Thread: Etching

Looks very cool! Looks like a fun thing to experiment with. Thanks for sharing.

Get a vinyl cutter and wrap the blade, etch, remove vinyl, enjoy. Ive seen this method used for glas etching. Can also use a sand blaster to etch with this method ;-)

I have seen this used before, but instead of a sharpie, cheap nail polish was used.

Do you leave the blade soaking in the solution or just dunk and remove and let the solution sit on the blade? Also, how did you get it off after? Finally, do you think you could cover the blade in electrical tape, cut out a design, and use the remaining tape as a barrier?

Here is some good info on how to safely do etching the "old fashioned" way.

nontoxicprint | Nontoxic Printmaking, Safe Painting & Printed Art

The second one I let soak for about 5min and then just dunked it in water and wiped it off. Probably should have neutralized the acid, but I didn't. Using tape might work not sure if it would get underneath it. That gives me something else to try. I tried nail polish on the knife that I tried it out on first. The nail polish pulled and teared when I tried to scratch a design into it. I would work nice if I painted a design and etched around it cause I was able to leave it in longer and the pcb didnt get under the nail polish as easy.

A mixture of beeswax and asphalt varnish was used also. The wax prevented the chipping while the blade was scribed warm, at or slightly above body heat. Called "etching ground" Some art stores carry it yet.
I had printmaking in college.

~Richard

If one were really good at this, it would be really cool for restores.