[Jewelry making - Article 00272] - Re: [Orchid] Rio's Etching resist problem

[kerri parker]

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Christen,

    I'm more of a printmaker than a jeweler so I've got your answer.
    Whatever your etching resist, asphaltum or universal hard ground,
    should be a little thicker consistency of water. The bottle of "tar"
    that your talking about was probably an old or contaminated bottle
    they sent to you. If you want your new etching resist to reach that
    consistency pour some out into a container and let it sit for a
    while. Maybe after 15 min you'll notice a film start to form on top.
    The resist will just get thicker until it fully hardens. 

    You can paint more than one coat on your piece but your first coat
    has to be thick or else it will lift off with the second coat. If you
    want to scratch into something with a tar consistency you can't let
    it fully dry, but it should be dry to the touch. 

    A few reasons for the etching ground being so brittle and flaky... 

    1. If your bottle was contaminated that could be a reason but a thin
    consistency usually means it's fresh. 

    2.  If you don't degrease you jewelry really well, the resist will
    just flake off. Use naptha or rubbing alcohol to degrease. 

    3.  Oil from your hands will soak into the dry etching resist and
    make the resist flake off, too. 

    4.  Turpentine or paint thinner will not let the resist adhere to
    the metal well. 

    5.  Sometimes the weather has something to do with it. In Los Angeles
    its so dry that I usually have 24 hours to work on an etching before
    it gets brittle. When I used to live in St. Louis it was much damper
    so I could sometimes get a week out of the same resist being on the
    metal. 

    Here's a few tips: 

    I use throw away sponge brushes to apply the ground to flat surfaces.
    If your using a brush to apply the resist make sure most of the
    solvents you use to clean the brush are gone. 

    When it gets too thick you can dilute it with naptha NOT turpentine
    or thinner. I think home depot carries it but it's pretty toxic.
    Instead of buying the concentrated stuff, I keep a bottle of lighter
    fluid (for zippos) that contains naptha. make sure to check the
    ingredients before you buy it.  It's a little less toxic but I
    recommend having some ventilation when your dealing with anything
    that contains this stuff,  including the resist 

    If you want to try a different etching ground you can get many
    different forms from Graphic Chemical. They've got a catalog and
    utrect art supply should have it or pearl paint depending if you live
    in a big town. 

    When you use a resist pour some out into a seperate container to use.
     Any contact with the air or dipping brushes into the original bottle
    will contaminate your resist very quickly. Don't pour back into the
    container. 

    If you leave your metal in the acid for long periods of time the
    resist will also flake off because of strong acid. 

    Some alternative resists are spray paint, sharpie, toner, but you'll
    have to experiment with the timing. 

    There's a book on etching called "Etching, Engraving, and other
    Intalio Printmaking techniques"  by Ruth Hand that will give you
    some ideas as to alternative methods for making a resist.  It may
    even have some home recipes for resists but I'm not sure. I don't
    think the book mentions etching silver but you can experiment with
    their techniques. Silver just requires a stronger acid bath than
    other metals. Etching is all about experimentation with your timing. 

    If you have any questions feel free to email me at
    kerrpluunk AT hotmail.com I hope this could be of help. 

Kerri

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