Etched enclosures

jwar · October 09, 2013, 06:08:05 PM

No but really. Ever since someone on here suggested Dollar Tree Premium Photo paper, I've been using it. Apparently Dollar Tree has discontinued this item!!! Now I don't know what to do. I've tried like 6-7 different types of papers before finding this one and nothing had worked as well. I need a paper that will leave the transfer on nice, thick and dark. I'm trying a Polaroid brand right now, and it sucks. Press and Peel SUCKS. The stuff from Office Depot SUCKS! AHHHHH!

What to do!!! Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

ch1naski · October 09, 2013, 08:12:39 PM

Hexjibber swears by that Polaroid photo paper..hmm

jwar · October 09, 2013, 08:35:51 PM

I tried it and it just does not leave the toner on thick enough. So annoying. With the stuff I was using, I never even had to sand my enclosures. It did a transfer that well. Sucks ass. I really wish I could find a way to buy a bunch of it.

garcho · October 10, 2013, 12:04:41 AM

QuoteI never even had to sand my enclosures.

Wow, really? Got any pics? That sounds too good to be true!

I truly hope you find something because I hate sanding, I hate metal dust, and I hate having my hands constantly wet. I have a bunch of PnP left but I'd love to ditch it for something cheaper or better.

glops · October 10, 2013, 12:18:40 AM

I believe jwar's no sanding talk. That paper leaves a really thick transfer that peels right off. I etch the back plates of my boxes now and I am more lazy sanding the backs. But the transfers were just as good as the top of the enclosure that I sand a lot to get flat. That dollar tree paper is amazing.

Hexjibber · October 10, 2013, 05:01:49 AM

Quote from: jwar on October 09, 2013, 08:35:51 PM
I tried it and it just does not leave the toner on thick enough. So annoying. With the stuff I was using, I never even had to sand my enclosures. It did a transfer that well. Sucks ass. I really wish I could find a way to buy a bunch of it.

Wow, no sanding would be awesome, sign me up for that any day! I still stand by the Polaroid paper after a 400 grit sand though, pain in the arse but good results for me

deadastronaut · October 10, 2013, 05:32:40 AM

no sanding....come on guys, you lazy sods..

i used to spray cars for a living so i'm quite used to a bit of sanding and graft..

and have one big arm...

Perrow · October 10, 2013, 06:06:44 AM

Quote from: deadastronaut on October 10, 2013, 05:32:40 AM
and have one big arm...

If I don't make any jokes about this can I leave the coat where it is?

deadastronaut · October 10, 2013, 06:15:18 AM

how did i know you would jump on that...

garcho · October 10, 2013, 12:53:43 PM

When I see a picture of a great looking etch that wasn't sanded, I'll believe it. Until then...

...if any of glops gorgeous enclosures were not sanded, I'm sold!

jwar · October 10, 2013, 09:30:30 PM

How's this? Just a few that I've done. NO SANDING.

garcho · October 11, 2013, 12:22:39 AM

They look great, the designs are fantastic. The graphics themselves are kinda grainy, part of what makes them look cool, and possibly part of why you don't need to sand, maybe? Look at these:

I'm not trying to start an etchant fight or say one pedal looks better than another, all I'm saying is that I like how clean these transfers are, and I know they sand their pedals in order to get it that clean, that's all. If you can get transfers that clean and exact without sanding, I'm happy to hear, it's time to start trying myself then. Nice looking stuff jwar, cheers!

Trippy Demon · October 11, 2013, 06:14:44 AM

Got myself a cheap laserprinter and did my first test with ironing and peeling the paper, more difficult than I had imagined, and due to a bit too much roughness in the paper peeling lost some parts of the design.

Also left to much paper residu on, I thought it would etch away through, but alas it didn't.

For the final box I'll hae to try to be even more meticulous than I thought I already was

Hexjibber · October 11, 2013, 10:57:22 AM

Quote from: Trippy Demon on October 11, 2013, 06:14:44 AM

Sweet design man, that's cool! Etch has come out pretty well considering you said you had trouble, looks to me like it perhaps could have done with more time in the etchant though. what do you reckon?

Trippy Demon · October 12, 2013, 05:26:47 AM

Yeah, should definitely get more time in the etchant, but this test was more to see how fine the detail was going to be and whether the left paper would interfere with the etch, as it definitely does
Am busy with the actual box now, but I found the rubbing off of the paper again a tiring task...

What brands of paper, or thickness or glossyness are you guys here using?

I've got 200 grams HP glossy photopaper, but it's not as glossy as my inkjet glossy paper, and the fine detail of the print get's lost in rubbing of the last residu of paper...

Here's the box top as it is now ready to etch, the white lines you see are actually aluminium that I scratched clean of paper

Trippy Demon · October 15, 2013, 06:28:27 AM

And the finished product

Hexjibber · October 17, 2013, 05:02:43 AM

Quote from: Trippy Demon on October 12, 2013, 05:26:47 AM
What brands of paper, or thickness or glossyness are you guys here using?

I use this stuff - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0046Z1658 180gsm, pretty glossy. I don't have to do any scraping, just wait for the box to cool after ironing and peel off, it does leave a thin whitish residue layer over the toner but you can still apply the etchant directly to it and works fine. After the etching is done I use acetone to remove the mask.

That pedal came out good man, are you gonna do more etching do you think?

therealfindo · October 18, 2013, 10:21:53 AM

Tried my first etch today... turned out ok (if not entirely square!):

musiclikscreams · October 18, 2013, 01:33:14 PM

Quote from: therealfindo on October 18, 2013, 10:21:53 AM
Tried my first etch today... turned out ok (if not entirely square!):

Thats really cool! that graphic looks so pro. props man

Trippy Demon · October 19, 2013, 06:17:10 AM

Quote from: Hexjibber on October 17, 2013, 05:02:43 AM
Quote from: Trippy Demon on October 12, 2013, 05:26:47 AM
What brands of paper, or thickness or glossyness are you guys here using?

I use this stuff - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0046Z1658 180gsm, pretty glossy. I don't have to do any scraping, just wait for the box to cool after ironing and peel off, it does leave a thin whitish residue layer over the toner but you can still apply the etchant directly to it and works fine. After the etching is done I use acetone to remove the mask.

That pedal came out good man, are you gonna do more etching do you think?

Ordered a pack of this Polaroid from the UK, got it yesterday, etched a test today, but was a little foolish to cool the aluminium down with water, made the paper come of a tad more difficult because it fell apart and fibers stuck some more but nonetheless a much tighter etch result, 10 min. in FerroChloride, not very deep, but no pitting so it should be able to resist for more time in the FC...

The bottom part has more rough edges because I rubbed the paper off with my fingers and not that softly so the toner got more damaged edges

For the top half I let the paper dry up a bit more and rubbed it off a bit more gently

All in all a much better result than with the HP paper although the Polaroid paper has to be pulled through the laserprinter for it not to stick to the heating roll, so I stuck a sheet to the bottom half of a regular A4 sheet to have the top half to pull the rest of the sheet through when the photo paper reaches the heating roll...

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Etched enclosures