tegendemuur
Well-known member
You are gonna finish it off with pastel colors, yes?
Also, was "The Powermuff Fuzz" too on-the-nose for you?
That series' radiating heart in two colors of pink would make for a neat background as well.
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Anyone using a Brother to etch?(Monochrome printer)
- Thread starter jwin615
- Start date
You are gonna finish it off with pastel colors, yes?
Also, was "The Powermuff Fuzz" too on-the-nose for you?
That series' radiating heart in two colors of pink would make for a neat background as well.
Hey. Busy day. I had a decent transfer that I patched with nail polish. But either I transferred wax backing from the.yellow Chinese paper, developed an oxide layer that resisted the etchant or my eBay etchant is weak. It took ages (~35-40 minutes) to get a shallow etch. By then, the toner started lifting/shrinking and letting etchant bleed through. I may have overheated the toner as well as you can see it has a scale/alligator skin like texture.
Ended up with roughly this. I did some localized sand after this.
I refrained from "power muff" as I plan to use a giant led indicator to the left, so had to separate it. It's more of an exercise than anything. I ordered 15 bare enclosures from SBP, planning to toss many. But this was a mbp pcb that's sat populated for years so I'll likely box and gift it. No one complains about blemishes on a free pedal.
Also, this was the closest rattle can I had to a ppg color.
Nostradoomus
Well-known member
I used to do a lot of transfer paper etching. The absolute best results came from a little samsung monochrome laserjet and glossy 65lb cardstock paper I got from an office supply store. Never found out what brand of paper it was, and when I went back to get a whole pack it had been discontinued. PNP blue and the yellow stuff never worked as well...the yellow stuff actually bricked my printer, so I bought a cheap diode laser and never looked back
Also try and find an old school flat iron that isn't meant for steaming clothes, that was another light bulb moment. They remain consistently hot across the entire metal plate.
I got a what appears to be 90s era Sunbeam from goodwill. I'd love to get a laser but...My old brother is a near cousin to the same one I've seen many use, including bean. I know it can do it. I feel like I'm probably the weakest link here.I only tried PnP once, as I have a limited supply and it's gotten expensive! But, time allowing, I'll circle back to it. I'm more concerned about my iron and heat/time currently. I think if I find that balance, I'll be good. Hopefully. But thanks for dropping in with the info and encouragement. I'll get there. If anything, I'm documenting for the sake of future strugglers. Also, I'm not buying another printer for this. I'll just keep picking at Illustrator and go UV before that. Cheap printer aren't cheap anymore. Though, the Samsung printer seem to have a better rep than brothersI used to do a lot of transfer paper etching. The absolute best results came from a little samsung monochrome laserjet and glossy 65lb cardstock paper I got from an office supply store. Never found out what brand of paper it was, and when I went back to get a whole pack it had been discontinued. PNP blue and the yellow stuff never worked as well...the yellow stuff actually bricked my printer, so I bought a cheap diode laser and never looked back
Also try and find an old school flat iron that isn't meant for steaming clothes, that was another light bulb moment. They remain consistently hot across the entire metal plate.
Nostradoomus
Well-known member
Once you find the right combination it's magic! haha
If my printer didn't eat it I'd probably still use that method, I had some really cool results.
Really I would go to staples or some kinda store and buy a few sheets of various glossy papers and see what works. Another tip I have is to use PVC glue as etchant resist instead of nail polish or whatever. I'd always put a bead of that around the edge of the face of the enclosure and nothing worked better.
If my printer didn't eat it I'd probably still use that method, I had some really cool results.
Really I would go to staples or some kinda store and buy a few sheets of various glossy papers and see what works. Another tip I have is to use PVC glue as etchant resist instead of nail polish or whatever. I'd always put a bead of that around the edge of the face of the enclosure and nothing worked better.
tegendemuur
Well-known member
On that Coda pedal website the guy says you can even use a glossy magazine cover. I bought a Brother laserjet (a 2400/1200p I believe) already (100,- is a steal), but have no real idea yet what to use to transfer the toner back to the aluminum. Seeing this thread, it seems I'm going to try a whole bunch on some aluminum bits and pieces to figure it before baptizing my actual faceplates.
