The answer to this common question should actually be quite easy to define. Quite simply, when the quality of the engraving becomes less than acceptable, the tool should be resharpened or replaced. Since quality is often a subjective issue however, there are some guidelines and telltale signs that can help diagnose when the cutter is declining in performance. For plastics, a sharp cutter ground with the proper angles should produce crisp, clean, burr free cuts in a single engraving pass at moderately fast feed rates. If there is a burr at the top of the letter or there are chips of material left in the cut, the feed rate may be too fast or the cutter is dull. Too high of a feed does not allow the cutter to cut or clean out the chips. Slow things down and see it this solves the problem before focusing the blame on the cutter. If the problem remains, it's probably time to sharpen the tool. While it's acceptable practice to remove some amount of chips with a brush, don't let things get to the point where you spend more time brushing than engraving. When engraving metals it's possible, depending on the material and how well it engraves not to achieve a perfect cut on the first pass. Try making a second pass using the concept that the first pass cuts and the second cleans it up. While some metals can be cut "dry" and yield good results, some require the use of cutting fluids to achieve an acceptable cut. We recommend cutting fluids for engraving most metals since they improve the finish of the cut and extend tool life. If multiple passes and cutting fluids don't fix the problem, once again it's probably time to replace or resharpen the tool. |
