How to Engrave Metal Using a Dremel Tool

I got a pouch as a gift recently and it happened to have a blank metal plate on it.

With things going industrial, I managed to get my hands on a Dremel tool, I decided I would engrave my initials on my pouch.

Unfortunately, I engraved my initials and then thought of Instructables, I took a closer look at my pouch and realized I hadn't put the separating dots in yet so I documented the process and made this.

This is a simple guide for a beginner to learn from and please, if you have any tips on using a Dremel that I haven't listed, comment so I and hopefully many others can learn from them.

If I won the formlabs contest, I would begin making useful pieces with the 3D printer.
I have seen the printers before and I have a million ideas running through my head as to what I could make!

Step 1: Saftey First...

OK, lets start with safety, get yourself a pair of safety goggles, piece of cardboard and a piece of scrap metal.

For engraving metal I used a 100 High Speed Cutter attached to a Dremel 4000.

To start, pick up the Dremel without it plugged in or turned on, feel the weight and get used to the size and shape of it.

Once you are used to the feel of the tool you will be using, plug it in and turn it on, get used to the noise and feel of the tool turned on.

Once you are ready touch the bit onto the cardboard, feel what it does and (you can see it coming) get used to it.

Now you need to determine what speed you like it on.

Step 2: Determination.

Before you engrave anything serious you need to determine your best operating speed, I liked 15,000rpm for detailing, the Dremel I was using had a range from 5,000- rpm to 33,000rpm.

Test your Dremel at each speed until you feel comfortable, to test the machine you should draw 1 straight line and 1 curved line.

When you have found your speed you should practice until you can at least write your initials.

Once you have all that down you can move on to the project.

Step 3: The Project.

Please fully read step 2 before reading this.

Assuming you have read step 2, I will continue.

First you will have to secure your project, I used a workbench and my free hand to secure the pouch I was working on.

Now you will need to start the Dremel tool and put it on the desired setting, touch it lightly onto the metal and start to engrave, try to never go up and down when you are working, instead work side to side rotating the project when necessary.

To engrave dots into your work you should hold the Dremel at the angle shown and lightly touch the metal, when the dot is the desired size you move on.

Thanks for reading, please vote and I hope to be posting more stuff soon!