My Engraving and Micro-Machining Solution

[magicniner]

Vinyl cutter tool holders are similar, have adjustment for pressure.

I suspect you may have misunderstood the setup I've shown, what you're describing is "scratch" engraving where the cutter dances across the surface, it's good for creating fine lines, possibly a couple of thou deep, but is incapable of any depth, my arrangement allows deep cut "milled" engraving to a fixed depth on curved and uneven surfaces.

To maintain fixed depth you need to
(i) Follow the surface, (this is what the ball nose on the engraving spindle does),
(ii) Have precise control of cutting depth (this is what the micrometer adjustment collar on the engraving spindle gives) and
(iii) Apply enough pressure to ensure cutting to the full set depth, not skimming over the surface or allowing the cutter to lift (this is what the spring pre-load on the ball slide is for)

- Nick