photo etching

[skunk]

cfesmire said:

OK, I'm going to get started on this big time as soon as I can throw a few hours in a row together. I have all the equipment, chemicals and desire to jump right in. But in the meantime, this fellow has simplified it to the max. Need that very tiny part (see making detail parts thread) and don't know how to fabricate it? (skunk, how about those wheel spinners?) Check out this very simple p.e. tutorial:
modeltech.tripod.com/etchingarticle.htm

Excellent tutorial, he didnt even forget to mention that one should empty the soda can before cutting it apart...

[Lee]

Just thinking out loud. Looking at the above makes photo etching a snap. But how to produce identical parts like four hubcaps? How about making a stamp out of something like a half potato. Ink the potato and stamp four small sheets of metal and etch. A more perminate way would to make a rubber stamp.

[cfesmire]

The art work film I am going to use is compatable with inkjet printers. A simple scan, copy and paste (or duplicate) stroke of the keyboard would create as many of what you would like. It does throw in a few more variables but still quite managable.

[skunk]

And computer files tend to last longer than potato stamps, despite Bill Gates' best efforts to the contrary. ;D

[Lee]

I remember reading about photoetching part way through the metal leaving a three dimentional piece with a raised letter look. One just has to remove the part being etched from the acid and rinse the piece with water to stop the etching before the acid has gone completely through the metal. You would then fill in the etched area with paint or something. Imagine what you could make dials, gauges, emblems, etc. look like.

[cfesmire]

Lee,
From what I have gathered so far, the way to make a 3-dimensional etching is to have the developed mask on one side of the metal not be exposed to the same pattern as is on the other side. What occurs is that the etching takes place only on one side and leaves half of the metal thickness at that spot. Where the exposure is on both sides, the etching will go all the way through and of course where there was no exposure the metal will remain untouched (hopefully). By leaving half the thickness in some places and full thickness in others you create the 3 dimensions.