etching design completed. too detailed?

[cakeworks]

basically this one goes out to anyone who has ever etched before

is that too detailed (specifically around those little space invaders

btw its for a distortion+ i just recentlybuilt

thanks.

[markm]

Interesting design.
I would say that some of the lettering is possibly too fine to etch but, you never know.
It's up to you to give it a shot but sometimes detail can get lost when etching an enclosure.
You gotta make sure that in the detail areas it's ironed down real good and don't etch it for too long
when doing a more detailed design like this.

[$uperpuma]

x2, Iron very well around those little buggers, I WANT to see this one work, as the Space Invaders Champion of Skateworld, Ponca City Oklahoma circa 1985...I NEED this one to work

[markm]

x2, Iron very well around those little buggers, I WANT to see this one work, as the Space Invaders Champion of Skateworld, Ponca City Oklahoma circa 1985...I NEED this one to work

Congratulations!
I bow to you sir!

[Pushtone]

Love the 1980s CRT display concept. Now to pull it off so
the intended look of the design comes thought the etch.

First I assume your going to mirror the image and invert the color
so that what is blk will be etched space.

After that I see two problems with this art.

1.
Etching tends to round off corners.

Seeing that your design is 99% corners
I think it will come out a little "softer" looking. Not a bad think necessarily
but a soft organic look is not what the design calls for.

You will want to pay close attention to markm's ACID GFX when he says to
" repeatably dunk and rinse with clean water, don't let it get too hot"
http://aronnelson.com/gallery/album24/FX_y

If the bubbling gets too, large, fast, hot and foamy, thats when you can say goodbye
to sharp fine lines, IMHO. Keep the etch under control, don't let it achieve critical mass.

The size of the bubbles (you want tiny bubbles) and the temp
of the box (warm, like toast) are good guides to watch/feel for while in the FC.
Keep a supply of clean water ready, you don't need much, just another tub to dunk in.


2. The text
The small text like the  "3" and "CREDIT" and "HI SCORE" will most likely disapeire.
Especially if you plan to sand the top after. Perhaps go to a larger font or sacrifice the look and use ARIEL/HELVETICA BOLD.

But the big problem I see is the DIST-TRON title.
I would make the outline (stroke to DTP geeks) thicker or fill in with black and lose the drop shadow effect.

The FC will be eating away on both sides of those thin lines.
The thicker lines of the drop shadow will resist the etch more, the thin ones could disappear.
Could distor the look of the text. Like a negative effect.
Look at the "D" in DISTOR-TRON and imagine what it would look like if
the two thin lines in the top left corner weren't there.

Ultimately just etch with what you have.
You can alway sand it off and try again with modified art.
Theres no shame in sanding it off.

Good luck.

[markm]

Very good answer Mr. Pushtone!!
I have to back you up 100% on your answer.
Your enclosure etching experience shows!!
Take your time cakeworks and pay attention to the details and you'll be okay.
Once again, Pay strict attention to what Pushtone said and apply his suggestions....
Oh, and keep us posted 

[cakeworks]

well... It's etched

it took a while to do so because i wasnt sure what to look for plus my mum kept wiggling the iron while the pnp was still slightly loose so i ended up with lots of bubbles
I rinsed and took it off and there were HEAPS of bubbles. but luckily, the the text and images were largely untouched (yessss) I painted over the bits i didnt want etched with some dark green paint but it wasn't completely dry when i put it in to etch (DOH!). So now i have some crappy bubble marks  some places but overall, I'm happy with it.

I think it's pretty good (for a first build) and the pixels didnt get too rounded which is a plus

I'll post some images tonight or tomorrow when it's completely finished.

[cakeworks]

It's somewhat finished.
still waiting for some more coats, some new sandpaper, and some clearcoat.

here are some initial images, including pics of the crappy bits from the bubbling paint and a blurred close up of the smallest text on the box, didnt work out too bad.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y71/jcpaid4me/DSC00418.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y71/jcpaid4me/DSC00417.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y71/jcpaid4me/DSC00415.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y71/jcpaid4me/DSC00414.jpg

thanks for your help, especially markm and pushtone

[darron]

ohh my god cakeworks! i want credit for that space invaders idea!! looks really cool though

[markm]

 
Great Job!
Ya know.....It looks to me like if were careful, you could sand out the bubble marks in the corner.
Just hand sand it lightly in that area and then block sand the whole surface again to make it uniform and it would be fine.
Welcome to the wonderful world of etching.
It's fun isn't it??

[$uperpuma]

looks great man! great concept and execution...be sure to thank your mother...

[cakeworks]

ohh my god cakeworks! i want credit for that space invaders idea!! looks really cool though

you know what they say about great minds... 

[Paul Marossy]

This talk of the 80s brings back memories of hanging out in video arcades in the early 80s when I was still in high school. There wasn't a time quite like it. Now those arcade machines are like dinosaurs!

[birt]

nice work.

from my experience with etching zinc (as artwork to print on paper, also fun to do but a lot of work) i allways used an etching solution that was very weak. the etching stayed in there for a long time (to gently wipe of the bubbles use a feather, works great) but i had nice lines as thin as a hair if i wanted.

i've never etched alu so it might be a little different offcourse. and before i try that i should clean up my workplace.
(i got loads of electronic stuff from my grandpas attic waiting to be sorted and put in little boxes. also more than 40 transformers i need to check)