u/New-Sound-3775

Hello,

I am looking to start engraving metal for our jewelry business. Mainly stainless steel, PVD coated SS dipped in 18k gold, silver and various golds. I will not be engraving any copper or brass. I will be starting with basic pendants anywhere from 5mm-15mm in size. Laser is not an option for me. (I also noticed a few local jewelry shops offer rotary engraving with the Gravotech M20 over lasers and might adapt something similar). I've read nightmare stories on their support and servicing with very long shipping times with Gravotech sadly.

I have been looking at a few different machines and think the Makera Air would be the best option for me based on some test videos on YouTube and the overall setup with a built in enclosure. I have a few questions regarding all of this:

1. Does anyone have experience engraving on the metals listed above with success and a quality finish using the Makera Air (or something similar)?
2. The engraving sets that Makera offer, are they good enough to engrave on SS or would I need to find a more suitable third party bit? (I will be learning as I go and plan on stocking up for the inevitable learning curve).
3. The native CAM software has a few reviews stating poor performance and unnecessary upgrades, is it worth investing in or would I be better off with Lightburn (or something similar)?

Thanks, I really appreciate any support.

Hello,

I am looking to start engraving metal for our jewelry business. Mainly stainless steel, PVD coated SS dipped in 18k gold, silver and various golds. I will not be engraving any copper or brass. I will be starting with basic pendants anywhere from 5mm-15mm in size. Laser is not an option for me. (I also noticed a few local jewelry shops offer rotary engraving with the Gravotech M20 over lasers and might adapt something similar). I've read nightmare stories on their support and servicing with very long shipping times with Gravotech sadly.

I have been looking at a few different machines and think the Makera Air would be the best option for me based on some test videos on YouTube and the overall setup with a built in enclosure. I have a few questions regarding all of this:

1. Does anyone have experience engraving on the metals listed above with success and a quality finish using the Makera Air (or something similar)?

2. The engraving sets that Makera offer, are they good enough to engrave on SS or would I need to find a more suitable third party bit? (I will be learning as I go and plan on stocking up for the inevitable learning curve).

3. The native CAM software has a few reviews stating poor performance and unnecessary upgrades, is it worth investing in or would I be better off with Lightburn (or something similar)?

Thanks, I really appreciate any support.