[Jewelry making - Article 00095] - Re: [Orchid] Etching detailed patterns

[Lorne Flach]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========


    David, before you give away all your 'letraset' try laser printing
    on the blue backing [burnishing] sheet that comes with it. For those
    who have not seen this product the blue sheet is a 'silicon?'
    impregnated paper that works very well for doing your own laser toner
    transfers onto metal. 

    It seems the graphic supply places around here [Vancouver Island,
    BC, Canada] don't stock 'letraset' anymore so the best sources I
    would suggest is to phone around to local print shops, silk screen
    shops, draftspeople, architectural places, graphic artists, etc. and
    ask if they have some kicking around in a back room and offer to
    'take it off their hands' for a fee or free - all you're really after
    is the blue burnishing sheet. Another option that I haven't tried is
    a transfer paper silk screeners use for T-shirt transfers which is
    supposed to be a 'silicon' transfer paper [might work]. Or just order
    some PNP Blue from wherever one orders it. 

    The transfer process that I found to work was to: 

    1. laser print your image on this paper - remember to make your
    image 'wrong reading', it will come out 'right reading' when
    transfered. If your printer allows it, set the toner density to high. 

    2. put away your iron and get out that 'coffee warmer' thing which
    seems to run at about 180 degrees F [82 C], if your piece is too
    large for this an electric fry pan set at around 180F [82C] will
    work. 

    3. give your metal a bit of a tooth with 'scotchbrite' pad or
    whatever you choose, clean your metal of all grease and oils [finger
    prints included]. I just wave it about in the hot pickle for a bit. 

    4. rinse and dry metal with paper towel and handling by edges only
    place on coffee warmer [or fry pan] business side up, let metal heat
    up. 

    5. place your transfer [toner down] on warm metal and using your
    burnisher start burnishing your image onto the metal. Use a heavy
    leather glove [or whatever works for you] to hold the transfer in
    place. Tape doesn't work - the adhesive will not hold when heated. 

    6. you will be able to see the image start to 'grey out' as it
    transfers [just like 'letraset'] and you will be able to tell where
    it hasn't transfered and go back and fix. I prefer to burnish from
    one end and work my way up the image rather than from the center out. 

    Hope this is of some help and at least semi-clear. 

Lorne
 

____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________