Rub b e r stamp d e sig ns e tche d into b rass she e t me tal.

DIY copper etching tutorialrings-things.com /blog/2011/12/28/diy-copper-etching-tutorial/

It is easy to etch your own designs into metal f or jewelry. This tutorial will teach you how! (Checkout our etching kit too!)

Bef ore you begin,please read the saf etyconsiderations f oretching metal withchemicals blog post.

Youll also probablywant to read the designconsiderations f oretching metal blog posttoo!

Now, here are the stepsf or etching metal withf erric chloride:

1. Choose your metal(s).Ferric chloride works oncopper, brass and nickelsilver. It will not work onactual silver (f ine orsterling). Do NOT usef erric chloride onaluminum. Metal as thinas 24-gauge can beetched just leave it inf or less time than youwould f or thicker metal. If you want to etch both sides or etch really deeply, use at least 20-gaugemetal.

2. Clean metal with Penny Brite (our f avorite) or an abrasive cleaner and scrubbie. The metal mustbe very clean. Water will sheet of f (not bead up) on the surf ace when it is truly clean.

3. Apply resist. Stazon ink, Sharpies, toner transf ers there are many options! (Read the designconsiderations.)

4. Cover all areas that

A co mb inatio n o f rub b e r stamp s and hand -d rawn Sharp ie d o o d le s d e co rate thelarg e co p p e r she e t. The C was d o ne with a PnP b lue to ne r transfe r.

It wo uld have b e e n le ss me ssy to ink the e d g e s b e fo re p utting the tap e o n the b ack.

4. Cover all areas thatshould not be etchedwith ink or durable tape.This includes the back,sides and inside anyholes.

5. Pour 3/4 1 ofetchant into a non-reactive container (glassor plastic). If you areetching more than onetype of metal, use aseparate container f oreach. If desired, add ateaspoon of citric acidto boost the etchingaction.

6. Attach metal to astyrof oam f loat boatand place in etchant.Suspending the metalinto the bath with tapeis another option. Justmake sure the metal issubmerged yet isnttouching the bottom ofthe container.

7. Allow to f loat f or 30-90 minutes, dependingon depth of etchdesired. Nickel silvertends to take longerthan copper or brassbecause it contains just65% copper. (The rest isnickel and zinc.)

A little c itric ac id (fro m the g ro ce ry sto re ) acce le rate s thee tching actio n, b ut is no t re q uire d .

A b o at re ad y to flo at!

8. Scrub metal clean in a tub of water.Use baking soda to neutralize the acid ifdesired. Some people use a weakammonia bath to really make sure theacid is removed. Cleaning all the etchantof f is important, as it will stain.

Thats it! Youll probably want to patinathe metal with liver of sulf ur or anotheroxidizer to really bring out the def init ionin your design.

Ferric chloride can be reused severalt imes. Once it is exhausted (typicallyaf ter about 3 uses), consult your localwaste management system f or guidanceon disposing of it.

Happy creating! Use the print f riendlyoption to print these instructions withor without pictures! Questions arealways welcome too. ~ Cindy

Editors Addendum: Many people haveasked Where do you find thesesupplies? So here is a linked list ofsheet metal andetching supplies:

66 copper sheet6 strips of coppersheet f or etching,stamping, riveting,etc.Copper washers66 brass sheet6 strips of brasssheet f or etching,stamping, riveting,etc.Solid brassbracelets great

Bo at flo ating with me tal face -d o wn in the che mical b ath.

Etche d d e sig n is c le arly vis ib le this p ie ce is re ad y to b e c le ane d .

bracelets greatf or etching orotherwiseembellishing66 nickel sheet6 strips of nickelsheet f or etching,stamping, riveting,etc.Ferric Chloride

Roof ers use 19- to 27-gauge copper sheet, butsurprisingly the pricesf rom most roof ingsupply places are higherthan our prices.Fortunately, you canof ten f ind lef t-overroof ing scrap at a localrecycler, like EarthworksRecycling. The size ofreclaimed copper scrapcan be random, so bringa measuring gauge andgauge conversion chartto make sure you getthe size of scrap orremnants you want,such as 20-, 22- or 24-gauge.

For more t ips aboutetched copper, brassor nickel jewelry:Various designers atRings & Things haveetched jewelry designs

Using ste e l wo o l to b uff the p atina o ff the hig h p o ints.

Rita wro te o n a co p p e r washe r with Sharp ie to make the e tche d ce nte r l ink o n thisb race le t.

(with f ree how-tos no login required!) in ourDesign Gallery.

DIY copper etching tutorial