Etcher question. Does power effect etch depth or just time?

Noshtero

Noshtero

Joined
Oct 10, 2002
Messages
1,551
Does the power of your etcher effect how deep you can etch? Or just how long it takes to do it?

I'm looking at the various options, and it's down to 4 for me:
Etch-o-matic
Personalizer
Personalizer Plus
Build my own

I shy away from Build my own because I worry about screwing it up. The etch-o-matic is the cheapest, but also the lowest power.

Let me throw this out as well. I'm looking to be a hobby-maker. I'm not going to have a high volume at all. Probably more like a knife or 2 a month at most. On the other hand, I want the few knives I make marked well. So I don't need longevity, per say, but I do want quality.

If it's just time, how much time are we talking? If it's a matter of minutes between using the etch-o-matic or using the personalizer plus to get an etch of the same depth, well... I would be inclined to spend the minutes rather than the money.

Thanks!
 
Both power and amount of time will decide how deep it is. If you leave it on too long you will burn up the stencil, not long enough and no mark.
 
I never etch over 3 amps with my personalizer plus and get very clean cuts. Also by taking care (cleaning well) my stencils I get probably 30 or so cuts per stencil before it starts to crowfoot (fry). I've seen great cut logos by every contraption imaginable but for the last eight years I've been very happy with my marks. The cool thing about the DC AC feature is just flip it from etch to mark to redeposit the black oxide.
Ken.
 
I see this on the etch-o-matic page:
"New ETCH-O-MATIC can Etch as Deep as .003" of an Inch in Less than 30 Seconds "

Then I see this on the personalizer page:
"Both the Personalizer and the Personalizer Plus can be plugged into any 115 volt, 60 cycle, AC line and will etch your metal part from 0.0002 to 0.010 inches deep."

I'm not worried about speed, so I think my best bet is to either build my own, or go with the personalizer. I'd like to get a nice deep etch.
 
When I etch mine on a big blade I like it to be deep eonugh that if you run your finger over it you can FEEL the name, Never measured how deep. on my folders I like it a little less. It is all in how you do it and less on the equipment, with less amps it will take alot longer but it will get done.
Also what Ken said about he AC/DC opitions that a personalizer type brings is a bounus in my book.
 
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