Had a customer come in yesterday that brought to mind a bench trick I
haven’t used in years so I thought I would pass it along. the
customer ordered a piece using letter of the alphabet ( yes someone’s
name, and yes I will do anything for a commission). Instead of
spending laborious hours doing the layout of the lettering and then
trying to transfer it to the metal or wax I instead use the press on
letters you buy at the local art store. Letraset or Press Type are the
brand names that come to mind. They stick to metal or wax , come in a
variety of letter styles to satisfy almost any desire and even come in
some very interesting designs that are not copyright designs. They
also can be used as block out for an acid etching. One of the brands
(though I forget which one) uses an encapsulated glue as the adhesive
and when burnished into place the glue is released and it sticks. this
is the best for acid resist. Check for specks with the art supply
store to see if this type is still available. Anyway this is type
face, down and dirty ,quick and easy, and very precise. Frank Goss