Experiments in Etching.

[Onoff]

The preservation and persistence is admirable.
Thanks for sharing.

Tbh I'm just really pleased I can etch brass like this. Thanks mainly to the widespread of talent on the forum and willingness to share. One idea begats another on here often.

This is probably the nearest I'm going to get to an actual horse brass. Saying that if I could find a local foundry...

Here's a mad thought...what if I cut the roof line so the brass was actual "house" shaped? I'll see how the re-etch comes out first.

 

[Onoff]

I printed a mask for the rear, with the pub name etc, onto a transparency and cut a card template for the front.

Cleaned both sides with IPA. Went round the 1mm edge with a black Sharpie. I then loosely clamped the plaque upright and sprayed both sides with Positiv 20. It ran a bit, better maybe to do one side flat at a time but I'm an impulsive git sometimes!

Here getting 15 mins in the oven at 70degC before UV exposing BOTH sides.

Cooling down now. I will go over here and there, the missed bits with a Sharpie. Maybe a surface tension thing but I'm not sure the Positiv 20 has masked the very tiny high points and I don't want to lose them.

 

[Onoff]

Well...the reapplication of spray resist seemed to nicely protect the picture side. However, on the text side I think I went a bit heavy with the spray.

It wasn't etching properly. Only some letters were being etched:

The result:

Taken it out, rinsed, then cleaned off the resist from the text side. Reapplied it, only as a thinner coat this time.

Lined up the transparency and re-exposed etc.

Now in the ferric chloride...again!




.

 

[bigegg]

Thinking to "re-mask" areas then re-etch to get better definition on the roof. I could I guess just spray the finished article with Positiv 20 again and re expose to UV using the light box. I really, really want though, to preserve certain high points without any more etching taking place.

@bigegg did you say you use a Sharpie pen as etch resist?

It doesn't ring any bells...
I'd be more likely to use acrylic paint, tbh: I'm a dab hand with a paint brush (years of painting 25mm miniatures).

 

[bigegg]

Here's a mad thought...what if I cut the roof line so the brass was actual "house" shaped? I'll see how the re-etch comes out first.

I actually got as far as buying a small pot of ready made filler to try making a "bas relief" ?sculpture? last year. (Sort of a semi 3D/raised 2D picture).

plan was to make one in plaster, then a rubber mould, and cast in aluminium (or brass).
there are a lot of "how to-s" (not quite tutorials) on you tube

Heres one to get you started:

 

[Onoff]

Well I'm probably as far as I can go with this. Really struggling to clean off the Positiv 20 residue that's in the pits etc. I've tried Brasso, CiF, Barkeepers Friend, Fairy on a soft scourer and a combination of all of them. Maybe it adds to the effect?

The roof definition is certainly better. I reckon I could paint a line of ferric chloride on to better define the LHS roof gable maybe?

It's not "perfect". Aged is the term I'm going with I think.

 

[Onoff]

Turns out my brother has a Cricut machine that'll do vinyl stickers so that's an option to play with I guess. Not sure what model it is though.

 

[Onoff]

I wonder, with brass, if as it takes longer to etch with ferric chloride, you get more bleed through on the masked areas?

What other "acids" are there that can be used?

 

[Johnnybravo]

You can also use spray paint and then use a laser cutter/ engraver to burn off the unwanted paint. Then etch like normal

 

[bigegg]

I wonder, with brass, if as it takes longer to etch with ferric chloride, you get more bleed through on the masked areas?

What other "acids" are there that can be used?

Try adding a bit of Citric acid powder (qty further up the thread) to make "Edinburgh etch" - it works "better".

 

[redlig]

Yesterday's attempt.


Painted with aldi spray paint, then the high bits sanded off.

Etching is not quite deep enough - i wanted 90minutes, but only managed 30.
Mainly because I've burned my CB power supply out - hopefully just a thermal fuse, but i shall take a look later.

It has worked better than i expected (again!).

The script work is *almost* readable, and the three lines (at 0.25, 0.5, 1mm) are visible - although the 0.25mm line is a bit wibbly due to the vinyl not sticking.

Now i just need an application.
Although i have an idea for some "i survived 2020" xmas tree decorations - maybe in brass.

Perhaps the "I survived 2020" would best be done after Jan1 . For some reason the word " chickens" comes to mind. By the way my glass is only 1/2 full.

 

[Onoff]

Try adding a bit of Citric acid powder (qty further up the thread) to make "Edinburgh etch" - it works "better".

Would you use that mix on ordinary copper be it 1mm sheet or copper clad PCB type board?

 

[bigegg]

Perhaps the "I survived 2020" would best be done after Jan1 . For some reason the word " chickens" comes to mind. By the way my glass is only 1/2 full.

this thread is almost exactly 12 months old... you are aware of what year it is now?

 

[bigegg]

Would you use that mix on ordinary copper be it 1mm sheet or copper clad PCB type board?

I did: it seems to etch more "finely" - and without as much bleed (under vinyl at least)

 

[redlig]

this thread is almost exactly 12 months old... you are aware of what year it is now?

Please don't tell me we 're in the 21 century . How did that happen ? Anyway I'm glad to see you did make it into 2021 and hope you reach 2022.