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Parent Category: Technical Articles from Journal Back Copies

Category: Technical Articles 2003

Dorothy Cockrell

The advantages of electro-etching are - it is fast, cuts straight without undercutting and is safer because it uses a more dilute acid solution (1-20 or more) than other methods. It can be used on copper or silver and all the usual resists are suitable, including PNP.

The speed varies according to the size of the piece being etched: the smaller the piece, the faster the etch. A wide sterling silver ring can be done in about 1 hour, while a larger piece takes proportionately longer. A faster etch may be obtained with a stronger acid solution, but the results are not so controllable. It is not intended for large items such as bowls, for these a more powerful set of equipment is needed. Only one piece or a pair of earrings (back to back), can be done at a time, so it is not a mass production method suitable for a class.

Electro-etching is not a new idea; it appears in several textbooks and occasionally in journals. In 1985 Richard Fox described, in this journal, a plating machine that could also be used for etching, but he had not tried it. Authors usually assume the reader has a well-stocked attic with suitable transformers, plating machines, car battery chargers and similar treasures. Not only that, they assume we understand the terminology and know how to put them together.

This article is for the non-technical, those who would not recognise a diode if it was expiring in front of them. For the same reason the diagrams are not drawn in the normal 'wiring diagram' format.

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