Anyone had a go at engraving metal e.g.tankards , flat metal surfaces etc. Is it difficult to do a good and reflects your handwriting (mine not that neat)
Not for commercial

I find it impossible. I was a craft apprentice for two years until changing to electronics (for more money) and while I was good at hand repair of micro-electronics I think you are either a straight line person or a curved line person. My handwriting is rubbish as well.

To see some people cut a circle freehand using scissors and paper amazes me, cartoonists absolutely astound me.

Ive only done dog tags with a dremmel , and its hard to keep steady, so not sure if thats the same sort of experience lol!

My ordinary handwriting is fairly good if I concentrate though, so maybe the two skills arent that linked .

Coat the metal in hard beeswax. Write what you want on it with a stylus and etch it. Ferric Chloride is pretty good on polished stainless steel. The nice thing is that you can start again if you make a mistake. Its easy enough to remove the wax, recoat and start again if you don't like the result before you etch it

The letters come out in a sort of pearly grey, and can be any thickness you like according to the width of the stylus.

Don't be tempted to speed the etching process up by warming it. The wax melts and disaster results!