Following my trip to La Vidalerie where I learnt salt-water etching, I've been a woman obsessed! I've been etching copper, steel and silver with all different types of methods and I've written up quite a few tutorials too.
Salt-Water etching
My first tutorial was on salt-water etching, featuring a copper keyring I made for Lisa at Silhouette UK.
Check out my wee diagram illustrating the set up:
Edinburgh Etch Solution
I then made some things with Edinburgh Etch Solution, which is just ferric chloride with citric acid added. This simple addition of the acid that's in lemon juice makes a faster, cleaner and longer lasting etchant that is cheap and non-toxic.
Hints and Tips for Designing and Applying Resists
As the hipflask that I made my dad also used Edinburgh Etch Solution, I decided instead to make more of a hint and tips tutorial for all etching methods. Indeed this tips are relevant for etching non metals too, such as glass or tiles. I covered how to chose which parts are to be weeded or kept, how to envisage the end result in the software, cutting spares and also reverse weeding/weeding in situ.
Etching SIlver
Finally, this post covers two techniques for etching fine and sterling silver. I used electro etching with silver nitrate for the swallow and ferric nitrate for the hummingbird.
Future ForAys
Brass - I ordered up some copper and brass shapes from Just Simply Blanks and they have just arrived today, yippee! I also ordered a cheap guillotine cut 1kg mixed bag of brass sheet from Ebay.
Letterpress - I plan to make a letterhead or return address design to emboss onto paper using my Big Shot mangle thingy to make a letterpress stamp.
Champlevé - I'd like to have a shot at filling some etched pieces with either real enamel (torch firing) or cold enamel (epoxy resin). I also have some efcolor which has the benefit of needing only a domestic oven at 150 degrees, but I'm not completely convinced - think it might be a bit plasticky. I will of course keep you updated.
A New Etching Solution for Zinc, Steel and Aluminium - I've been using Edinburgh Etch for steel, but I discovered this article recommending a new solution , so bought me some cheap copper sulfate from eBay, again in the words of Arnie,"I'll be back!"
Letterpress - I plan to make a letterhead or return address design to emboss onto paper using my Big Shot mangle thingy to make a letterpress stamp.
Champlevé - I'd like to have a shot at filling some etched pieces with either real enamel (torch firing) or cold enamel (epoxy resin). I also have some efcolor which has the benefit of needing only a domestic oven at 150 degrees, but I'm not completely convinced - think it might be a bit plasticky. I will of course keep you updated.
A New Etching Solution for Zinc, Steel and Aluminium - I've been using Edinburgh Etch for steel, but I discovered this article recommending a new solution , so bought me some cheap copper sulfate from eBay, again in the words of Arnie,"I'll be back!"
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