Thank you. I'm using a solution of water, salt, and copper sulfate (Zepp's Root Killer) for the etchant, toner transfer as a resist, and a capped segment of pvc pipe for a container.
Ahh I never thought to use copper sulfate. And I'm assuming you use a car battery as well? Thanks for the tip.
It's an acid etch, so electricity isn't required.
We all have to start somewhere. The journey is all the more impressive by our humble beginnings.
http://led.linear1.org/1led.wiz for the lazy man's resistor calculator!
http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com...e-to-Ohm-s-Law for getting resistor values the right way!
I use Ferric Chloride (PCB etchant) for aluminum etching. I dilute mine in a 2:1 acid to water solution, to slow the reaction down a bit. Copper Sulfate (Zep's Root Kill) is what is being used by rogue9607 on the saber in this thread. I'm not sure what specific concentrations he is using.
We all have to start somewhere. The journey is all the more impressive by our humble beginnings.
http://led.linear1.org/1led.wiz for the lazy man's resistor calculator!
http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com...e-to-Ohm-s-Law for getting resistor values the right way!
I'll be rather slow replying since I'm heading to Dragon*Con.. . Thanks for the replies Silver Serpent.
All of my etching has been in aluminum, without electricity. If I remember correctly, for the last batch I used 1.5 cups of root killer, 1.5 cups salt, and 8 cups of water. I can share links when I get back to my computer next week.
I mask my parts with clear wide packing tape, and use it to close off the open ends.
The Ferric Chloride solution I use is a liquid. If you don't want to mask the entire piece, then there is an alternative method:
Get some latex gloves, safety goggles, a sponge, some FC etching solution, and a bucket of water. Mask your part as normal, then put on your gloves and goggles, and use the sponge to apply full-strength etchant to the exposed aluminum. Be careful, as spilling the etchant will leave stains or chemical burns. It's best to do this outside, to avoid buildup of toxic fumes. Dunk your part in the water when you are done etching, to stop the reaction.
You can get a visible etch after wiping the sponge over the part for a minute or two. Keep it up until you get the depth you're looking for.
We all have to start somewhere. The journey is all the more impressive by our humble beginnings.
http://led.linear1.org/1led.wiz for the lazy man's resistor calculator!
http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com...e-to-Ohm-s-Law for getting resistor values the right way!
WOW! there's certainly no slowing you down.
Well I'm gonna give the sliding switches a go on my current scrap parts saber,
its not really a Satele saber more like a Corran Horn saber really.
will post a link rather than hijack your thread ha ha
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