A different kind of etching

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BradG

BradG

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I am so close to pulling this off... the amount of experimentation i have done to get this far is untrue in itself though i feel like ive nearly cracked it, with one mask on this piece working perfectly, and the other failing which was meant to protect the closed end half of the pen and rim. Tomorrow night i will turn a new pieceand restart the process though this time it wont be closed end..simply because i dont have my chrome plating tank yet so i may as well use the chrome end piece from a kit for this project.

The theory behind this is once i have acheived a succesful etch of around 0.5mm while minimising under cutting (done this already testing) not quite anisotropic, but certainly not full blown isotropic etching, i will then use black inlace to fill the etched voids and polish it up...

I appreciate the info above is a bit vague at the mo with regards to what i am using for masks etc, but until i get this 100% correct i don't want to share information and send people down the wrong path by mistake. but bear with me... once ive got this down to the tee, il type up the whole process and share it with you. until then, stick around for the journey :) im hoping to to crack this one soon

Couple of pics attached,

one showing a prototype etch tank

the other showing tonights attempt
 

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Haynie

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What are you using to mask. I read a lot on photogravure a while ago and if there was not a baby running around I might have given it a go.
 
BradG

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Patience Haynie :biggrin: Il reveal all when its done. by itself, the mask i use would fail under normal etching circumstances. Ive tweaked the etchant to work how i need it to.

Thanks for all the comments guys... it makes perseverance all the more worth while. Keep your fingers crossed for me, here's hoping that tonight is the night. All in all i think I have tried this 17 different ways up to know - though i have successfully ruled out 17 ways which do not work :rolleyes:
 
BradG

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I think you may be suprised... Yes absolutely there are a hundred ways it can be done wrong, but im hoping il rule that out for everyone so others don't make the same mistakes.

So long as the turner is using the same mask, and the same etchant recipe, then i see no reason why anyone would get different results, other than by how long they leave it in the solution for. I seem to be hovering around 30 seconds (yes you read that right, 30 seconds to remove 0.5mm - its quick) obviously the longer you leave it in the more will etch away and the greater the damage with regards to under cutting... dont leave it in long enough and the cut wont be deep enough to take resin for instance... but of course you can keep taking it out and looking at it every 5 seconds if you choose to and just putting it back in for another 5.. its easier to take it off little by little, than it is trying to put it back on again ;)

The good news is, that although the etchant is corrosive, its not particularly harmful so long as your not silly with it... EG wear eye protection and an apron, though thats more to protect your clothes from being stained by the yellow Ferric Chloride. in this i add Citric acid (same used in sweets and beverages) which creates an edinburgh etch. This helps remove the smut from the work piece which acts as an insulator stopping the etch going down and then it seems to work outwards more creating an under cut where it eats away underneith the masking. I use an air pump to help here too. I also have another metal dissolved in the bath which creates an exothermic reaction with aluminium, hence the 30 sec time. it gets hot, rapidly quick, so much so wax masking just melts off in seconds... dont mess around with this until ive done the how to video
 
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BradG

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At last!!!!!! :RockOn:



So i am now happy with my method of etching. the lid is complete, and went very smoothly. Even to the degree of moving from the tank twice and washing it to get a good feel of how deep it was before continuing a bit longer.

I know its not too pretty to look at, but once its been cleaned, inlaced, sanded and polished this will be a beauty

tonight i hope to do the pen body, and if time permits, il get the inlacing on too... it takes a couple of days to cure, but can now breathe a nice sigh of relief. Rum & coke required me thinks :party: :drink:
 

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BradG

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and thats that job jobbed.

Resin applied to both sections of the pen, using my pen finish Rotisserie, which rotates at 2.5RPM. Jeff Powel was kind enough to share his design with me over at masterscroller.com Thanks Jeff, it was a great idea

So time to put my feet up for a couple of days while this cures well :cool:

PS i think im high off resin fumes. added bonus
 

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Kretzky

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I've used Ferric Chloride on copper & was going to give it a try on some brass tubes to see how it worked. I also wanted to try some galvanic-etching (salt water & a power supply) looks like you got there before me.
But wow! that's some agressive etching 30 sec for 0.5mm :eek: Be very interesting to see what your process is Brad.
 
