First Attempt at Etching - Help!

Jason Wernli

Jason Wernli

Well-Known Member
I tried to use my new etching machine and makers marks for the firsttime yesterday.
This is the first time that I have used a marking machine, and I did nothave much success…
I have a marking machine from Ernie's plans. Attached is a picture of the stencil after Iused it and a picture of the marker.
I was hoping I could tell you what I did and maybe get some advice:
- Spritzed 01 steel with windex and placed on the stencil
- Attached negative lead with alligator clip
- Wetted felt pad with SCE-1 electrolyte from electro-chem etch
- Applied marking pad to stencil/steel for about 6 – 3 second bursts

Fried Stencil.jpg
Marking Wand.jpg
The head on the wand was made from either brass, or bearing bronze... It sure discolored weird...

Etching machine is putting out 13.8 volts on DC.

What did I do wrong?
Thanks!

- Jason
 
Now where did you attach the negative lead? You "should" have the neg lead on the etching pad - which "IF" I remember correctly is the red lead on Ernie's plans. The positive lead (black on Ernie's plans) should go the be connected to the 01 steel you wish to etch. This is a scrap steel for practice?

You've got the 5 or 6 seconds down, lift for a couple seconds, then back down again for 5 or so seconds. If you've only got 13.8 VDC, it might take more than 60 seconds total time. Is that 13.8 VDC under load? How much does the voltage drop when you apply pad to stencil to etch?

What is the AC voltage?

Ken H>
 
The Black thing is what is left of the stencil!
I attached the Black lead to the steel and red to the marking pad.
The mark was a big black mess...
It was 13.8 VDC Not under load...not sure what the voltage drop is.
AC Voltage was about 13 volts.
Thanks guys!
- J
 
You used far to much time on contact and toasted the stencil. Do what Ken said, after you get another stencil.
 
That just doesn't add up to me. My advice, DO NOT USE ANOTHER STENCIL UNTIL YOU FIGURE IT OUT! Take some black electrical tape and cut some little stars or squares or whatever. Try to etch again with the tape stencil and post pics of metal when done.
 
not sure on the amps.... Stencils are from Ernie. He is great by the way...
making a sample stencil with electrical tape sounds smart!
 
Oh yeah if that's the stencil no bueno. Like Anthony said try electrical tape that's what I did to test mine and make sure not to saturate the pad dripping wet just want it damp.
 
Jason - you said you put the black lead to the steel, and red lead to pad? Remember, the POSITIVE lead MUST go to the steel for etching. "IF" you followed the directions exactly on the schematic on Ernie's site, the red lead is negative and black lead is positive. There should be more difference than that between the AC voltage and DC voltage. "normally" when using a full wave bridge with capacitor the output voltage will be "around" 1.3 times the input AC voltage. So, if you had a 12VAC transformer built per Ernie's schematic, the DC voltage "should" be somewhere "around" 15 - 16 VDC no load. The amount of current pulled by the etcher is dependent on surface area of metal exposed thru the template and voltage. The type of etchant and how wet the pad is will also affect amount of current drawn. This will normally be in the mA range.

I wonder if that yellow color is due to reversed polarity causing the brass pad to be etched depositing brass on the stencil rather than steel being etched?

By all means, don't use another stencil until you've got it figured out. Do as Anthony says and use some electrical tape with small holes cut to test.

Ken H>
 
Correct me if Im wrong but if the leads are reversed isnt it trying to deposit material instead of remove?
 
I think that was what I was trying to say when I wrote: "reversed polarity causing the brass pad to be etched depositing brass on the stencil rather than steel being etched?"

Perhaps I should said "removing brass from the brass pad and depositing brass on the stencil"?

It will be interesting to see what Jason says about polarity of leads, is red "positive" or a "negative" lead as it's shown in schematic. I'm told the schematic is drawn that way because commercial units have the red lead negative as it goes to the pad with the black lead to steel. Never understand if that's the way commercial units are made. Perhaps someone with a commercial unit can chime in and say what color the lead is that goes to the pad.

Ken H>
 
That was my understanding how the machines worked. Remove blade material or deposit the wand material if backwards.
 
Yep, I just crudely over simplified it. lol
I know that engraving a makers mark by hand is getting old and I have only made a few knives. Lol
 
Jason, Ken, I don't think reversing polarity would damaged the stencil though. Boss has an etching video out that he reverses polarity as a method of cleaning the stencil. I think you've got other issues.
 
I agree with Anthony. I built and use an etcher I built from Ernie's plan. There is no doubt that on Ernie's schematic the red lead is negative. Being an old school guy, I always thought black was negative and I have had a hard time getting "red is negative" into my head but that's the way he drew it up. I don't know why. I, too, have had a hard time getting used to the etcher. Originally I used salt water and a Q-tip as a pad and tore my hair out. Then I bought etching solution and built a pad out of a piece of Maple with a copper band across the bottom and a small tab to clip the lead to. I then rubber band a piece of felt across the copper and that becomes my pad. I was still tearing my hair out. It is getting better, and the only thing I fool around with now is how damp I let my pad be. There seems to be a real thin balance between completely dry and just slightly damp. I find that the closer you can get the pad to dry but still damp enough to conduct electricity is the best. With that all said, it looks to me like your "wand" is just a piece of brass - do you cover it with felt or some other kind of cloth to hold moisture? If you just use the brass there is no way to control your moisture and you will burn up every stencil you try - even electrical tape. Hope that helps but I'm still tearing my hair out.

Wallace
 
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I tried a piece of copper first, than some stainless, and both left all kinds of crud on my felt. Copper was the green crud like you had, stainless corroded a lot more than I expected. But a guy named Fellhoelter put an excellent video on here last summer/fall, not sure if that's his forum handle though? Anyway, he uses a carbon motor brush and I re-made mine with a small carbon brush after watching his video. Much, much better than the previous ones, I really like it. Try to find his video or maybe some can post a link to it.
 
I used a felt pad rubber banded to the wand. I got it wet and then dabbed it on paper to dry it out a little. It may have been a little too wet, but not much. It definitely wasn't dripping...
I think my polarity issue is the crux of the problem. I will try to spend some time with it over the weekend and then let you know.
Anthony, I will look into the carbon wand. I know Boss has one for just under $50... about double what I paid to build the power supply...
 
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