This is a technique that has been used by humans for a very long time.
Learn how to create a deep electro-etched metal plaque with household items or items from the hardware store in this Instructable. There are no hazardous chemicals (except dihydrogen monoxide and salts of sodium and chlorine), no dangerous voltages, and no toxic chemicals to dispose of. Be aware that the metal that disappears from your etched metal does end up in the water, so you will need to pay attention to any local laws about disposal of metal particulates.
This is a great technique that makes it really easy to go from virtual artwork of any type to a dimensional 3D surface. From there you can use it ti burnish and emboss paper, create molded items, make stamps, steam punk data plates, or anything else where you need to have 3D art from your 2D computer graphics artwork.
In this sample project, I will be creating the plaque from a 1/8" rectangle of brass as shown in the second photo.
So read on if this is something you would like to be able to do yourself.
Learn how to create a deep electro-etched metal plaque with household items or items from the hardware store in this Instructable. There are no hazardous chemicals (except dihydrogen monoxide and salts of sodium and chlorine), no dangerous voltages, and no toxic chemicals to dispose of. Be aware that the metal that disappears from your etched metal does end up in the water, so you will need to pay attention to any local laws about disposal of metal particulates.
This is a great technique that makes it really easy to go from virtual artwork of any type to a dimensional 3D surface. From there you can use it ti burnish and emboss paper, create molded items, make stamps, steam punk data plates, or anything else where you need to have 3D art from your 2D computer graphics artwork.
In this sample project, I will be creating the plaque from a 1/8" rectangle of brass as shown in the second photo.
So read on if this is something you would like to be able to do yourself.
Remove these ads by
Signing UpStep 1: Here's What You'll Need
You will need the following items and supplies:
- Piece of brass, bronze, aluminum, steel or stainless steel, or any other metal
- Vector graphics program or other program to create the art for the CNC vinyl cutter
- CNC vinyl cutter
- Self-adhesive vinyl sheet for the vinyl cutter, any color is fine
- Tub large enough to hold your piece of metal
- Salt
- Water
- Battery charger or charged car battery (or other similar DC power supply of 5 to 10 amps or more)
- Wires to connect the power supply to the piece of metal
- Sacrificial piece of metal (preferably stainless steel, but any metal will work)
- Electrical tape
Visit Our Store »
Go Pro Today »
I am Trying to make a Chopper Motorcycle Solo Seat out of aluminum, and I want to engrave it with DEEP engraving. How deep does this method goes? How long did it took you in the etched card example?
Tank you sincerely,
Jesse M.
I forgot your second question. The etch I did in the instructable took about 8 hours.
The only things that you have to watch are:
o Be sure the mask (whatever you use to cover the areas that you don't want to etch) doesn't come loose. You might want to use something like nail polish with a brush as a mash, depending on your design. I'm playing with the use of fingernail extension acrylic as a coating, and using a laser cutter to remove the areas that I want to etch.
o Change your salt water every so often. If it starts getting really chunky with metal precipitates, then simply stop the process, dump put the old salt water, refill with fresh salt water and restart the etch. You can do this as many times as you wish.
o Watch for undercuts. With very long etches, the etching process will want to start attacking the newly-exposed vertical edges of the etched areas. In other words, instead of etching straight in to your metal piece, the etching process will start etching underneath your mask. There's nothing you can really do about this...you just have to be aware of it.
Good luck!
The rest isn't very expensive: a box of table salt, water, the battery from your motorcycle, some wires and a plastic container. I bought way more brass than I really need for $20 from a metal recycling company.
That's true. Very few of us can afford this equipment, which exactly why I started TechShop!
Where do you live? Maybe there is or will be soon a TechShop near you.
Thanks!
God luck!
I'm also developing a method that uses PMMA dental acrylic powder and monomer to create a thin layer of resist that can be cleanly and completely removed with a laser cutter to expose the areas to be etched away. Spray paints and other finishes I have tried, and I've tried every one I can get my hands on, tend to leave a waterproof film in the lasered areas that must be cleaned with isopropyl, but this step often disturbs the paint covering the traces.
I WANT TECHSHOP IN ITALY !!!
We'll have TechShop locations in Italy eventually!
Thanks!
Yes, I certainly expect that we will bring TechShop to Australia as well.
Thanks!
tx sky
I should be able to use grease or vaseline to mask areas I don't want etched, right?
Hi Ivan...
Maybe. It just has to be something that will stand up to the water-based electro-etching process.
I just tried a couple of methods today including liquid mask with the laser cutter and spray paint over that, but the mask didn't hold the paint (the whole thing peeled up). I was really hopeful, too.
I want to try rubber cement with the laser cutter...anyone try this? Does runner cement completely ablate?
There is also non-PVC "vinyl" sign sheet that I would like to try with the laser.
Alas, i think that the vinyl cutter is the only way I know of at this moment to create the mask with a digital file.
Thanks!
http://ak.buy.com/PI/0/500/208054133.jpg
a) always release HIGHLY FLAMMABLE HYDROGEN, so do it only in a very, very well vented area;
and
b) if done using stainless steel as an anode, will release HIGHLY TOXIC HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hexavalent_chromium for a good review.
Be careful. This is a great 'ible and a fantastic process to use, but can be very dangerous.
2) This process will NOT produce chromates unless you are etching stainless steel which in my experience is quite difficult.
3) If you add a bit of vinegar to the electrolyte it will delay the development of the orange/green precipitate considerably.
4) You can use many other kinds of resist. Press-n-Peel is quite good.
Hi TriumphMan...
Which toy, the CNC vinyl cutter? You can find them on eBay for under $200 for a new 34" unit:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-34-Vinyl-Cutter-Plotter-Make-Signs-Decals-Banners-w-USB-SignCut-USCutter-/280827878334?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4162a55bbe
As some people have mentioned, you can cut the vinyl sheet with an X-Acto knife and complete this Instructable.
Thanks!
Years ago I used electro-etching to make the bevel on two swords, several daggers, and some jewelry.
One this to note about etching quality is that the higher the current density (current divided by etching area, and to some extent distance between anode and cathode) the brighter the etched surface.
Low current tends to make a rough, almost porous surface (great for plaque backgrounds!) while high currents tend to polish the anode!
What the authour says about under-cutting is quite true; the bubbling tends to creep under the mask, and with high currents, the heat can soften the mask adhesive.
Cool beans on your etching!
Now, where is an old leaf-spring, gotta make another sword....
How did you electro-etch bevels on a sword?
I've done a bit of salt water etching, using copper, with copper 'sacrifice' metal...Do you think the stainless sacrifice piece would work better with copper? Also, have you tried that brush on rubber coating thats available for tool handles as a resist? Or is that what you mean by PlastiDip? I imagine making a plastic template with the cutter, and using it as a stencil would help to easily make multiple copies of the same design, given the correct resist.
One suggestion...using an inexpensive fish tank air pump and an airstone placed in the solution so that the bubbles brush away the metal bits as the piece is being etched speeds up the process nicely. I also hang the metal from small copper hooks (through holes drilled into a small tab left on the metal blanks) formed out of 16 gauge wire with the leads attached, so that the metal falls away from the piece being etched.
Our cutter is a CutterPros. We really like that vendor.
Stainless steel seems to be the best because the water stays cleaner. Not sure why. I just bought a stainless steel tub at a restaurant supply store yesterday that I plan to use for both the water tub AND the negative metal.
PlastiDip is the brush-on or spray on stuff you are talking about. I have 't tried that as a resist but it should work fine.
Good idea about the air pump and hanging the etching item!
Thanks.