A half and half mixture of hydrogen peroxide (mole fraction 0.1850) and hydrochloric acid works very well on copper and brass. For a more modern version, use electrical tape, nail polish, or permanent markers to cover the parts of the surface that you want to remain light. The ground will serve as a resist to keep the etching acid off the steel it covers. 330 stainless steel in the annealed condition at 100X magnification. Very similar pickling rates can be obtained from either choice of acid through a selection of bath temperature and bath strength. 2549036, 2 X Designer CD Rom & Designer Masterclass Megapack, Crafty Bobs Verse Cd - Over 9000 Card Verses On Cd Rom, Crafty Bob's A4 Premium Gloss Craft Paper 200gsm Pack Of 20, Crafty Bob's A4 Premium Matte Craft Paper 200gsm Pack Of 20, Happy Birthday Dragons Digital Clip Art Set. The transferred ink becomes the resist for the etching acid. Log in or use the form below to start receiving updates. Because copper and zinc have gone up in price, many artisans who etch designs in metals have turned to etching steel. Soft aluminum can be etched with ferric chloride, using acrylic polymer paint as a resist. It is best mixed in a 1 to 1 ratio with sodium chloride (NaCl - common table salt) to keep the copper sulfate from coating the steel with a deposit of copper that will stop the etching process. After a thorough rinse, immerse in a mixture of 50% nitric acid… 50 ml 50 ml. In this episode of the adventures of Switch & Lever we're making custom brass plaques, using reasonably simple tools, and some basic chemistry. Hydrochloric acid Ferric chloride, hydrated DI Water: 9 grams 150 ml 45 grams 75 ml: Immersion is recommended for several seconds: For etching 300 series stainless steel and other superalloys: Carpenters Stainless Steel Etch: FeCl3 CuCl2 Hydrochloric acid Nitric acid Ethanol: 8.5 grams 2.4 grams 122 ml 6 ml The only real issue with a FeCl3 solution is that it stains everything and attacks metal, so don't etch in your stainless steel kitchen sink. Hydrochloric acid Nitric acid: 8.5 gm 2.4 gm 122 ml 122 ml 6 ml: Immerse for several seconds. 15mL hydrochloric acid + 10mL hydrofluoric acid + 85mL water . This is an alternative to using ferric chloride. The acid chemically reacts with surface laitance1, dissolving it and allowing it and other water-soluble contaminants to be washed away. (Press gently if using transfer paper; press hard if using photo paper.) Several kinds of steel can be etched with acid, including both mild steel and stainless steel. Hydrochloric Acid. (This is similar to woodcutting.) The oldest method for transferring designs is to coat the steel surface with a liquid varnish or wax-like substance (like beeswax), or even enamel paint or nail polish. The longer you leave the item in the bath, the deeper the pattern will etch. Piece of steel to be etched (plate or blade), Etching acid (hydrochloric, nitric, or sulfuric acid) or chemical (ferric chloride or copper sulfate), For fast email responses and support please use our. Copyright © 2008-2021 Craftsuprint Limited, Registered in England No. HYDROCHLORIC ACID 30% this is sold at the hardware store as MURIATIC ACID 30% or 10 molar (37% 12 molar is fine too) for cleaning concrete about $15 gallon. Next, the design is drawn by hand using sharp tools to scratch off the resist in every place where a dark line is desired. Sales volumes: 2,5 L bottles (1 PU = 6 x 2,5 liters) For further information please refer to the product page: > Hydrochloric Acid Place the paper onto the steel surface, image-side down, and using a clothes iron set to "high," iron with smooth, circular strokes for 2 to 5 minutes. Do not pour it down the drain. Although not as fine a metal as copper, steel is finer than zinc, and it is also more durable-particularly when used as a printing plate. Immerse the specimen in concentrated nitric acid for 30 – 45 seconds. You don't have a problem dealing with concentrated hydrochloric acid and peroxide, chlorine gas and the acid fumes, but a fairly tame FeCl3 is a mess? Copper can be etched with ferric chloride mixed in water to form weak hydrochloric acid. If you plan to replicate an existing design, choose something in high-contrast black and white. Here are the basic steps required to etch metal. Each time the acid is used, it will take longer to etch a piece of steel to the same depth as before. If you have a higher concentration of hydrogen peroxide, be sure to dilute it to 3% before mixing anything. 100ml Alcohol: No 3 Ferric Chloride& Hydrochloric Acid: 5g FeCl1 Acid etching was first used in the middle-ages by goldsmiths an… Copper can be etched with ferric chloride mixed in water to form weak hydrochloric acid.