Engraving on Brass - KDM Fabrication

Have you been itching to know about engraving on brass? If you have always wanted to know, this article will cover what brass engraving is, common techniques, applications, etc.

Table of Contents

What is Brass Engraving?

Brass engraving is the process where designs are carved, etched, or texts written on brass surfaces. In most cases, if forms part of brass finishing operation.

Common Tools for Brass Engraving

Below are some of the common tools that can be used to engrave brass:

· Engraving with CNC

These are devices made to have engraving done automatically. With these machines, designs are engraved depending on digital inputs like computer numerical control and rotary devices.

· Burins or Gravers

These are handheld tools that have sharp points. The sharp points are used to carve designs manually onto the surface of brass.

· Laser Engravers

These devices make use of laser beams precisely and perfectly. Designs etched onto brass surfaces with metal laser engravers always stand out.

· Chisels and Hammers

Chisels and hammers are conventional tools ideal for hand engraving. They can be used to make highly detailed and deeper cuts.

· Templates and Stencils

These tools come in to guide machines or hand graving. This is done to get designs that can be repeated with consistency.

· Dremels or Rotary Tools

Dremels are handheld electronic tools. Dremels are made to be distinct. Also, they have unique add-ons which makes using them unique. These add-ons makes it easier to engrave, polish, and finish.

· Burnishing Tool

If you want to have an engraved design that is smooth and refined, the burnisher will do that to perfection.

Brass Engraving Techniques

1. How to Engrave Brass with a Dremel

Listed below are some materials to engrave brass with dremel. They are gloves, cloth to clean, securing tool, goggles, brass, dremel with ideal engraving bits, marker or pencil, etc.

Here is how it is done:

Begin by cleaning the brass object that you will be working on. Cleaning will take all flit from the object’s surface to prepare it for engraving.
Use the tool for securing brass to secure the brass object. Doing this will help prevent the object from moving during the process of engraving.
Now, you will have to stretch the design on the part of the object that needs to be engraved. Use a pencil or marker. These sketches will serve as a guide later.
With sketch done, put on your protective gloves and goggles. Then, bring in the dremel with the ideal bit and start engraving. Movement must be steadily done.

2. Laser Engraving Brass

Brass laser engraving uses lasers to ensure engraving is done. Due to how unique laser is, it engraves with precision. The simple steps for this technique includes:

You can use a design app to have design created.
After design is created, set it aside and clean the brass object surface.
Adjust the settings on the laser machine to suit the type and thickness of the brass object.
Take an old scrap brass object to test it on. Then you can begin engraving the actual brass object.

3. Engraving with the Hand

This is the manual way of engraving brass objects manually or with a handheld tool. Professionals with much knowledge and skill make sure this is done.

This is how this technique works:

Prepare the design and place it on the surface of the brass surface.
Using stencil or carbon paper, trace design onto the brass object surface.
Keep the brass object in its place and take your hand tool to start to engrave. Do not rush when engraving.
With the above done, you can now refine and polish the surface.

4. Chemical Etching Technique

Here, resist materials are used to achieve ideal brass object engraving. Then, a chemical solution is added to eat away unsecured parts. Below are simple steps to achieve this:

Clean and get brass prepared. Get rid of all grease, dirt, or unwanted particles.
After cleaning, you will need to introduce a resist material like varnish, wax, etc to coat the brass. This will keep areas you don’t want to etch safe.
Print or draw on a clear sheet the design you wish to etch. You can also do the drawing directly on the resist with a stylus for wax resist.
Now, you will need to be exposed to light if you are using a photoresist. If you will, the clear sheet with the design must be placed over brass. Then, UV light exposure is done.
Dip brass into a developing solution. This will remove all unexposed and soft resistance. Then, the brass below is revealed, where etching will take place.
Dip the brass into an etching mixture. All exposed brass will be eaten away by the solution. Through that, an engraved design is created.
As the above is done, continuously check to make sure etching is done right.
With the etching done, use an ideal solvent or scrubbing to get rid of the excess resist material.
Clean to get rid of any leftover chemicals, and polish for enhanced visibility of the design.

Applications of Engraved Brass

Engraved brass has different applications because of its elegance and versatility. Some common uses include:

Nameplates
Plaque engraving
Jerusalem engravings
Signage for businesses, public spaces, etc.
Awards and trophies engraving
Decorative Items such as art pieces, picture frames, decor plates, etc.
Instrument panels
Medals and coins with intricate designs
Architectural parts like door hardware, etc.
Gifts and Keepsakes like keychains, desk accessories, customized gifts, etc.

Conclusion

With the right tools, you can easily engrave brass with any pattern of your choice. At KDM, we can engrave any pattern on your brass parts depending on your unique specifications.

For any questions or inquiries, contact us now.

Related Resources:

Brass Bending – Source: KDM

Brass Cutting Techniques – Source: KDM

Brass Drilling – Source: KDM

9 Practical Brass Cutting Techniques – Source: KDM