Makers mark

[JawJacker]

I tried the ole battery charger paint mask cost me 20 bux for 200 masks not too bad. The only issue I was having was no matter how well I was masking the stencil with electrical tape it would still leak and make small burns I tried to use as little solution as possible, would nail polish help seal the edges better????

These marks took 5 mins

[Ray Rogers]

Dang! I'm not surprised that you're getting some extra burn marks - you're trying to harness lightning there! That way more amperage than a normal etcher that we would use would have. Great mark if you can learn to control it but far more than is necessary. I don't know what you have invested so far but $75 would have bought an Etch-O-Matic ...

[AUBE]

By "battery charger" did you mean an automotive battery charger or something like a cellphone battery charger? I'm assuming by the depth you got in only 5mins its automotive. I think the problem is what Ray said, too much power.

I use a car battery charger for etches but I also use a rheostat inline and an amp meter to watch the amps. If I just use it full power it will etch too fast and cause problems. The smaller the area you are etching, the less amps you need. I use a car charger because I'm etching entire blades, its overkill for a little font.

But for the depth you got it really doesn't look bad at all, most marks are shallower than that appears.

[cbsmith111]

I don't know much about it, but that looks pretty good to me. Did you use a properly made stencil or something you made yourself?

[JawJacker]

I did hear some cracklin and seen some smoke, but when I looked at it didnt look deep at all then I took the stencil off and wow, it was deeper looking.
Im using a 4 AMP automotive charger 5 mins then I swithched the leads for one minute to get the black in there.
I'll do some more practice with less time see what happens. Thanks

CB yes sign shop made stencil from paint mask.

[Ray Rogers]

Ya, see, with the etchers we generally use we're looking at about 1 amp at less than 1 minute total (A/C and D/C combined) ...

[ranger1]

Try bees wax. Melt it and paint a thin layer around the stencil.

[10es&]

Your marking looks great.
At one time I was having trouble with extra burns in the steel when etching. I started using just a Q-tip instead of the graphite block that came with my etcher. It seems to control the "burn" much better and holds just the right amount of solution. I simply rub it over the stencil like I was painting it. This process likely takes a few more minutes but for me it is still quicker than re-sanding the area of the stencil to remove unwanted burns or halos.
Also, I only tape one side of my stencil with scotch-tape. In my experience taping all four sides or even three ?traps? extra solution under the stencil and creates the halo effect.

Brett

[Anthony Chaney]

Ok, I'm intrigued. How you make this thing? I have a trickle charger for my motorcycle, would that work? I also read a thread about someone using a doorbell somethingoranother. I'm clueless, but I want to start etching my makers mark.

[Anthony Chaney]

One more thing. What proggy did you guys use to design your mark? I have this idea in my head if I can get it in some type of program.

[JawJacker]

Anthony. I used a 6 Amp charger(auto) with alligator clips Posi side to blade, neg to acotton ball dipped in a salt and vinigar solution, as far as making the solution half cup vinigar tablespoon salt or close to that. I plugged in the charger dipped the clipped cotton ball into the solution sqweezed out the excess (most of it) and held it on my stencil picking it up every 30 seconds or so to check it.

You need to make a Vector file for the design so the cutter can read it. I have a link to a free program if you need one.


I have the link at home, I m at work all day today. let me know