Hello,

    I am building a Engraver for a client, who will want to engrave into steel plate. I need a small but fast cutting
Motor and bit, that can cut 0.020-0.040 depths.  I would like to stay under 2 hp motor, but it has to be reliable, and
if possible quiter than the standard router motor??

Any ideas? for motor and engraving bit?  (AC motor, don't mind going to high end long life/fast engraving bits).

Scott

Scott, I use a spindle made by Wolfgang Engineering, he sells on ebay, his user name is wolfgang314 if you do the ebay search for his products, he will come up. Great product at a great price. I make my own engraving points using .125" carbide blanks, I grind them on my faceting machine. There are other commercial supplieres of engraving points, Travers carries them, you can also get them from www.2linc.com. I use OneCNC for my engraving work.

--Chuck

I use OneCNC also (Mill Expert 4-5th, and Lath Pro xr2), Love them both!!

How quite are the motors?

On my spindle, it's pretty loud. Louder than a Dremmel but mine has a 9 volt motor. He has some now that are improved with a 110V motor. Good stuff though, beter than an air motor. I tached mine at 22,000 RPM.

Scott,
Have a look at the Kress milling spindles.
They are like a Dremel on steroids, I have some of the old fixed speed ones, 28,000 rpm and to be honest they are noisy but not as noisy as a router.
Recently bought one of the new 800W models which goes from 10,000 to 30,000 in 6 thumb wheel stages and in 1,2 or 3 they are very quiet.
They come with an 8mm collet as standard so it gives an idea on the build.
They also do a 1050 W model.

John S.