Etching with sodium hydroxide?

[DarthMace]

So, I am planning on doing some etching on my next saber. I read that aluminum reacts with sodium hydroxide (lye) to form hydrogen gas. Has anyone tried etching a saber with it? My biggest concern would be finding a shielding material that would not be dissolved by the base...I don't know if packing tape would do it.

[Twigz]

When in doubt, do a test piece! I have not used sodium hydroxide before, though I recently used the Root Kill method (copper sulfate) and the results were pretty satisfactory. It took me about 2 hours total to etch my entire hilt (aluminum extension from TCSS) and I was rather pleased with how my packing tape/vinyl sticker resists held up.

[ARKM]

I use saltwater and DC electricity to etch. It produces very small traces of hydrogen gas but not enough to be concerned about. I use black vinyl tape to cover areas I do not wish to be etched. However if you are referring to the just the image that is to be etched, laser printer toner, paint, vinyl stickers made using a die-cutting machine and clear packaging tape are what are normally used as a resist.

I have also tried copper sulfate (crystals, not liquid) mixed with saltwater. It requires no electricity and depending on the ratio of ingredients to water, can eat the aluminum very fast. In my experiments, it was too fast to provide quality etching. Though more water and less salt and copper sulfate may have worked better.

[Thalan the Exiled]

From experience and seeing what others have done I would say your best bet is to go with the salt water and electricity method. The results are very easy to control and the lines are very crisp. You can get amazing results and very detailed. The resists you can use are vinyl printed design, electrical tape(vinyl tape), and I have heard that even sharpie marker works tho I have not tried it. I used a modified version of this methid and got some excelent results. And it is very easy to do.

[DarthMace]

Thanks for the advice folks! I decided to give the salt-water and electricity a go...

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[DarthFender]

That came out rather nicely. Good job. What did you use for your resist?

[DarthMace]

That came out rather nicely. Good job. What did you use for your resist?

I used clear packing tape, and cut out the patterns with a razor blade. The packing tape let some water through, so I might try vinyl tape for the next test piece.

[Twigz]

for saltwater etching, i've used nail polish as a resist and it turns out quite fine

[DarthMace]

Thanks for the tip, I'll have to try it.

[LordBane26]

for saltwater etching, i've used nail polish as a resist and it turns out quite fine

Just regular nail polish?