Electro Etching

I got one of the electro ethcing machines for christmas and have been having some trouble using it. I have a Personalizer from TK.

When etching I leave it on for about 1 1/2 minutes and sometimes I get an OK etch and sometimes I get bleed over. What is the best way to etch? What is the best way to get that black color after etching?

Does anyone else think this would be a good topic for tutorial?

Mike

I have a cheapie little Etch-O-Matic and I get good, clear, black marks with it in about 50 seconds total. The Personalizer is a much nicer machine and I can't imaging it taking a minute and a half and still not giving a good mark. Someone who owns one will come along here in a while and probably explain it but until then, this is how mine works:

1. make sure the pad is well soaked with the proper solution for the steel you're using. It should not be drippy.

2. Attach the mask to the steel with Scotch tape. Make sure it's smooth and flat

3. Attach the connector wire to the blade at least an inch or so away from where the pad will touch the mask. The pad must not touch the connector wire

4. Apply the pad to the mask. Experiement with the timing but on mine I use 25 seconds. Lift the pad briefly every 5 seconds and blow across the mask to remove the gases that build up

5. Change the polarity on the Personalizer and repeat step 4. Step 4 burns the logo into the steel, Step 5 puts the black stuff in the burned area.

6. Apply the nuetralizer solution to the blade

That's it. Hopefully you got some instructions with the device that will tell you how to change polarity and so on. Good luck....

In the AC mode (mark) the AC current does two things, on the top side of the cycle it removes metal and on the bottom of the cycle it puts it back on. This is what turns it black. The more times you go through both cycles the darker it will get.

I agree with the previous directions, however, if you blow on the stencil, be sure it is secure and does not move. I don't blow on them, I just lift up and wait a couple seconds and go back on.

Another reason the mark will get fuzzy is too much etchant or too much power. Both of these can mess you up. I don't think you can vary the power on the Personalizer, just the Personalizer Plus (I think).

Usually if you get a fuzzy mark, running over it with some 1500 grit sand paper will clean it up.

I use three 3-second cycles to etch, and one 10-second cycle to mark. 1 1/2 minutes sounds like way too much to me.

I agree with Don, I just forgot to say that in my message earlier. I addressed it with the burning up your stencils part but never clearly stated it.

Thanks guys I will have to do a lot more experimenting.

Mike