Etched enclosures

[haveyouseenhim]

^^ I dont know why but I now have the overwhelming urge to go buy a zippo and etch it. 

[stallik]

Wow, that's a very clean etch! How exactly did you do it?

Thanks.

The image was a vector path which I cut out on self adhesive vinyl. I stuck the vinyl on the box and manually applied ferric chloride with a little brush. When the solution stopped bubbling, I wiped it off and applied more. The whole thing took a couple of hours. Where the etching happened, a dull Matt grey deposit was left. I scrubbed this away with a stiff brush and then polished the face of the box.

Finally, I read more posts and found there are faster and probably better ways of doing this....

[electrosonic]

I was looking at cut vinyl for a while, machines are too pricey and couldn't find a cheap place to do one off's.

Here is a business idea for someone  - upload your graphics and get a cut vinyl sticker by mail. I did look for that online, but the services tended to be multicolour stickers. Anyone know of any place that offers such a service.

The picture that got me thinking of using a vinyl sticker was here...

http://www.alloyavenue.com/vb/showthread.php?2786-Aluminum-Electro-etch!

He used copper sulphate (available as "root kill" in hardware stores), table salt and sodium bisulphate (available as 'pH reducer" in swimming pool supplies shops) to etch. Safer than ferric chloride from what I have read.

Andrew.

[stallik]

Here is a business idea for someone....

Hmmm. I did think of this a while back but thought that there would be little call for it & while I could set up a web service to upload the images etc, each one would probably need a lot of work doing to it to create the vector outlines. In turn, this would lead to me take some creative control which would doubtless end up creating disappointment. Anyway, the artwork would have to be suitable for this kind of process (blocks of text or patterns etc.) not the amazing images I'm seeing on these pages.

Have you considered approaching a local sign shop? They cut vinyl all day and if you can supply them the data as a vector path it would be a very simple job for them.

[electrosonic]

I figured that companies that cut vinyl for signs usually cut much larger fonts and graphics than what would be required for a pedal. I think when I looked at the minimum font size that the sign companies cut on their machines, it was too big for a stompbox. It has been a while since I looked so maybe I remember it wrong.

Andrew.

[haveyouseenhim]

I have a guy that cuts vinyl for me and I've etched a few boxes with that method. Its a pretty effective method.

[endorphin]

I did this one about a 2 months ago I freakin love it. Yeah the japanese was google translator.


The etch was a little off center.

Reminds me of a Japanese movie poster.

[nicofx]

^^Very nice 

@stallik - that stomp-etch is amazing!


Heres my latest etches:
EA tremolo

Baja Trembulator

Repeat Percussion Tremolo

Tremulus Lune

DBA Fuzz War

[Arcane Analog]

looking good,  tip:   avoid shaded images...

Cheers man.  I actually am glad it was a slightly messy shady design, gave me a little room to move if i effed up the etch.

Do not avoid shading - just practice! I love shading on etched boxes.

[dromilious]

one more etch from me.

[Pyr0]

Brilliant, well done sir.

My first attempt at etching and enclosure...

[v8reverb]

So this is how it turned out:

Not quite done with it yet - there's still sanding spots (that I noticed when looking at the pic lol) And the B in Boost filled in when I etched but I left it like that and the guy I'm doing it for doesn't mind.

[Maik]

one more etch from me.

Wow, where´s the pic from?

[dromilious]

thank you Maik.I dont remember but i will search and tell you.

[deadastronaut]

my latest spitfire v3 for my grandsons xmas prezzie...(batman fan)

[Pyr0]

^^^ Nice, now you just need to build him a bat shaped guitar and he'll be all set. 

[deadastronaut]

cheers pyro: i got him a squier H S S (which is surprisingly nice actually for £90.00 new) ,  but his aunt is getting him a batman strap...

[electrosonic]

A work in progress, I used press n peel for the resist. I etched with copper sulphate and table salt and a bit of sodium bisulphate. Did an electro etch with a current limited low voltage power supply I cobbled together (a ikea halogen power supply (12V) rectified and current limited with a halogen bulb). The set up ran about 2 amps through the solution for ten minutes. Not as clean as I would have liked - the sharpie I used to touch up the toner transfer didn't work very well.

Andrew.

[lespos]

These are amazing. How you did that? Is it something like negative etching? You etch whole surface but all letters and graphics are masked?



Repeat Percussion Tremolo

Tremulus Lune

DBA Fuzz War

[Tillinghast]

Hiya! First post on the forum, seeing all the great etching results here this seemed like a good place for some info.
First time trying my hand at etching a pedal enclosure and I'm going the cut-out vinyl route. The photo-paper + laser print so far has not given me workable mask. I'm thinking of applying the stickers, spray painting the pedal, peel off the stickers and etch away. Would the spraypaint work well enough as a mask and if I use color, would the etchant somehow screw with said color (thinking maybe green, the pedal being a tubescreamer and all...). The etchant I'll be using is ferric chloride.
Or maybe stick the vinyl on and then etch away, no paint needed, would that work?

I'm thinking of using this "stencil" approach because it seems to me it'll be easier to get a very clean mask, the pedal is a christmas gift for the gf so I want it as close to perfect looking as I can get it

And on pretty much every pedal i've seen in this thread: wow.

EDIT: I only just now saw that this pictures thread is in the pictures forum (who would've thought) meaning this probably really isn't the right place for my questions. My apologies, though any insights would still be greatly appreciated