost you too much. A single course is probably a few hundred bucks. But if you want to make use of the new tool you just bought, you should take the whole program, which would also teach you about machine tooling, jigging, materials, and such. That should only cost a few thousand more, plus a couple years of your life.

Either that, or a $120 Dremel tool plus a $20 engraving head and a reeeeeeeeeeeally steady hand (nerves of steel wouldn't be bad, either). If you go this route, I hope you're an artist, because I've never seen anybody successfully write font using a Dremel tool, while maintaining the accuracy and precision of a computer. Chances are, you'll make it crooked. Or you'll slip. Or the tool bit will bite on the material, sending the tool running off, and marring your surface.

Or if you want to do it the REEEALLY ghetto way, pick up a carbon scribe for a few bucks, and etch the engravings in by hand. Again, if you can do this straight with accurate looking trademarks, you are honestly wasting your talent with airsoft. I spent 2 years in a tool shop, and I still can't scribe my name with precision, even when using a straight edge. This is with fairly large sized lettering, too. I wouldn't even want to imagine doing it on a pistol chamber in micro sized font.

Does that help you save money by doing it yourself?

[Jcotter]

Sounds like buying a new barrel with trades would be your best and cheapest route to go.

[oxproskillzxo]

What if I use a jewelry engraver?

[AKA]

Originally Posted by ILLusion

Sure. First, all you have to do is buy a $5000 CNC engraving machine (one of the cheapest ones available - better ones go as high as $50,000) Next take a course in CNC programming/operation. Shouldn't cost you too much. A single course is probably a few hundred bucks. But if you want to make use of the new tool you just bought, you should take the whole program, which would also teach you about machine tooling, jigging, materials, and such. That should only cost a few thousand more, plus a couple years of your life.

Either that, or a $120 Dremel tool plus a $20 engraving head and a reeeeeeeeeeeally steady hand (nerves of steel wouldn't be bad, either). If you go this route, I hope you're an artist, because I've never seen anybody successfully write font using a Dremel tool, while maintaining the accuracy and precision of a computer. Chances are, you'll make it crooked. Or you'll slip. Or the tool bit will bite on the material, sending the tool running off, and marring your surface.

Or if you want to do it the REEEALLY ghetto way, pick up a carbon scribe for a few bucks, and etch the engravings in by hand. Again, if you can do this straight with accurate looking trademarks, you are honestly wasting your talent with airsoft. I spent 2 years in a tool shop, and I still can't scribe my name with precision, even when using a straight edge. This is with fairly large sized lettering, too. I wouldn't even want to imagine doing it on a pistol chamber in micro sized font.

Does that help you save money by doing it yourself?

ahahah ,that is key!

[MultipleParadox]

My take is that a Jewelry engravers and the like will tell you that they can't/won't do it on rounded surface like this; OR they will tell you they can TRY but cant guarantee they won't scrap the piece and won't take responsibility...

That's what they told me (the later) when I had one of them engrave a concave knife's blade. Result was good though, but it was nowhere as round as a barrel obviously

[Tex]

Originally Posted by MultipleParadox

My take is that a Jewelry engravers and the like will tell you that they can't/won't do it on rounded surface like this; OR they will tell you they can TRY but cant guarantee they won't scrap the piece and won't take responsibility...

That's what they told me (the later) when I had one of them engrave a concave knife's blade. Result was good though, but it was nowhere as round as a barrel obviously

Round? Glock trademarks are not on any round parts.

[Drake]

you can always build this

Easy to build Desktop CNC Mill - YouTube


let us know how that works

[ILLusion]

Originally Posted by oxproskillzxo

What if I use a jewelry engraver?

As long as they know they can engrave die-cast zinc-aluminum alloy. This is not a jewellery grade material, which is why it's important to get clarification on that. Their equipment may not be able to handle it, or they may damage your piece.

[CDN_Stalker]

Originally Posted by Tex

Round? Glock trademarks are not on any round parts.

The OP is interchanging the words and confusing some people, he thinks the slide and the barrel are the same thing, which is funny because slides slide and barrels are round. If it was square, it'd then be a box and not a barrel, but the slide is square so I'm mildly surprised he didn't call it the box.

Savvy?

[oxproskillzxo]

Originally Posted by CDN_Stalker

The OP is interchanging the words and confusing some people, he thinks the slide and the barrel are the same thing, which is funny because slides slide and barrels are round. If it was square, it'd then be a box and not a barrel, but the slide is square so I'm mildly surprised he didn't call it the box.

Savvy?

LOL, i typed it wrong, i was thinking of spray painting my barrel when i typed this thread, so i typed barrel instead of slide

Originally Posted by ILLusion

As long as they know they can engrave die-cast zinc-aluminum alloy. This is not a jewellery grade material, which is why it's important to get clarification on that. Their equipment may not be able to handle it, or they may damage your piece.

so i can engrave it with a jewelry engraver, guess i'll use that, since i own one already and don't need to pay for anything.
and my slide's plastic not metal or anything, so it should be fine.