Hello!
I have never etched an enclosure yet, and think I'm gonna try with a 1590B, a one knob, one switch and a led on the top surface...
Here is my etching template (not mirrored of course, I'll reverse the image to cover the non etching parts)
This is 300dpi jpg, a bit smaller than the 1590B of course...
Is it possible to etch to look like this? Are there to many details? What should I look out for? Are some lines too small? Thanks!
(http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g249/bbozak/mucha2.jpg)
ps: this is NOT going to be a commercial pedal, I build it for myself and like the works of Alfons Mucha :)
Perhaps you should remove the "noise" in the white area's and make them totally white again.
Yeah, think I should do it, at least make it less noisy, I tried to print it on white paper and my printer cannot print so much detail (the noise), I should remove much of the noise to make it easier to print, and still to have some dots here and there, dunno... I reckon my etching will be messy so I'll have noise even if I live the space blank! heh
On the other hand, perhaps the "noise" will come out beautifully! ... decisions, decisions ... ;)
Won't you need to etch with the negative though?
yes of course, i haven't mirrored and inverted this picture, I know i have to make a negative of this to etch it ;)
I think it is totally possible...personally I would clean up the noise a little but that is your call. Cool graphic, too.
Whatever you decide, it won't come out as crystal clear as the image you have but should be close. If you wish the detail I would suggest not leaving it in the solution very long, keeping it cool and rinsing frequently. A good mask is crucial here.
Both of these involve some detail;
(http://www.aronnelson.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=979&g2_serialNumber=3)
(http://www.aronnelson.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=974&g2_serialNumber=3)
Good luck with it and greetings to all!
--MarkM--
Thanks, I will reduce the noise, at least my printer won't print it all and it looks a lot better without all those spots and it's still quite detailed though.
I have never etched an enclosure before, how deep does the solution etch into the aluminum? Btw I have purchased PNP blue, I suppose I have to use a laser printer to print on it, right?
Is there a way to paint the enclosure, but not the etched parts? Suppose the enclosure is etched and finished, I paint it white with a spray can paint, then I print again the pnp negative and apply it to the painted top, and the paint over the pnp with black? Then removing the pnp by hand, I should get black paint in to the etched parts and white should be under pnp where it was protected? Is this doable?
Quote from: Branimir on February 07, 2009, 01:45:21 PM
Is there a way to paint the enclosure, but not the etched parts? Suppose the enclosure is etched and finished, I paint it white with a spray can paint, then I print again the pnp negative and apply it to the painted top, and the paint over the pnp with black? Then removing the pnp by hand, I should get black paint in to the etched parts and white should be under pnp where it was protected? Is this doable?
I believe you`ll be opening yourself to a world of frustration by attempting this. You`ll have massive problems with registration not to mention trying to remove the PNP from the white paint. I fear you could end up witha huge mess on your hands. It might be possible if you were using a simpler image.
Good luck in any case.
I`m a huge fan of Mucha too. The image you`ve chosen should work out well although I`d be more concerned with the broad areas of black than the finer lines.