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Watching a video of Viprati pipes, I saw this futuristic tool for zapping the signature on the shank. Takes less than a second. Really cool! Have you seen this stuff? Is it laser?

It's close to the end of this video, after the pipe has been finished.
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTcxNzAxMTMy.html

wow, that's awesome!! i want one whatever it is that's doing that!

Looks like a laser to me.

Rad

Hi,

definitely laser. The Viprati stampings always looked like lasered to me. Makes really nice engravings, fine and precise.

mathias65 wrote:wow, that's awesome!! i want one whatever it is that's doing that!

The machines are, afaik, 600 bucks and up - guess, buying one only makes sense if you have a reasonable production output...
I have none... but found a guy who has one. Gave it a try on my latest piece:


regards, Jens

If you got $200-$400 bucks to spend you can pick up a good used Pantograph engraving machine with some type set and do it yourself. Lasers are nice but a good manual machine I think is more versitile. You can cut your own templates and make any design you want. I use a old Gorton 3U Pantograph machine to do my engraving of my logo and name on the stem and the pipe. Look around, Craigslist is where I found both of mine. One I payed 200.00 for and the other 150.00.

This machine is a laser New Hermes programable pantograph without the mechanical arms I have a mechanical one . Did'nt have the $ 1900 they go for check it out at gravograph.com

As far as his pipes go they are really nice indeed. I saw how he inlays the metal logo in the stem but I wonder how he inlays the metal into the briar. If anything I got some good ideas from that video.

Those machines are way too cool and canons to mosquitoes. I'll just get a hand-held electric engraver and enjoy "cutting" a stamp. I guess it could be as much fun (and labor) as making pipes.