Engraving Tool Selection Assistance – For Best Performance
Choose the Best Tool Bit for the Material Being Engraved with our Extensive Engraving Tool Selection Help
Need some assistance with Engraving Tool Selection?
2L’s Solid Carbide Engraving Tools are made from a Premium Ultra Fine Submicron Grade Solid Carbide for maximum tool strength and durability.
2L not only produces Engraving Tools, but we also use them in our own manuacturing processes. We have performed extensive testing as well as knowledge from our own application use. We design and test our tools on many materials and manufacture in house to ensure we produce the finest cutters available.
Our Engraving Tools to engrave with: CNC Milling Machines, Standard Holders Such as Collets, End Mill Holders, or Shrink Fit Holders, 2L Spring Loaded Engraving Tools, Table Top or Top Loading Engraving Machines, and many other Industrial Engraving and Marking Equipment.
The type of tool bit used and the material you are engraving or cutting will affect your end result. Our list below indicates the materials our cutters are frequently used on and is based on both our in-house testing and customer feedback. As the end result is strongly influenced by several factors you may need to try a few different tool styles or sizes to determine which fits your application best.
Engraving Tool Selection is typically based on your application and final end result desired.
To choose the best tool for your application start with the following questions.
1. Are you using a Spring Loaded Engraving Tool or are you you holding rigidly with a collet or end mill holder?
2. What material are you engraving or marking?
3. How large/tall are the letters to be engraved and what is the desired depth?
Review our below information for Engraving Tool Selection Help.
Or, try our Engraving Tool Selection Filter to choose an Engraving Tool by the Material being engraved.
| Engraving Tool Selection Help: Most Commonly Used Engraving Tools With A Spring Loaded Engraving Tool |
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| Hard Materials | Tough Tip Engraving Tool for Steels/Hard Materials | Standard Conical for Harder Materials | Single Flute Conical Ball Nose | 2 Flute Conical Ball Nose |
| Stainless Steel | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Carbon Steel | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Tool Steels | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Gun Steels | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Cold Rolled Steel | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Woods (Hard Woods) | ——– | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Inconel | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Hastelloy | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Soft Materials | Tough Tip Engraving Tool for Aluminum | Standard Conical for Softer Materials | Single Flute Conical Ball Nose | 2 Flute Conical Ball Nose |
| Aluminum | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Aluminum – Standard Anodized | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Aluminum – Hard Coat Anodized | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Acrylic – Engraving, 3D Engraving & Reverse Engraving |
——– | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Brass | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Plastics – Generic | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Copper | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Small Engraving (under .100″ Tall Letters) | Diamond Tip Engraving Tool | Carbide Point Engraving Tool | ||
| All Materials | Use in a Spring Loaded Engraving Tool with a Heavy Spring. |
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| Engraving Tool Selection Help: Commonly Used Engraving Tools Held in a Rigid Tool Holder (A Collet or End Mill Holder) |
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| Material/Application | Cutting Tool Selection | |||
| General Purpose Engraving | ||||
Very Small Engraving
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| 3D Engraving | ||||
Aluminum
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| Aluminum – Anodized | ||||
| Aluminum – Hard Coat Anodized |
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STEELS
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STAINLESS STEEL
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| Painted Metals – Prone to Chipping | ||||
OTHER HARD METALS
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| Armor / Armor Plate |
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SOFTER/GUMMY METALS
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STONE, ETC.
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ACRYLIC
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PLASTICS
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COMPOSITES
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| Glass | ||||
JEWELRY APPLICATIONS
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| Corian | ||||
Wood
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