The Shop > Finishing
Electric etching
Joules:
First toner stencil test with the new etching tool.
Sorry about the blurry photo, but you get the jist it etched and blew out the mask. I used the same power settings for the cotton bud, only this time it pulled 1A through the mesh rather than 20-150mA. I probably had the etch in the first 3 seconds as the cotton swab showed good colour. As you can't tell the depth of etch I thought to be safe do 3 more 3 second presses..... WRONG, with the increased current it cut deep and fast.
I needed a lot of heat to get the stencil to stick to the metal having first cleaned it with acetone. The paper was out of a glossy mag and I set the laser to full toner (not ECO). I printed a few tests on the page so will try again with just a 3 second press next time, then more at different voltages. I had to touch up the toner on the metal with some nail varnish to fill holes where the toner didn't stick so this may also have contributed to the pitting around the mask.
All said I have a useable mark, more stencil work required.
The etch is 20mm x 12mm for scale.
RobWilson:
:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: way to go Joules
Looking good :thumbup:
Rob
Joules:
OK, I managed two more attempts though I botched the stencil on the last attempt as I was getting tired.
Image on the left is the toner stencil with added nail varnish to help the mask, further mask provided by sellotape. I did this one for 3 seconds and noted a much lower current. It hardly etched and wasn't any good, it was also on the back of the plate so oxide may have worked against me. I went back to the shiny side for next try. I rushed the stencil and it needed work as it didn't take as well. However I again noted less current draw so opted for two 6 second presses with the tool. The result considering the mask was iffy, are good. Decent etch depth and hardly any burn through despite everything else.
It really is a case of keep practicing till you get it right. The tool I made is far more efficient at transferring charge than I expected so everything happens much quicker. I think the next move will be to crank the voltage down below 9v and see what happens.
The stencil is applied using a model aircraft covering iron set to full, and preheat the back of the plate with the iron before applying the stencil then just press the iron onto the paper. DON'T be tempted to drag the iron like your doing a shirt, the paper shrinks and moves and you obliterate the stencil.
Joules:
Another day another idea....
I wasn't wow'd by the stencil tests. I was thinking what I suggested for John Stevenson about laser cutting masking tape, then I thought what about if you spot burn the tape like dot matrix lettering. Well for us without lasers use a pin on the masking tape. In my case put a signature on the tape in pen, stretch the tape over a glass then use a pin to poke holes in the tape.
The problem with using a pin is that when you press the tape down, you haven't removed material so the hole can get filled up with tape again. Still, worth a try.
Not too shabby for a first try, you can see some holes failed to etch, but the principle is sound. It took about a minuite to etch in 20 second presses as the contact area is so small. Having a power supply or meter so you can read current is a must, its the best guide to how your etching is going and what sort of time to apply the tool for. In this case I was only seeing 10ma, hence the much longer application. Thinking about it, the wife has one of those fancy sewing machines that can also do a bit or embroidery stitching, including lettering. Hmmm whilst the cats away could I "empty" stitch the paper tape to make my stencil ??? Sorry guys that isn't going to happen any time soon as you would never get to see the results or ME again.
vtsteam:
My mother used to do etching. We lived in a studio and there was a big etching press right in the middle of the living room. Traditional etching uses a ground which is scratched away with a needle. The ground is made to be able to scratch without tearing, to leave a clean line. So Joules you're doing something like that with the masking tape and poking holes in it with a needle, but perhaps there is a way to do that with a better ground. I believe common materials back then were rosin, pitch, beeswax etc. and I'm sure a little research on the art side of things will provide a ton of ideas.
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