Failed DIY Etching-Marking Machine

G

Gaspasser9000

Joined
Mar 14, 2018
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6
I built an electro etching-marking device from an ACDC adaptor. It puts out about 10V AC and DC. I tried it out (using wood-working glue as a blocker) on a sanded and alcohol-cleaned piece of soft steel. On 3 different spots I progressively used longer and longer etch and mark times: 30s, 60s, 90s. It did appear to be working in both modes: bubbled with the DC and turned a bit black with the AC. However, when I was finished there was no etch and the marking rubbed right off. Any suggestions?
 
Josh Rider said:
Switch your blade and etcher lead and see if that helps.
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Yup.... that will probably do it.

The etch pad should be your negative lead (cathode), and your positive lead (anode) should clip to whatever metal you're etching, or at least to a conductive plate that your metal to be etched can sit on.
 
What type Etchant were you using?

Josh is also right about switching the leads.
 
Busto said:
What type Etchant were you using?

Josh is also right about switching the leads.
Click to expand...
Thx to both! I was using salt water. The build recipe I used said positive voltage on both alligator and pad, which is how it turned out. However i’ll Try the switch. It did bubble with DC and blacken with AC tho?!
 
AC has no polarity so it should work either way, DC does, if you have a multimeter check if the positive is the one you attach to the blade and negative to the pad with salt. if multimeter reads a positive value the leads are connected properly.

Pablo
 
PEU said:
AC has no polarity so it should work either way, DC does, if you have a multimeter check if the positive is the one you attach to the blade and negative to the pad with salt. if multimeter reads a positive value the leads are connected properly.

Pablo
Click to expand...
Well, finally got back to it. It tries to etch: Sizzles and smokes a bit.; Creates some brown gunk. The marking mode definitely turns it blackish. However, when I'm finished. I can't feel an etch and the black easily wipes away. I left the pad on for 5 minutes on etch and 5 minutes on mark......How can I make it etch DEEPly
 
You don’t want to leave it on there for a long time. Make swipes with your q-tip or pad across your stencil, a couple seconds at a time.

I just realized you’re not doing this on hardened steel. I am not entirely sure, but will it even etch on soft steel?
I always do my blades after heat treat.
 
Steel hardness shouldn't matter. You definitely need one side positive and one side negative. Can you link to the plans/parts you used? Maybe the current from the adapter is too low?
 
Gaspasser9000 said:
Well, finally got back to it. It tries to etch: Sizzles and smokes a bit.; Creates some brown gunk. The marking mode definitely turns it blackish. However, when I'm finished. I can't feel an etch and the black easily wipes away. I left the pad on for 5 minutes on etch and 5 minutes on mark......How can I make it etch DEEPly
Click to expand...

DC makes it etch but not always blackens, so you use AC to blacken an already etched stencil, not the other way around, its always DC first AC later.

Pablo
 
Id be willing to bet the transformer is a new style switching transformer that will detect the short and drop the voltage, hence the shallow etch.
 
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