Thread: DIY Electro-etcher..

Awesome job but you spent 6$ to much by going to RadioShack lol. But seriously, I'm gonna try this when I get home tonight loos great!

I am also putting one together. I have an etching pen and the fluid and transfer package coming from Janz. I'll post specifics after a test run.

An alternative idea.

My dads factory made etch marker has a carbon block rather than stainless. If I remember right it has a copper rod that goes through the handle and into a hole drilled in the carbon block to make the contact. Then the wire is attached to the end of the rod. If you have a piece of carbon block from a welding shop or an old soldering block you could go that route.

You could also use a little thicker piece of stainless and just not the let the hole for the rod go all the way through. Make it a snug press fit so you have good contact.

Ray

All greetings! Try an aspirin tablet together with solder. By means of its copper wire it will be soldered to a stainless steel. I so often do.

I 'remodeled' a laptop power supply on the weekend, 240VAC to 19VDC. Just cut the plug off and attached a couple of alligator clips. One clip on the blade and one clip on a cotton-tip soaked in salt water. I used a couple of coats of nail polish and a scribe to try a test run. The result was surprisingly good . I have yet to get the photoresist that I have to develop satisfactorily though.
The concept is solid though. I would love to see pics of any 'home-made' etching pads you guys have come up with.

Any ideas where to get a VAC power supply? You can get 240VAC to 12 VDC 2A power supplies for about 5$, but I didn't find any with 240VAC to 12-24VAC power supplies. I will try the VDC first, but I am sure I will want the blackening of the VAC too, not just the deep etch.

All you need for AC is a transformer. In the US a doorbell transformer should work. Most of them are 120V to 12 or 24V.

Here is some data after my first test. my AC is 6 Volts, 1.5 Amps, 9 Watts. This worked ok for black marking. My DC is 6 Volts, 1.5 Amps, also 9 Watts. This was not enought power. I got a grey etch, but no depth. No snap-crackle-pop sound. So far, I am working with misc. power supplies that I had on hand. I'm going for more power. My local Menards has several chargers on sale for $10, so I'll see what I can get when I go back and check. I did buy a etching "pen" from Janz Knifemakers for $25 - it uses a carbon block.

Has anyone experimented with making stencils out of film? I realize you can buy them, but after building the etcher It seems easy enough to tackle....
If film will not work does anyone have a good source for the stencil material?
Thanks,
Eric

I use photoresist. DuPont make the one I have been using. If you use the photoresist you can make any image you like. It takes some experimentation to get the exposure right though, it took me ages to get it right. I haven't used actual film though.

Stu