[Jewelry making - Article 00048] - Re: [Orchid] Inconsistent Etching Results

[Noel]

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>     For more consistent results you must also brush off your plate
>     constantly with a soft brush or a goose feather. [snip] For my
>     fine line etchings, I brush the plate every 30 sec - 1 minute but
>     with a respirator on. 

    For what it's worth, if you etch a lot, want smooth results, and
    don't want to stand there... 

    The "standard" technique is to tape an aquarium pump to the side of
    the container so that the vibration will dislodge bubbles. A step
    better, in my opinion, is to shoot the air stream from the pump
    alond the side of the bath to stir it. Best yet is to use a
    chemist's tool, a magnetic stirrer. It consists of a  box with a
    rheostat and a top surface on which you set your bath. Under that
    surface is a magnet that spins at adjustable speed. You drop a
    plastic-covered magnet, shaped like a vitamin capsule, into the
    bath. It spins, keeping the liquid moving; hence, no bubbles. Plus,
    this really speeds up the etch, a good thing when using ferric.

    One caution, however-- the bath must be pretty deep, and the metal
    held up off the bottom. If the bath is shallow, you will get swirl
    lines etched into the metal from the motion of the liquid. This can
    actually look kinda cool, but if you want smooth... 

    I bought my stirrer cheap (used) on eBay, I think about $15 (they
    are quite expensive new). If you luck out, you can find one with a
    burner, and keep the bath warm at the same time (for ferric, not
    nitric acid!) though these can cost more and are less common. 

HTH!
Noel

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