Electro Etching Question

[Traok]

So I just recieved my electro etcher from mr.norfleet. I spent most of the day yesterday trying to find this answer so I have tried to solve my own problem .. (watched about 10 you tube videos visited 8 commerical electro etcher sites)
So heres what I am doing

I print out my text on transparancy film.
So I plug the etcher in
Hook the black wire to a ground (something metal.. right ? )
Take the red lead dipper and put some electro solution on it.
Place the cut out transparancy on the steel.
Flip the on switch on the box on .. Red light comes on.
Flip the second switch for etch ..
Place the Red dipper ontop of the transparancy wait a few seconds
pick up the dipper...
place it back down....

Now all i can accomplish is to remove the ink from off of the transparancy .
This looks pretty simple.. ? Any ideas on what im doing wrong.

Because of your help one day I might be able to help another new one learning this craft.

Traok

[fatzombie]

The black wire also goes to the metal you are trying to etch. There is no need to hook it to a "ground" somewhere in your shop.

[Bob Warner]

Are you making a stencil or trying to do something with the transparency?

You must use the transparency to create a stencil and etch through the stencil.

[Traok]

So I attatched the ground to the knife and the red light no longer comes on in the box ? I checked the fuse its not blown. Any ideas? I replaced the fuse just to be sure.. It was the fuse I had to look super close to see this very fine gap.

Hmm just found a page dedicated to making your own stencils Guess Im off to build a light box.

Thanks guys

Traok

[dbalfa]

Fuse blowing is something I encountered when I made mine. I opened the box up and move some wires around, making sure they were no shorts. I'm not sure what I "fixed" but it worked. When you finally got the ground in the right place, you completed the circuit and caused the short. It is likely a wire or two got together somehow during shipping or.... I'd take the top off and double check all the connections and address any possible shorts/loose connections. I think I blew three of the four fuses I had the first time I tried to use mine