Etched anclosure woes...

[$uperpuma]

So I thought I'd get all fancy and etch an enclosure... just to do it.... well, I didn't get the desired results... after a loong time of sanding the top flat, I applied the PnP... it  didn't take on the whole top, and repressing dodn't help much, so when I looked at the design it was either attempt to maski it off or go with it like it was.. the edges that didn't take were of a satisfatory design, so I let it go.... well a lottle ways into the etching process, the etchant ate the PnP... my only guess is that it got too hot?  any pointers from those of you who do this MUCH better than I?

it wasn't a complete loss... the result was actually pretty cool... just not what I was going for...
thanks in advance
-Nate

[JimRayden]

That looks VERY metal, my friend. Excellent job!

---------
Jimbo

[SuzukiScottie]

It might not be what you were hoping for, but it's not too bad at all! Very metal / gothic / grunge etc.

What effect is it for? A killer distortion of some kind?

[$uperpuma]

well it HAS to be now, huh? 
well... its going to house a distortion plus with led's uesd for clipping, so its fairly high gain.... but the gnarlier the outside got the gnarlier the Distortion had to be...haha

[SuzukiScottie]

 

Excellent.... I wish you well with the build!

[bancika]

 
I'll try doing it with laser engravement. It will be much more precise than any etching method...

[$uperpuma]

thanks scottie!

bancika... you build a lot of cool stuff....but if you build a laser engraving machine with plotter that will engrave boxes...I'll have to suggest you go into business doing this

[Dan N]

the result was actually pretty cool...

Ghastly! Horrid! I LOVE that box!

[$uperpuma]

I was thinking maybe doing some HR Giger stuff using this "oops I etched it wrong" method

[bancika]

thanks scottie!

bancika... you build a lot of cool stuff....but if you build a laser engraving machine with plotter that will engrave boxes...I'll have to suggest you go into business doing this

I won't build machine, just make design in corel and give it to folks who already have that machine. It shouldn't be expensive. I expect it to be ~5$ for 125BB box with holes laser cut. I plan to do that for Dr. Boogey (when I get some money to buy parts )
Here's a peak, not yet finished though.

[SuzukiScottie]

I like the fire around the footswitch! Nice!

[bancika]

Actually, fire is around orange LED (maybe I'll put large one, like 8-10mm) - like a fireball. Switch is on the other side.
I just hope that they will be able to do it with laser. I've done many things before, but not enclosures.

[Apehouse]

So I thought I'd get all fancy and etch an enclosure... just to do it.... well, I didn't get the desired results... after a loong time of sanding the top flat, I applied the PnP... it  didn't take on the whole top, and repressing dodn't help much, so when I looked at the design it was either attempt to maski it off or go with it like it was.. the edges that didn't take were of a satisfatory design, so I let it go.... well a lottle ways into the etching process, the etchant ate the PnP... my only guess is that it got too hot?  any pointers from those of you who do this MUCH better than I?

it wasn't a complete loss... the result was actually pretty cool... just not what I was going for...
thanks in advance
-Nate

well if u didn't do this, i would recommend treating it exactly like a circuit board by scrubbing the top with ajax or something(after you've sanded it). then wipe it clean with acetone before finally applying the pnp.
The other thing that seemed to help me was using really weak etchant solution. You can re-use stuff you already did circuit boards in or i read somewhere that somebody dropped a penny in to try to weaken a batch. My first box turned out alot like yours. the second time around i would only put the box in the etchant a very short time. then rinsed off, then back in. It was a little tedious but the definition was extremely better using very short cycles.
hope this helps,
-greg

[formerMember1]

That etched skull box is amazing!!!  It looks like the skull is gonna come off the pedal  and hit you in the face or something,.. or that the skull is etched in a stone in the forest or something...  

[bancika]

To me it looks like cavemen made it 10000 years ago and now it's kept in museum...people are still not sure wether it's really made by man or it's just mother nature's product...since you're in a scull mood this is good thing

[$uperpuma]

well if u didn't do this, i would recommend treating it exactly like a circuit board by scrubbing the top with ajax or something(after you've sanded it). then wipe it clean with acetone before finally applying the pnp.
The other thing that seemed to help me was using really weak etchant solution. You can re-use stuff you already did circuit boards in or i read somewhere that somebody dropped a penny in to try to weaken a batch. My first box turned out alot like yours. the second time around i would only put the box in the etchant a very short time. then rinsed off, then back in. It was a little tedious but the definition was extremely better using very short cycles.
hope this helps,
-greg

Yeah, I pre-treated just like I would for a circuit board, scrubbed it down with cleanser, then fingernail polish remover... still havent had a successful PnP to enclosure situation. I can see how letting the box cool down between small periods of etching would help keep the PnP on it

[AdamB]

I got much better results by simply applying a tiny ammount of etchant onto the design using a brush and then leaving it over night. It etched a lot cleaner, and it's also easier to only apply etchant to the parts of the box you want to etch to reduce the chance of random marks/pot holes on the surface.

-Adam

[markm]

 
WHOA!
That one stayed in the drink a bit too long I'd say.
I would reccommend the occasional rinse when doing a full surface etch
such as the one seen in the pic.
I try not to let the enclosure become too hot and the more surface area that is exposed
to the etchant, the hotter the enclosure will get.
On a project where just the letters are etched, It doesn't become quite as hot.

These were etched for about 10-12 minutes with 2 water rinses.



It doesn't take long to etch an enclosure at all with full strength etchant.
Also, moving the box around and gently agitating the etchant is reccommended as well.

I got much better results by simply applying a tiny ammount of etchant onto the design using a brush and then leaving it over night. It etched a lot cleaner, and it's also easier to only apply etchant to the parts of the box you want to etch to reduce the chance of random marks/pot holes on the surface.

-Adam

I did one like this and altough it worked okay, the etch was not quite as deep.
However, it was much safer and controlled I suppose

[AdamB]

Yea it wasn't as deep an etch as I'd of liked.

By the by, I dunno if it's been said but if your heating up the etchant, don't make it too hot, the first time I etched I made the mistake of putting the etching bowl in a bowl of hot water, the hot water melted the toner on the metal and the design came off, so the whole box etched black, lol.

-Adam

[$uperpuma]

yyeeeeahhh.... I think that is how this one happened....