Etching metal at home. How to apply images to hardware: step-by-step instructions

Metal etching sometimes replaces casting and engraving, it makes the whole process much simpler. You can get a drawing as concave - relief, or convex - bas-relief. Metal etching at home can be chemical and galvanic. The first option is more toxic when used at home, so first we will use the second, it is also called electrochemical.

Equipment

It is necessary to take a power supply or a transformer that can deliver from 4 to 7 V. In addition, you need a dielectric bath, it must contain the necessary part and a second metal object that is connected to the anode.

In order to etch the pattern on the metal, it is necessary to use an electrolyte solution of iron sulfate. If a picture is needed on a copper or brass surface, then copper sulphate is used. You can also use ferric chloride. The main thing is that the water is distilled.

Preparing the part for etching

To etch was uniform and in the right places, the part needs to be cleaned of dirt, and also degreased. For more convenient work, a copper wire is soldered to a part on tin, for it it will be convenient to hold the object. To clean the surface, it is necessary to lower the object to be converted into 10% sodium hydroxide, the temperature of which is 50 ° C, then in 15% sulfuric acid solution and hold it there for two minutes, then rinse with hot water. When the procedure is completed, the surfaces of the object will be completely cleaned, and of course, you can not touch them with your hands.

Electrochemical etching of metal

We need to protect places that should not be etched. To do this, apply a special mastic on these areas of the surface. It is made from three parts of wax and two - rosins, they are melted in a tin can, stirring. After everything turns into a homogeneous mass, it is allowed to cool down and split into fragments. Each of them is placed in gauze, so that later, when pressed, as many mastics as needed can penetrate through it. After that, the workpiece, which we will etch, heats up. Now take the created mixture, which was placed in the cheesecloth, and rub the surface with a uniform layer.

After cooling, the mastic becomes firm. From above it is covered with a light water-soluble paint. It can be watercolor or gouache white. After that the coating should dry. Then you can apply a drawing, on the paint it will hold well. It can be depicted with a pencil or transferred through a carbon paper. Then this contour must be scratched with a needle to the metal itself.

Now the etching of metal by electrolysis begins, we connect one bar to the anode - plus, the other to the cathode - minus. To the first we connect the detail on which the image will be applied, to the second one any plate made of steel. After this, the process of etching the metal begins where the image was scratched.

If you want to create a multilevel drawing, everything is done in the same way as described above. Only the contours are checked every time, and when the smallest of them are etched to the required depth, the part is removed and painted over with a heated mastic with a brush. When it stiffens, everything is repeated again to the next level of the picture. In the process, an image is gradually created.

In this way, metal etching is carried out at home, after which the surface is washed with turpentine, and then polished, giving the product a complete look.

Chemical etching

Now consider how to create a drawing on a metal surface without the use of electrical appliances. To do this, we need chemicals that are freely sold in hardware stores. So, let's begin. For etching we will need:

• "White Spirit";
• A paint that does not dissolve in White Spirit;
• acetone;
• Resin, which is used to cover roofs;
• Common salt;
• Copper vitriol.

Cleaning the part

To begin with, the detail where the image is planned is peeled off with fine sandpaper and degreased. When the surface is ready, you need a place where the pattern will be applied, glued with adhesive tape or something like that. After that, the rest of the surface, where chemical etching should not affect the metal, paint over with paint. It can be any color, the main thing is to be resistant to the White Spirit.

When the paint dries, you can remove the adhesive tape. Under it, pure metal, ready to create a drawing on it. Now on this "mini-canvas" you need to put an image. It is made with resin, which is dissolved in White Spirit, until it becomes liquid, like paint. She uses the brush to draw the desired image. What is good about such improvised paint is that if something does not work out in the drawing, you can remove it by dipping a cloth or a cotton swab in White Spirit. If there are very small details in the figure that are poorly formed by a brush, they can be corrected with a needle, scraping off excess after drying.

In this way, it is possible to etch the knife, keys, in general, any metal object. Now, when the drawing is completely ready, you can proceed to the etching itself.

Etching solution

We need a liter of water in which to dissolve 100 g of copper sulfate, and after adding salt. It must be poured until it ceases to dissolve. The resulting mixture will have a blue color. However, after the metal object is immersed in it, the color will begin to change to green.

So, we submerge the part. The chemical process starts immediately. In all this production, no harmful substances are released, so such metal etching at home is safe.

Actions during the chemical reaction

During the reaction, a plaque is formed, which will become more and more. It inhibits the whole process, so you should periodically wash it off with water. Do not do this with the help of various brushes, brushes and other tools, because you can damage the paint. But it seems to hold the whole picture, and it will be insulting if, while carrying out the etching of the knife, for example, drawing on it, you inadvertently damage it. This is a very delicate work, requiring a firm hand and patience.

From the time during which the metal will stay in solution, the depth of the pattern depends directly. Exact criteria do not exist, therefore, each master must himself observe the course of the chemical reaction. And only after doing this several times, it will be possible to say with certainty what time is necessary for the manifestation of the desired pattern to be conceived depth.

Advantages and disadvantages of electrochemical and chemical etching

To the advantages of electrochemical etching of metal at home is that the created pattern is more precise, this is clearly seen if you look at it with an increase. However, the disadvantage is that this method requires the presence of an electrical appliance, which may not be available to everyone.

The advantages of chemical etching include the fact that everything you need can be bought at a hardware store. These ingredients are cheap and, most importantly, you do not need to look somewhere for a power supply unit or other devices capable of giving out 4 to 7 V. However, the imperfect edges of the picture are a minus.