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How to video : Etch calibers and just about anything into barrels for hobbyists

M

Mram10

Cast Iron
Joined
Dec 17, 2017
Sorry it took so long guys. Got very busy with work over the Christmas season. Here is the link to the YouTube. Keep in mind I am not a professional videographer but this will hopefully help somebody out there

etch/engrave metal with a battery charger and vinegar - YouTube

To clarify my setup:
Cricut Explore One machine $130
Cricut printable vinyl $10 for a pack of 10 sheets
12v car battery charger on 12v 10a setting
Jar of vinegar/salt mix
 
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Henrya, glad to hear it. I need better video skills.

Tmidget,
Not surprised you aren’t optimistic about this. They require .003” which it will do.
 
I ran down this road several years back and setup the shop with a power source and used one of the commercial suppliers for the silk screen templates.

CFCEA606-A445-4E22-A2B1-D21629F4994D.jpg

I had to make up 50 in this first run so built a collet type fixture to hold the plates:

4481EE9E-6209-4A19-9366-856FB4A2B824.jpg 0C7DA2D6-B0A8-466C-8685-B2EA8F79E71E.jpg

fullsizeoutput_f3.jpg fullsizeoutput_707.jpg
This is the power source I am using:

MODEL VT-45A Power Unit | Lectroetch

And a interesting byword for the reason electrical etching was developed when engraving and stamping were mature techniques for marking metals:

https://lectroetch.com/wp-content/u...tch-MANUAL-in-order-by-page.cdr-CorelDRAW.pdf
 
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Mram10 said:
Sorry it took so long guys. Got very busy with work over the Christmas season. Here is the link to the YouTube. Keep in mind I am not a professional videographer but this will hopefully help somebody out there

Electro etch/engrave metal with a battery charger and vinegar - YouTube
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting. I like the HSS blank for the cathode. I've done this before but just used a q-tip (actually several) with an alligator-clip into the fuzzy part. I'd periodically dip the q-tip end in my acid solution(1) and apply it to the stencil directly. The cloth and HSS blank method seems to be a better idea.

Could you maybe elaborate a bit on the cutter and stencil material? I used a piece of clear tape printed-on with a laser printer then painstakingly cut out the text with an exacto knife. Not ideal for anything but a one-off.

1. My acid solution was diluted hydrochloric acid: about 0.5 fluid ounce of commercial muriatic acid (from Lowes) in about a pint of water. Vinegar and salt produces HCl in solution so both approaches should be similar.
 
GenePoole said:
Thanks for posting. I like the HSS blank for the cathode. I've done this before but just used a q-tip (actually several) with an alligator-clip into the fuzzy part. I'd periodically dip the q-tip end in my acid solution(1) and apply it to the stencil directly. The cloth and HSS blank method seems to be a better idea.

Could you maybe elaborate a bit on the cutter and stencil material? I used a piece of clear tape printed-on with a laser printer then painstakingly cut out the text with an exacto knife. Not ideal for anything but a one-off.

1. My acid solution was diluted hydrochloric acid: about 0.5 fluid ounce of commercial muriatic acid (from Lowes) in about a pint of water. Vinegar and salt produces HCl in solution so both approaches should be similar.
Click to expand...

Sir,
I use the cheap Cricut Explore One from Hobby Lobby. They also sell at Walmart for $130. The paper I use is the Cricut Explore printable vinyl. Comes in 10 pack of letter size sheets. Lasts a long time doing gun stuff. Hope this helps
 
Mram10 said:
Sir,
I use the cheap Cricut Explore One from Hobby Lobby. They also sell at Walmart for $130. The paper I use is the Cricut Explore printable vinyl. Comes in 10 pack of letter size sheets. Lasts a long time doing gun stuff. Hope this helps
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. I've been googling and such and found some information on this sort of thing. It has me thinking about some other ways to make the stencils. I've got a 3D printer and I think I can rig a cut head (or maybe even a laser cutter) onto it in place of the print head. This would free me from the proprietary stuff that most people on the web complain about RE the Cricut (and similar) machines out there. I'll keep the forum informed.
 
I use a photograph process for stencils. It is MUCH easier than it sounds when you write it :-) Just do your art work and print it on transparency film using a B&W laser printer then expose the film and develop. The film has a fine fabric mesh embedded in it so it will hold very fine detail.

Etch O Matic

Etch O Matic - Stencil Developer

It is worth considering...
 
MIBill said:
I use a photograph process for stencils. It is MUCH easier than it sounds when you write it :-) Just do your art work and print it on transparency film using a B&W laser printer then expose the film and develop. The film has a fine fabric mesh embedded in it so it will hold very fine detail.

Etch O Matic

Etch O Matic - Stencil Developer

It is worth considering...
Click to expand...

That is what the commercial outfits produce.
The template is a silkscreen process which permits “island” elements in graphic.
I think I paid $20 for the pair of stencils used in the job above- well worth not fussing with in house as the materials used are specific for acid/heat tolerance for multiple markings.

I used this outfit:

Stencils for Electro-Chemical Etching | T.U.S. Technologies, Inc.
 
Very cool! I think some of their prices are a bit higher but it sounds like they will do the stencils for a very reasonable price. If this is something one only does once or twice a year it would be well worth having them do the stencil. When I put together my set up I needed a new stencil for every new part I made.
 
One tip- TUS linked above will place as many graphics on same sheet as fit for same price.
So one stencil produced by them might get all needed- serial number, image etc
I think next time I might just buy the undeveloped sheet from them though as I do like to be able to mess with the output.
 
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Thx. The font being 18 with bold is about as small as I can go and still get deep etching. 19-20 works best for calibers on the side of barrels.
 
Seems to me the circuit printer would make stencils obsolete, sure they are one use but quick to print, accurate, no developing problems and better masking. I have developed many stencils and sometimes it is hit or miss. Another benefit which is the reason I have looked into the circuit is to make masks to cover the lettering prior to bead blasting or bluing, I often us a mask so that after blasting the lettering has a nice shiny oval or similar shape around it to highlight it. For years have been cutting clear packing tape with a razor to make the masks and it is tedious.
 
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