Issues getting dura-film stencils to work with AC/DC electro-etching

[guy-montag]

I'm not sure if I'm doing this incorrectly, or I'm using the wrong sort of stencil material, but I picked up some dura-film stencil material from Etch-O-Matic here - http://www.etch-o-matic.biz/stencils.htm and developer. I printed out a design on a transparency, exposed it to UV light, ran it through the developer and applied it to some leftover steel flat stock with an electrolyte solution designed for steel (this guy - http://usaknifemaker.com/etching-su...a-use-for-all-steels-including-stainless.html).

Now when I use the electrolyte by itself with AC or DC current (12 volts, 2.5A), it etches knives without issue. I'm just trying to get it to work with a stencil. Any advice? Use something other than dura-film?

 

[Ken H>]

Guy, did you ever get the stencils working? I've got a similar question with no responses...... so far anyway.

Ken H>

 

[guy-montag]

Guy, did you ever get the stencils working? I've got a similar question with no responses...... so far anyway.

Ken H>

Nope. I think I didn't get the exposure right, wrong wavelength or scattering or who knows. Ended up getting stencils from Ernie and they work great.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Stencils is one of the big places where trying to do it yourself isn't going to save any money, and will almost always give poor quality. Stabilizing is another.