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Step 3Preparing a negative image on the brass for etching
The etching process works by pulling brass molecules off the bar stock and onto the brass strip. Therefore we need to create a "negative" image of the words we want on the sides. I tried the well known toner transfer method and failed. That method might work for thin flat pieces but for more 3D thick pieces, a vinyl transfer method seems to work better. YMMV.
First thing - clean the brass. I used brasso and a toothbrush and got lots of black gunk off the pieces. Once it is cleaned up, I wiped it down with acetone to take off any residue.
Take a small 2" wide post-it note and put a mark in the middle of top at 1". Cut off the bottom two-thirds of the post-it.
We are using the post it note to make an edge that the vinyl letters are lined up on.
Put a piece of brass on the table horizontally. Line up the post-it on one face so the top edge of the post-it is slightly over the bottom of the face and the post-it is centered on the brass piece. The post-it should be about 1/16" up on the face of the brass piece. Use your fingernail and crease the post-it edge. The distance the post-it is "up" on the face of the brass piece is by look and feel. It's more important it be level across the brass piece than at the perfect height up. After you have placed some vinyl letters on the brass piece you will get a feel for how far up the post-it note top should be. The beauty of this system is that you can pull everything off (vinyl letters and post-it guide) and start from scratch if needed.
Once your post-it note is in place, it's time to start putting down the vinyl letters. Using the mid-point mark on the post-it, put down the middle letter of the word. So for one, the middle letter is "N". For three, it's "R". For four letter words like four and five, put one letter on each side of the mark.
I found a good pair of tweezers to be invaluable in moving the vinyl letters around to the correct place.
Character spacing should be in the 3/32" to 1/8" range. There is some undercutting so the letters grow larger in the etching process - give them some room to do so.
Once you have the middle letter/letters down, work from the middle out on one side then the other.
Once all the letters are down for one face, press them down firmly, rotate the brass piece and do it again.
If after you have put down an entire word (like "six") and after pulling up the post-it notice it's crooked or somehow messed up, do not despair. Take an xacto or utility knife, carefully pry up the corner of each letter, and pull them off the brass piece. Now you can try again.
I would do one word then rotate it and do another. I learned from my coupling nut dice and made sure the various numbers are not in sequence. I went (from side to side) one-four-two-six-three-five. So one and six where on opposite sides, three and four where on opposite sides, and two and five on opposite sides. Just like a normal d6. I had a little sheet of paper taped over the desk with this and made sure to do all the dice the same.
Now that the entire brass piece is lettered, it's time for the spray primer.
I found out via trial and much error that too many layers of primer makes the paint stick to the vinyl letters - a very bad thing. When spraying, put the brass piece vertically on something and spray one movement up and down on each face. Rotate it to the next face and spray that up and down and so on. When done, spray a little on the top to make sure that's covered in paint as well. Don't worry about the end that was down, leave that unpainted.
Now we wait as the primer dries. I would leave it over night just to make sure.
Once the primer is dry, inspect the brass piece. Everything except that one end should be painted or covered over. If there are some places where the primer didn't take or was rubbed off, take your touch-up paint and put it on. I used some acrylic black modeling paint and that worked fine.
Once the touch up paint has dried, it's time to remove the vinyl letters. Lay the brass piece down and with an xacto knife, gently pry up the edge of a vinyl letter. It's OK if the knife makes a mark in the brass underneath the letter, that part is getting removed via etching anyway. Don't mark anything outside the letter edges. Once a corner of every vinyl letter on a side has been pried up, take your tweezers and slowly pull all the letters up. If any paint or primer comes up with the letter you can cover over that bit with the touch up paint. If it's really a mess, scrub down the whole thing with a SOS pad and start again.
When done, you now have a "negative" image on the dice. Everything but the letters themselves is covered in paint. Now it's time for chemistry.
First thing - clean the brass. I used brasso and a toothbrush and got lots of black gunk off the pieces. Once it is cleaned up, I wiped it down with acetone to take off any residue.
Take a small 2" wide post-it note and put a mark in the middle of top at 1". Cut off the bottom two-thirds of the post-it.
We are using the post it note to make an edge that the vinyl letters are lined up on.
Put a piece of brass on the table horizontally. Line up the post-it on one face so the top edge of the post-it is slightly over the bottom of the face and the post-it is centered on the brass piece. The post-it should be about 1/16" up on the face of the brass piece. Use your fingernail and crease the post-it edge. The distance the post-it is "up" on the face of the brass piece is by look and feel. It's more important it be level across the brass piece than at the perfect height up. After you have placed some vinyl letters on the brass piece you will get a feel for how far up the post-it note top should be. The beauty of this system is that you can pull everything off (vinyl letters and post-it guide) and start from scratch if needed.
Once your post-it note is in place, it's time to start putting down the vinyl letters. Using the mid-point mark on the post-it, put down the middle letter of the word. So for one, the middle letter is "N". For three, it's "R". For four letter words like four and five, put one letter on each side of the mark.
I found a good pair of tweezers to be invaluable in moving the vinyl letters around to the correct place.
Character spacing should be in the 3/32" to 1/8" range. There is some undercutting so the letters grow larger in the etching process - give them some room to do so.
Once you have the middle letter/letters down, work from the middle out on one side then the other.
Once all the letters are down for one face, press them down firmly, rotate the brass piece and do it again.
If after you have put down an entire word (like "six") and after pulling up the post-it notice it's crooked or somehow messed up, do not despair. Take an xacto or utility knife, carefully pry up the corner of each letter, and pull them off the brass piece. Now you can try again.
I would do one word then rotate it and do another. I learned from my coupling nut dice and made sure the various numbers are not in sequence. I went (from side to side) one-four-two-six-three-five. So one and six where on opposite sides, three and four where on opposite sides, and two and five on opposite sides. Just like a normal d6. I had a little sheet of paper taped over the desk with this and made sure to do all the dice the same.
Now that the entire brass piece is lettered, it's time for the spray primer.
I found out via trial and much error that too many layers of primer makes the paint stick to the vinyl letters - a very bad thing. When spraying, put the brass piece vertically on something and spray one movement up and down on each face. Rotate it to the next face and spray that up and down and so on. When done, spray a little on the top to make sure that's covered in paint as well. Don't worry about the end that was down, leave that unpainted.
Now we wait as the primer dries. I would leave it over night just to make sure.
Once the primer is dry, inspect the brass piece. Everything except that one end should be painted or covered over. If there are some places where the primer didn't take or was rubbed off, take your touch-up paint and put it on. I used some acrylic black modeling paint and that worked fine.
Once the touch up paint has dried, it's time to remove the vinyl letters. Lay the brass piece down and with an xacto knife, gently pry up the edge of a vinyl letter. It's OK if the knife makes a mark in the brass underneath the letter, that part is getting removed via etching anyway. Don't mark anything outside the letter edges. Once a corner of every vinyl letter on a side has been pried up, take your tweezers and slowly pull all the letters up. If any paint or primer comes up with the letter you can cover over that bit with the touch up paint. If it's really a mess, scrub down the whole thing with a SOS pad and start again.
When done, you now have a "negative" image on the dice. Everything but the letters themselves is covered in paint. Now it's time for chemistry.
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