Roland EGX-30

So I've been lurking for a while and enjoying all the info available here.

I'm looking for an engraver that would allow me to engrave on metal. (Anodized dog tags, silver, etc) and would allow me to use my own vector images.

This is for fun and not for profit, so I'm not looking to do large volumes. A guy near me has an unused EGX-30, not the 30a, for $1500. Is that an okay price? What's the difference between the 30 and the 30a.

More importantly, will it engrave on silver? The product website says brass and aluminum.

Thanks for any help you can give me.

It will diamond drag silver , price is not bad either tho I would try get it a coupla $100 less. 30/30a , as far as I can see , the 30 has a much less potent spindle motor 15w vs 27w, motor power will be a limitation when doing cutting type engraving. Problem with both machines is very limited thickness of what can be engraved , 5mm = less than 1/4" thick...that's not much and can alos be a big limitation
If you can find one , try get a pnc 2300/2300a tho , its a bit more versatile but less easy to use. The 2300 will engrave most anything barring stainless and will diamond drag anything. Much better Z clearance , can engrave stuff over 1" , slightly more potent motor , higher speed motor etc

Liz

Welcome to Sawmill Creek.

I concur with what Rodney has said but would like to add emphasis to the thickness comment. You are limited to virtually flat objects. That means if you want to engrave silver picture frames you probably can't do it. For silver charms, medallions etc, it is important that these be held securely when engraving so be sure the vice or tool for holding such items is part of the package.

The price is right if it's in good shape.

There is no doubt a self centering vice is the way to go in fact it is a must have for engraving any small items disc and the like

Thanks for the replies everyone. Truthfully, If I could find something that allowed a little more depth for the same price, I would snatch it up. That said. 99% of what I want to do is flat. The machine looks like it's never been used. He's trying to stick to his price as he's got a bunch of materials for medals and plaques (looks like he bought a starter kit) that I'm not particularly interested in. But no self centering vice. I see there's one available for the 30a. Would that fit the 30?

Some guy has got what looks like a well used PNC 2300 and truly epic amount of supplies listed on craigslist for the right price if it works, but he's like 8 hours away.

Liz

I would call Roland and ask your questions of them. I am not familiar with the machine other than the you tube stuff but I don't see any vise or clamping method other than a sticky mat.

If you have no intention of ever starting a business then this should be fine but it is not a machine made for an engraving business.

Difficult to tell you what to go for , but the PNC 2300 is actually a very fine machine , we can do 3d on it as well as profile and cut thru stuff like 2mm brass (multiple passes) Works directly off Coreldraw too. It also takes a thicker therefore more rigid cutter than the 30. Ours is many years old and is used without an issue. Supposedly the spindles for the Roland engravers are "consumables" but we have never replaced ours. The first job I did on mine paid for it in it's entirety. Took 3 days , 1000 solid silver money clips , diamond drag engraved.
Go to the Roland site , www.rolanddga.com and look under support , go to legacy products , you can download the manuals etc for the 2300a
Mike , there are vices available etc , but we use sticky mat most of the time. Any engravers vice will work with it , we just used a small flat engineering vice and made our own phenolic jaws that can hold flats , pens , medallions etc.

So you think $1500 for the PNC 2300 if it works is a good price?

Also, its not in the literature, but I think I've seen the EGX-20 with a diamond tip for metal engraving. Would that work?

Hi Liz
It’s not all about price you need to decide what you want to do then buy a machine to do that

I am not a big fan of Roland as I regard them as a very soft machine but if you want a machine for very light work I am sure they would do a job for you
I don’t know if any of the above helps

Good luck with your search

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Frank barry

Hi Liz

I am not a big fan of Roland as I regard them as a very soft machine but if you want a machine for very light work I am sure they would do a job for you

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While I worked at Vision engraving systems in Phoenix, they checked one of those rolands out in the engineering dept. They are made with printer technology, instead of stepper motors and that sort of thing, that is why they can sell them so cheaply, plus they being made in Japan. That light duty technology just seems so wrong that I have to wonder how long they manage to last.

Thanks for the help everyone. Since this is more a hobby than a business, I need to stay in the lower range which looks like it means Roland machines.

Rodne, the guy who's got a PNC 2300 worked with me on the price. All in it's $1450, including my travel to pick the stuff up. It includes a ton of supplies, computer, etc. Does the price seem reasonable for the machine?

The Roland line of engravers is to Engraving as The Cricket vinyl cutter is to Sign Makers....... a hobby machine at best!

That's all it's meant to be. A hobby.

Liz , its a very reasonable price. I would ask the seller to give you a small crash course in using it if possible. What is included with the machine?

I am not a hobbyist and am in a very heavy production environment and we use our 2300 at least an hour or 2 a day and have been doing so for at least 5 or 6 years...and ours was 2nd hand when we bought it. Albeit it is not a hugely robust production machine , but we don't regard it as a toy and it has been a very good profit centre for my co and does a lot of stuff much quicker and better and easier than some alternative machines or methods.

Thanks Rodney. Tough to see whats included besides some assorted bits, the computer an a ton of boxes of materials. The other option is the egx 300 on eBay right now. Much closer to me.

Well, the 300 *is* newer , tho essentially the same machine....I dunno... looked at the fleabay ad , no vice ... but a few bits and consumables, puter and vacuum (good for flat stuff)... if the 2300a comes with a vice it might be worth while. If not , I recon the 300 is a worthwile option ..
Heres prices of accessories for those machines..note vice is relatively expensive... but as I said before , easy to adapt a flat vise tho..
http://www.rolanddga.com/products/en...ccessories.asp