Re: More Phot Etch Questions

Mar 25, 2005 7 Replies



> Hi all,
> When I asked about what to clean phot etch with, I thought I was through.
> Now, someone has mentioned prime painting the photo etch before I use it. >
> Does it need to be primed?
> What else do I have to do to get the photo etch ready for use besides
> cleaning and maybe priming? Or is this all that's needed?
> Jerry 47

And how does one "anneal" photo etch? Jerry 47

Heat it till it's red, then let cool slowly.

You get a better anneal with brass my heating to bright cherry then quenching in warm water.

Certainly - it depends on the grain structure of the metal, and the effect you are trying to achieve. For any metal. You may select your quenching medium to achive a specific cooling rate depending on just how soft/hard you want the metal to wind up.

Personally, I just plain don't bother with any of this stuff for etched parts...especially brass ones. I like them just as they are - they bend readily, and I'd hate to think of how I'd have to deal with them if they were any more plyable. And I've never had any trouble getting enamels to stick to them right out of the package, although I am curious about the white vinegar treatment...more from the standpoint of aiding a glue bond.

There is so much wrong with your statement I don't know where to begin. It's early for me and I'm on my first cup of coffee, suffice it to say that you've made grossly invalid assumptions. Your statements are analogous to saying styrene and polyurethane should have the same working properties because they're both "plastic". A quick trip the the library is in order, for the simplest explanation look for a spiral bound book called "The Complete Metalsmith" by Tim McCreight.

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