User Reviews
The following is a user review of the Airtact. Click an image to view a larger version.
by David Drake
GRS Buck Knife (Model 526, Item #019-002), engraved by David Drake using Airtact control.
I have been machining parts for more than 25 years, and what I find most rewarding about my line of work is that I can take a raw piece of material and turn it into something.
For me, engraving is much the same. I have taken a blank piece and embellished it with engraving and it has turned into something.
Working the Metal
I started engraving because it was another way for me to “work the metal,” but it turned into more than that and I was able to create something that added beauty to the world. I had found a new hobby.
Now don't think this new hobby came easy. I have struggled to learn this new-found love, and a lot of my troubles were hand-eye-foot coordination. I had taken a couple engraving classes, best vacations I had ever taken, and I am getting better.
The more I engraved the better I got. I was still not getting my corners to meet as well as they should. I would still over run a leaf. It all boiled down to that silly foot pedal.
A New Arrival
Well, just as I am about to quit this new-found love of mine because I am so frustrated with my own abilities, along comes Airtact.
Close up of scrollwork.
Airtact has given me the freedom to get my big dumb foot of the way. Airtact and the Palm Touch Elements have given me the freedom to move my feet and legs about. And the control – whoa. I can see a noticeable improvement in my control. The lines end where I want them to; the corners are square like never before.
Freedom in Control
I now know it was not just my big dumb foot. I have found that as I use the Palm Touch Element that I had been pushing my handpiece. I thought I was just guiding the tool and using my foot for the pressure, but I was wrong.
Boy, it is sure easy to convince yourself that you are doing it right. I love the control that Airtact has given me. I can see that my lines look better and that they end where they should. But I am not so naïve to think that Airtact and it's Palm Touch Element have made me a better engraver. They have taught me not to push, let the tool do the work.
It all comes down to control. If you can control the tool you can cut some amazing lines. Airtact has given me that control.
Free the foot, take control.
About the Reviewer
David Drake is a machinist with a special connection to the world of engraving.
During the week, he programs and operates one of Glendo’s most sophisticated machines,
an integrated multi-axis turning/milling center that produces GRS handpiece parts and a
lot more. David has been engraving since September 2005.
Home