Electropencil

[Marine A5 Sniper Rifle]

Saw this on fleabay. Is it overpriced, or are they that rare?

jt

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=321304161044

[jgaynor]

Well offhand i would say overpriced ! Just a bit. :eek::icon_salut:
http://www.mactools.com/product/tabid/120/p-318788-ep9ns.aspx

Seriously i did see another old one on eBay about 10 years ago for around $35.00.

Jim

[Crashyoung]

You can duplicate the unit very inexpensively and power it from a car battery.
Minus the $200 price tag...

[chuckindenver]

the real one....didnt not look like that, yes, over priced.. quality done with your cars battery would be suspect...try in on a BF or HO marked bolt and show us your results...
i have a ideal arc engraver that came from RIA.. it is top quality for its day...and even with it. marking some bolts are tough.

[PhillipM]

A modern one is $400!

http://www.nolansupply.com/bysubcategory.asp?category=Air+Tools&supercategory=Engraving+Tools&subcategory=Actograph+Electric+Arc+Engraver%26nbsp %3B&type=False&specs=True

[Johnny in Texas]

I just bought one on ebay for 13.88 for marking paper
VINTAGE ELECTRO PENCIL w/ BOX NO 1035 ENGRAVING PEN GAYLORD BROS INC ANTIQUE OLD
261168797134

thanks for the heads up

[Marine A5 Sniper Rifle]

the real one....didnt not look like that, yes, over priced.. quality done with your cars battery would be suspect...try in on a BF or HO marked bolt and show us your results...
i have a ideal arc engraver that came from RIA.. it is top quality for its day...and even with it. marking some bolts are tough.

Take another look, Chuck. That is the real one. It is a Lodi. Looks like the price dropped considerably.

jt

[PhillipM]

I just bought one on ebay for 13.88 for marking paper
VINTAGE ELECTRO PENCIL w/ BOX NO 1035 ENGRAVING PEN GAYLORD BROS INC ANTIQUE OLD
261168797134

thanks for the heads up

What they mean by marking paper is in the old days of sign making a paper pattern of the artwork or lettering was made and then the paper was perforated by the electric pencil. Then the paper was put on the substrate and chalk line chalk in a sock was dabbed on the tiny holes transferring the design. A friend that used to work at the local billboard company told me about getting zapped by one once.

[jgaynor]

I bought some instructions for making a homemade unit off the net a few years back. The pen contained a spring loaded stylus, an electromagnet and a set of contacts. Good luck getting it to work in the first place. A large battery would probably provide enough power . But a properly designed and built pen produces the pulsating power needed to mark the work.

I suspect the professional units have more sophisticated power supplies that allow the user to dial in the current needed.

[chuckindenver]

no pulsating that iv ever felt...it works basicly like a transformer, for a train set.
the Ideal engraver i have is a bit more advanced then the one at auction to say the least.
even on its high setting, marking some bolts is tough...

[Marine A5 Sniper Rifle]

Several years ago, I used one like the one on auction to mark the bolts on my hunting rifles, and it felt like writing with a pen, and no do overs required. I had it hooked to a Lionel train set transformer I borrowed from my neighbor's kid, and it worked like a charm. I set it up by using a small piece of re-bar to mark, and once it was dialed in, it was very simple and easy to use. They are heavier than they look, but I don't know what is inside the pen.

jt