There was a thread on here awhile ago that has long since disapeared about an alternative to acid etching a piece using salt (I think) and electricity. If anyone could point me to where i can find some more info on the subject that would be cool.
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Does god call me god? Yes and im going to give him a right smiting for daring to speak my name!
-Dark Uncle
Salt Wash Etching
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Dark Uncle
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Look around for "galvanic cell" on the web
You simply need a DC of around 12 volts, 2 cable with 2 electrodes (+ -) one electrode will be a piece of scrap metal, the other will be your plate.. if all goes good iron from the armour migrate into solution and then over the scrap of metal. If ypu do it wrong, the scrap of metal migrate over the plate.. If you use a piece of copper as "Scrap" you will see it became "metallic" otherwise if thing goes wrong, the plate become reddish.. you simply invert polarity... All this only because i don't remember.. should be + for armour - for other piece of metal X
Larger surfaces mean faster process, near distances between electrodes mean faster process, don't add too much salt to the water.. just some tea spoons or the process will slow down .
You simply need a DC of around 12 volts, 2 cable with 2 electrodes (+ -) one electrode will be a piece of scrap metal, the other will be your plate.. if all goes good iron from the armour migrate into solution and then over the scrap of metal. If ypu do it wrong, the scrap of metal migrate over the plate.. If you use a piece of copper as "Scrap" you will see it became "metallic" otherwise if thing goes wrong, the plate become reddish.. you simply invert polarity... All this only because i don't remember.. should be + for armour - for other piece of metal X
Larger surfaces mean faster process, near distances between electrodes mean faster process, don't add too much salt to the water.. just some tea spoons or the process will slow down .
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Dark Uncle
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Cool Thanks. I was wondering what a good resistant would be. I was thinking maybe wax used for ceramics or something similar but im not sure if that will achieve the desiered effect.
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Does god call me god? Yes and im going to give him a right smiting for daring to speak my name!
-Dark Uncle
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Does god call me god? Yes and im going to give him a right smiting for daring to speak my name!
-Dark Uncle
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Gaston de Vieuxchamps
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We use contact paper as a resist for acid etching aluminum with strong HCL all the time. It works great. Just cut out your design with and Exacto knife.
If your acid is too strong, then it still won't hurt the contact paper but the metal will heat up too much which will loosen the adhesive and make your edges fuzzy.
An alternative is to paint on tool dip which works well but it takes a lot of tool dip to do a large object. It adheres very well and is easy to cut in detail.
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Non Onme Quod Licet Honestum Est
If your acid is too strong, then it still won't hurt the contact paper but the metal will heat up too much which will loosen the adhesive and make your edges fuzzy.
An alternative is to paint on tool dip which works well but it takes a lot of tool dip to do a large object. It adheres very well and is easy to cut in detail.
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Non Onme Quod Licet Honestum Est
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Patrick
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Wayne Goddard (knifemaker) uses the salt water electric etch to mark his knives. Look for his book "Wayne Goddard's $50 Knife Shop" for details. Essentially, he uses a DC supply and has a Q-tip dipped in a strong salt solution at one end of the electrics, with the knife at the other. His resist is a mixture of beeswax and hard modeling wax (for lost wax casting).
-Patrick
-Patrick