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Nostradoomus
Well-known member
It's all trial and error, and can be super frustrating haha. That's why I'd just go get some loose sheets of various kinds of glossy cardstock paper instead of committing to any big quantity of PnP or yellow stuff etc.
I actually put a pair of enclosures face down on some scrap and hit them with clear coat(only hitting the sides). Duplicolor auto cc to be specific. Then sanded/leveled the top, ensuring now cc war on the top. It didn't eat through at all. Now. Through repeated heatings it has yellowed. But there's some promise there.
Nostradoomus
Well-known member
Cool! The nice part about the glue is you just peel it right off after. Painless haha
I just got a few sheets of yellow stuff. Was ~$5. Figured it was worth a shot.
I think I can use most anything, as far as the printer cares, if I print a proof and then feed a cutout. Printing entire sheets of glossy material tends to end badly though . I may need to clean the rollers in the printer. Maybe adding some petroleum jelly to them to bring them back around after 15 years.
When you say PVC glue, what do you mean? Like oatey cement used on pipes? Or glue that's actually Polly? Like liquid tape?
tegendemuur
Well-known member
Did you also ever try drain cleaner? It's that Coda guy's preffered bath. Can't say I found any other sources using that, but since it's already here, I feel like trying that too. Alongside some (to be a diluted) jugs of 30% HcL that I also have standing around here, for cleaning concrete.
Oh, it wasn't Coda's tutorial. His site (https://www.coda-effects.com/2017/10/enclosure-art-how-to-make-good-looking.html?m=0) links to this tutorial :
How I Do Etching
This is how I etch pedal enclosures; Step 1: The enclosure will look something like this to begin with; Note: I have found that the Eddystone line of Hammond enclosures are better for etching and...
diy-guitar-effects.tumblr.com
I have some lye I'll try too. What I bought was 43% mixture CaCl which I think is too diluted.Did you also ever try drain cleaner? It's that Coda guy's preffered bath. Can't say I found any other sources using that, but since it's already here, I feel like trying that too. Alongside some (to be a diluted) jugs of 30% HcL that I also have standing around here, for cleaning concrete.
Oh, it wasn't Coda's method. But his site linked to this tutorial:
How I Do Etching
This is how I etch pedal enclosures; Step 1: The enclosure will look something like this to begin with; Note: I have found that the Eddystone line of Hammond enclosures are better for etching and...
Nostradoomus
Well-known member
Yeah the Oatey PVC glue . And i always used a mixture of 40g lye to 100ml water, in that order or it will react violently. Then a syringe or baster to apply to the top of the enclosure, the bead of pvc glue stops it from pouring over the edges.
Erik S
Well-known member
If you’re just doing faceplates on sheet aluminum and not full enclosures, a laminator can work pretty good for applying heat and pressure.
I use one of these:
Interesting idea!
So, non dipping, just rest it on the top?
What kind of reaction time does it take to get an etch?
Edit to add:
Do you replace the solution 3-4 times like the tutorial or are you able to suspend more caustic with the PVC glue, eliminating the need.
That step of brushing it off seems a little sus. Or maybe I haven't grown to trust my toner enough...
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Nostradoomus
Well-known member
I forget the timing to be honest. It was years ago, I'm surprised I remember as much detail as I do!
I would etch it for a bit then just rinse it off and reapply if it wasn't deep enough. I don't remember brushing it off.
tegendemuur
Well-known member
Oh my! That's a great idea! Never bothered with buying an iron for myself, and was planning to have my 70-year-old mum help me out with hers, as she has to teach me what all those buttons do....
Yeah, I go with faceplates because not only because I like industrial look of it'' it's also not such a big loss if the etching fails.
jimilee
Well-known member
With a caveat of, I only etch PCBs; I got myself a dry iron. That improved my etching 100%. I also turned to PnP and never looked back.
If using an iron i recommend using a teflon sheet too, i get better transfer this way
https://www.amazon.com/Teflon-Sheet-Transfer-Reusable-Resistant/dp/B07H55M1ZR
https://www.amazon.com/Teflon-Sheet-Transfer-Reusable-Resistant/dp/B07H55M1ZR