Problems with Home build Etching machine

[Terry_Dodson]

It is a power supply that has the two prong 4 foot cable that plugs into 110, goes into a small rectangular box (transformer), with the thin 2 wire 4' long adapter cable out the other side. I don't know what it was a power adapter for, i got it at the flea market for $1.

[cwp]

Terry,

Yep that's the kind, rated for the output side, so yours max's out @ 1A, with the rectifier loss a little less.

Dragon,

Pretty much what was expected. With the electrolyte, you can expect all of that to be hitting your stencil.

--Carl

[Dragon cutlery]

that was the only place i could think thay would be coming from i did have to use a difrent one than the plans stated since radio shack stoped caring them a wile back so im just trying to get the out put so i can build or change the one i have

[Dragon cutlery]

grrrrrr spend 70 + $ build one home etcher read forums take one computer power supply and cut two wires and it seems to work free now just to test it with a stensil (tryed it out with scotch tape to save some stensils man it cut grate nice deep etch oh and i used salt water grrr $25 worth of electro light and stuff)

[Dragon cutlery]

oh yah and i didnt meen to but im rining its power reveresd and even tho i used a crap stensile it worked even if you bought a new power supply it would have cost less than building my own grrrr hind sight

[Dragon cutlery]

thanks for the help i have some knives to etch :-)

[wineland]

Thanks for all of the information guys!!! Mine did a little better when I reversed the connection but it still burnt the stencil a little. I think I know where I can get some power supplies from some old computers so I am going to try that route.

Thanks again.

Richard Wineland

[Terry_Dodson]

Richard, just remember not to have the pad too damp with electrolyte, it will quickly blow the computer power supply, you can figure out how i know The one i made does have a replacable fuse in line so if it does blow i just replace it. I pat mine on a towel til it is just barely damp, no more blown fuses.

[Messinger]

Just a tip on using a PC power supply - I'm working on one too and found that my power supply won't put out any DC unless something is plugged into it. Maybe it detects a current load? Anyway it didn't put out any DC until I plugged an old CDROM drive into one of the other connectors.

-Ben

[cwp]

If you want to convert a powersupply from a computer.

http://wiki.ehow.com/Convert-a-Compu...b-Power-Supply

has instructions to convert it to a supply. Most of these do need a load to make them go.

--Carl

[Messinger]

Thanks for that link Carl! Great how-to. I have a question about using pc power-supplies in general: How do you blacken the mark? If I understand correctly DC etches and AC darkens.
-Ben

[Dragon cutlery]

personaly im going to try gun blue when i have a knife thats not all finished to try and mark

[cwp]

I haven't tried this yet, but I usually tape a stencil on so it won't move while lifting the etcher up and down. If you do this, you could theoretically have a DC and AC etcher. One to etch, one to blacken. I do plan to try this, so I will let you know how it goes.

I am pretty much forging everything now, so I am planning on getting a hot stamp soon. After that, etching will be pretty much for custom stencils.

I really jumped in because the electrical questions. As you can probably tell, I had this stuff beaten into my head. First in the Marine Corps, and then in college.

One other caution on the PC power supplies. If you use one, don't use the +5V or +12V to etch with. Either 12A or 30A will cause the same problems as started this thread. I would use the -12V looking at the specs.

--Carl

[Terry_Dodson]

This is a pic i found and made mine from, that way the same leads do AC & DC.

edit: i would give credit to whoever made the pic, but i cant remeber where i got it from.

[Dragon cutlery]

hehe on the comp power i have (the atx didnt work ie fried so i went older not shure what it is) i just cut wires yellow and black and it works i would use my other ac power to blacken but it eats the stensils two and i thing the blue ish tint might look good with it