Etched enclosures

deadastronaut · June 12, 2018, 02:45:35 AM

very cool nathan....came out great man.

cpk313 · July 04, 2018, 02:38:40 PM

First try at etching, used NaOH, many, many, (MANY) attempts to get the image to adhere on the box and still wasn't 100% happy, the upper left corner was masked fine I just let the etch go a little too long. It took about 20(ish) minutes, thought that it was going to be longer from others' postings, anyhow will know better for next time.

Marcos - Munky · July 05, 2018, 03:15:31 PM

10th build of 2018. A friend asked me to build him a pedal called "satan muff", it's an internal joke. Despite the name, the circuit is Joe Davisson's Transistor Obsidian.

DeusM · July 20, 2018, 10:50:25 AM

Does any of you guys use clear coat after painting the etched enclosure? Doesn't it peel off?

slashandburn · July 21, 2018, 07:25:41 AM

I'll second Mat's question. I haven't etched a box for ages now but looking back over my earlier efforts, the boxes with a lot of bare polished metal on display suffered from this "peeling" or flaking that Mat describes.

My reverse etches on the other hand (with more etched and painted surface area than bare polished metal) have held up really well.

I get that the clear coat needs something to grip and that aluminium polished up to 2500 grit isn't really the ideal painting surface, which would explain why my reverse etches and painted boxes hold up really well. There must be something we're missing here, surely you don't all just leave your beautiful etches naked?

Marcos - Munky · July 21, 2018, 10:55:08 AM

Quote from: slashandburn on July 21, 2018, 07:25:41 AM
surely you don't all just leave your beautiful etches naked?

I just leave them naked, although mine aren't beautiful

. A friend who works painting cars did a clear coat on one of my boxes about 2 years ago and everything's fine until now. Don't know the method he used.

italianguy63 · July 21, 2018, 03:33:53 PM

Quote from: Marcos - Munky on July 21, 2018, 10:55:08 AM
Quote from: slashandburn on July 21, 2018, 07:25:41 AM
surely you don't all just leave your beautiful etches naked?
I just leave them naked, although mine aren't beautiful . A friend who works painting cars did a clear coat on one of my boxes about 2 years ago and everything's fine until now. Don't know the method he used.

+1
I just leave mine naked too. I figure they will get scuffed up and chipped. Leaving them naked makes them easy to clean up with a piece of steel wool!

Your buddy probably used automotive clear coat-- a lot tougher and sticks better than shelf-bought spray bombs!!

MC

slashandburn · July 21, 2018, 05:27:21 PM

Good to know! I'm attempting my first enclosure etch in about 2 years so hopefully I'll finally have something else to share on this thread. I might leave it au-naturale this time and see how ot stands the test of time.

italianguy63 · July 21, 2018, 05:30:30 PM

Quote from: slashandburn on July 21, 2018, 05:27:21 PM
au-naturale

commando.

LOL

DeusM · July 23, 2018, 06:00:14 PM

And what caustic soda do you use? Here in my country it's nos allowed to buy it without a permsiom

. I can only get one liquid with 40% or so, or some pearls with around 28% of concentration. Can I still grt good results? I cant't even buy acetone to clean the pedals

. Sory. I know this is not the place to ask questions but I'm trying to get good results like the ones I see in you pictures.

italianguy63 · July 23, 2018, 06:07:08 PM

Quote from: DeusM on July 23, 2018, 06:00:14 PM
And what caustic soda do you use? Here in my country it's nos allowed to buy it without a permsiom . I can only get one liquid with 40% or so, or some pearls with around 28% of concentration. Can I still grt good results? I cant't even buy acetone to clean the pedals . Sory. I know this is not the place to ask questions but I'm trying to get good results like the ones I see in you pictures.

You can also use acid. (I do). "Pool supply" acid called muriatic acid (hydrochloric acid) can be used too...

MC

DeusM · July 23, 2018, 06:58:03 PM

Quote
You can also use acid. (I do). "Pool supply" acid called muriatic acid (hydrochloric acid) can be used too...
MC

The problem I think is that it starts to loose efectiveness. You have to sumerge it. Seems more complicated for me.

italianguy63 · July 23, 2018, 07:17:12 PM

Quote from: DeusM on July 23, 2018, 06:58:03 PM
Quote
You can also use acid. (I do). "Pool supply" acid called muriatic acid (hydrochloric acid) can be used too...
MC
The problem I think is that it starts to loose efectiveness. You have to sumerge it. Seems more complicated for me.

Sort of... you "dip" it... I just mask off the enclosure with blue masking tape (the sides). Takes about 2 1/2 minutes.. I dip it 30 seconds at a time, then rinse, and clean... repeat...

italianguy63 · July 23, 2018, 07:22:26 PM

I use a mixture of 1:1:1

Acid, water, 40% hydrogen peroxide

The peroxide comes from the beauty supply house (girls use it to bleach their hair).

If you can't get the peroxide, you can go it without it. Approximately 50/50 I would think. Anyway.. if you are interested, I know there are other posts in the forum discussing it. I was just letting you know there is an easy alternative to caustic soda.

MC

DeusM · July 23, 2018, 10:52:56 PM

I'll try that Mark. I read it works good to and leaves a well defined etch. My question is if it's pool water why the reaction with the water? I know it's hydrogen peroxide but I read some guy just uses water. Its the same as HCL right?

diffeq · July 24, 2018, 03:53:33 AM

Quote from: DeusM on July 23, 2018, 10:52:56 PM
I'll try that Mark. I read it works good to and leaves a well defined etch. My question is if it's pool water why the reaction with the water? I know it's hydrogen peroxide but I read some guy just uses water. Its the same as HCL right?

HCl == hydrochloric acid. Hydrogen peroxide == H2O2.

I might be wrong, but the main etchant is HCl, while H2O2 just burns reaction products off the surface so that aluminium chloride doesn't create crust on it. If that's the case, you can do without peroxide, just won't be as effective.
Wear gloves, work outside. This solution sounds like perfect mix to destroy your skin/clothes/carpet.

...

(funnily enough, regular water is hydrogen monoxide, H2O. With time, peroxide breaks into water and oxygen, loosing it's punch)

thermionix · July 24, 2018, 04:55:46 AM

Dihydrogen monoxide. Scary stuff!

DeusM · July 24, 2018, 01:46:43 PM

Yes. So the solution is HCL plus H2H2 right? I have some ferric but its lossing its punch. I read that this solutoon works for a long time and its not that bad for the enviroment. Im

deadastronaut · July 29, 2018, 07:53:58 AM

heads up UK sanding guys...

i discovered some great cheap sturdy long lasting sanding paper from B&Q.

a 5 metre roll of 'oakey' abrasive paper now named ' norton expert'

grade 60. rips the top surface off the enclosure really easily...and gets it properly flat (using a block)

i used the same piece in a block to do 6 x 1590BB enclosure tops, and it still looks as good as new

no clogging, and use dry too.... 8.50 for 5 metres. grab some...

i was using single sheet, crappy stuff, and it was hard work, this stuff is a breeze...

and gets that brushed look very nicely...and will take toner easily too.

no more single sheet crap for me....

stallik · July 29, 2018, 10:25:54 AM

Green one yeh?

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Etched enclosures

thermionix