Etching/ Stencil machine

[boogietube]

I thought this might be of interest to everyone. I'm going to order just a pre-made stencil from them from my layouts just to see if it works on powder coated boxes. Then. I'll buy the machine if it works. The metal etching setup looks cool...and super fast.

Enjoy!

http://www.stencil-maker.com/metal-etching-stencils.htm

[Joe Hart]

WOW! That sounds very cool! I use stainless steel picks, and I could make personalized picks! Please let us know how to works. Thanks!!
-Joe Hart

[boogietube]

I won't be buying the etching setup. I was more interested in the stencils for putting graphics on my powder coated boxes. I will let you know how that works out, however.

[soggybag]

Wow looks like a great idea. I think I'd get some mileage out something like this. Too bad the price is so high. It's $80 bucks for the minimum kit.

[Skruffyhound]

Three things make me suspicious about this:
1) The film was cut (edited) just before he removed the stencil to show us the effect in the second video.
2) Their UV light box is completely open, but UV is seriously unhealthy and causes cataracts and skin cancer.
3) What stops the center dropping out of your "O" or "A" or indeed any other kind of circle design.

Of course there could be perfectly reasonable explanations for all of this, ie. they were just editing, it's not really UV/ or is a less destructive wavelength and the film is a composite with a mesh that holds the designs together. But it would require some better info. before I would sink any cash in it.

I also wonder why there are no warnings about etchant. You can use some fairly harmless things to etch aluminium with electrolysis, but for steel most of them are pretty finger destroying AFAIK.

Are they etching or plating. They say they are etching, many many times.....hmmm, suspicious/interesting/suspicious/interest............

[boogietube]

I agree with the above points.
It must be some sort of selectively permeable substance. I just hope that the paint I will use to adhere it to powder coated boxes won't : 1. ruin the material 2. be able to be cleaned up 3. wont require some sort of off contact method (although I fear it will) 4. diminish the number of times the stencil can be used.  That's why somewhere on there you can actually order just the stencil already made up. I'm going to do that before I invest in a whole machine. I'm not really interested in the etching, plus the largest etching machine only does 2" x 4" and it's not cheap.

[head_spaz]

In the spirit of supporting the concept of a DIY community, I recommend checking out Ryans wholesale supplies.
The only materials you need to make your own stencils, are mesh... photo developer... photosensitive emulsion... and a UV light source.

The UV source can be a blacklight... or UV leds, or even the Sun. I use a G15T8 "Germicidal" flourescent lamp... which is also good for disinfecting kitchen countertops, bathrooms etc. They're commonly used in meat counters around the world to kill bacteria. Can find them on ebay pretty cheap.

Your initial investment may cost about the same, but you'll end up with ten times the supplies.

Oh... and their so-called "etching" process is actually electro-deplating, similar to EDM, and can be done with a battery, a small wire brush and saltwater.

Have fun.

[boogietube]

Which mesh? What paint do you use? Are you doing these on your printer? Can you print on powdercoated boxes?
I'd like to know the entire process! AND...which exact chemicals, etc etc...Is there one book that could solve all of this?

[head_spaz]

Which mesh?

Mesh is a screen... and just like your monitor the mesh density defines the resolution of your image. Think in terms of Dots per Inch. The finer the mesh... the higher the detail you can get.

What paint do you use?

The wet kind.

Are you doing these on your printer?

Yes. No. And sort of.
You only use the printer to print your artwork onto a clear substrate material. Any clear substrate will do.
And then you use that artwork, along with UV light, as a semi-transparent overlay, a template for exposing the image of your artwork onto the screen mesh which you have previously treated with a photosensitive emulsion.
Then you "develope" the exposed PHOTO-SENSITIVE emulsified mesh, which chemically hardens any emulsion that happened to be exposed to UV light.
Then you rinse the developed mesh in water to dissolve and remove the unexposed (unhardened) portions of the emulsion.
That leaves you with a stencil... whereby the screen mesh is plugged and sealed where you exposed it to UV light... but the mesh is open where you protected it.
The paint process is able to seep thru the open portions of the screen mesh, but not where the screen is clogged/sealed with hardened emulsifier.
Get it?

Can you print on powdercoated boxes?

Why not? Is powdercoat a code name for some kind of invisible force field or something? It never stopped me.

AND...which exact chemicals?

There are numerous formulas and brand names, but Photosensitive Emulsion, and Developer are the commonly used names for photosensitive flexopolymers and lye. And of course there are numerous solvents for dissolving emulsion layers so you can reuse the screen mesh, along with screen cleaners and solvents for inks and paints as well. You can even buy hand soap and breath mints if you feel they're needed.

Is there a book?

I suppose there are many on the subject.
I didn't read them.

I'd like to know the entire process!

Good for you. Follow it thru to the end and you'll eventually get there, maybe even write a book.

[Skruffyhound]

Thanks for that info. I just made myself a UV source for other purposes, so that's handy! Now I can have a crack at this and make some T-shirts too