• Pnuematic engraving tools are used to carve metal, plastic, stone and wood.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Engraving is an old design art that involves carving designs or patterns onto hard objects or surfaces such as stone or metal. The engraving is done manually using tools that imprint the design on the object. Pneumatic engraving tools are more powerful and precise than electric engraving tools. They are also less expensive and easier to use and maintain.
  
  

AirGraver

• The AirGraver is a simple pneumatic engraving tool that is commonly used by jewelers and metal artists. It is made of a metal tube-like shaft with a stainless steel or wooden handle. There is an inner air piston that drives the air through the tube shaft so engraving can be done quickly and precisely. The air moving through the metal tube is compressed and as it blows through the instrument, the engraver can direct the sharp, pointed tip onto the surface of the object to carve a design. It is a light tool that offers easy maneuverability, which allows engravers to create intricate designs on metal, stone and wood.
  
  

Engraving Pen

• The engraving pen, also known as a pen graver, is similar to a pen and has a tubular shape that makes it easy to handle. It is made of a metal stylus with a pointed tip. It has an air-driven piston inside the stylus that works similarly to the air piston in the AirGraver. It operates when when compressed air is pushed through the piston into the stylus and moves through the pointed tip which can be maneuvered up and down to carve a design or mark onto the surface of an object. The hand-held style and light weight of the pen make it suitable for engraving projects that require detail and precision.
  
  

Air Scribe

• The pneumatic Air Scribe can be used for marking glass, metal, stone, wood and plastic. It has a hand piece, pointed tip, air hose and an air throttle regulator to adjust the air pressure as it flows through the tool. The Air Scribe works when it is hooked up to an air compressor that pushes the air through the air hose into the hand piece. It does not offer the same precision as the AirGraver or pen graver and should be used for simple engraving projects.