BradG

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Kretzky said:
I've used Ferric Chloride on copper & was going to give it a try on some brass tubes to see how it worked. I also wanted to try some galvanic-etching (salt water & a power supply) looks like you got there before me.
But wow! that's some agressive etching 30 sec for 0.5mm :eek: Be very interesting to see what your process is Brad.
Click to expand...

Ferric chloride is a great substance with it being pretty safe to use. experiment! brass tubes are cheap enough :) you will find the results the same as copper, as brass is a copper alloy.

Dont go down the route of salt water and a power supply. salt water is sodium chloride, using any chlorate in this process will generate chlorine gas. When chlorine gas is inhaled, it reacts with moisture turning back into acid. not exactly what you want in your respiratory tract or eyes. if you do want to play with this, then sulphuric acid diluted to 15% strength will work wonders as an electrolyte. Though just be sure to do plenty of reading before trying :cool: safty first and all that.

Im presuming you were considering a clear cast if you were to etch graphics onto a tube.
 
bluwolf

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Brad, that is slick as snot on a brass door knob! Can't wait to see the finished product. But just that etching itself is outstanding.Well done.

Mike
 
BradG

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Thanks Mike.
Just having a battle of patience now. felt the blanks this morning and think they could be more cured... will see what they are like this evening but give them another day before turning. Kept myself occupied last night by turning a finial and centre band, anodising them etc. Never have been into the waiting game lol.
 
U

ugrad

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Sunlight! In a famous seaside place called Blackpool, that's noted for fresh air and fun, went Mr & Mrs Ramsbottom with young Albert, their son.

Although there will be sunlight in Blackpool at some point before next summer it may be quicker to use a sunlamp.

I am not disparaging Blackpool just the English sunshine, I think the French are always using too much and we only get what's left.

I too can't wait to see Brad's tutorial, it looks superb.

Regards
Peter
 
mredburn

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ROFLMAO, I forgot about English sunshine, its mostly wet! Maybe I can box some up and ship it over.:biggrin:
 
BradG

BradG

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mredburn said:
ROFLMAO, I forgot about English sunshine, its mostly wet! Maybe I can box some up and ship it over.:biggrin:
Click to expand...

Please do, there's ice everywhere and the skys laden with rain clouds.

Il pop them under a halogen lamp when i get home if they are still off, but i suspect they will be fine for tonight.
 
underdog

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I skimmed through this thread, but didn't notice if you'd mentioned the material you are etching.

Is it copper, brass, or....?

And what a great idea! Nice looking work too.
 
BradG

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Haynie said:
BradG said:
:cool:

PS i think im high off resin fumes. added bonus
Click to expand...

Your next project "Pen turning with Timothy Leary."
Click to expand...

Along with a chap who lost a finger for not being "with it" while oeprating machinery :cool:

underdog said:
I skimmed through this thread, but didn't notice if you'd mentioned the material you are etching.

Is it copper, brass, or....?

And what a great idea! Nice looking work too.
Click to expand...

It's aluminium. My method for a 30 second etch won't work with copper alloys unfortunately, so i will use wax for a mask with those and go for the traditional 9 hour etch time.
 
BradG

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Brass is a joy to turn Jim, Copper is a royal pain in the ass. that piece of copper i last turned was nearly thrown through the window lol. because its such a good conductor of heat it expands and contracts alot, in turn gripping the drill bit.
 
BradG

BradG

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Here we go again

Etched a touch deeper... maybe a little too deep.. will see how it holds up when i drill it.

I have a different type of filling in mind for this one though :wink: though that wont be delivered until mid week at a guess.. no doubt this one will be finished for next weekend

I should add, the three pics below are of the same blank. first showing the back, second the front, third the sides
 

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