Unusual etching

Jewelry Discussion
1

Amanda,

In acid etching 14 to 16 gauge sheet undercutting will be a serious
problem.

Etch piercing is done by etching the metal from front and back at the
same time. Undercutting by the acid leaves the edges shaped like two
half tubes resulting in three sharp ridges, front surface, back
surface and middle.

In thinner gauges this isn’t a problem but in the thickness you want
it will be very noticeable.

One solution might be to gang thinner pieces to minimize this effect.

I have been working with International Etching in Providence for over
7 years and I’m very happy with them. They take my vector drawings in
Corel Draw format. I suspect that they can use others also. They can
also work from a drawing or print out. They claim “If you can draw it
we can make it”. Guess they never heard of M.C. Escher.

They just set up a web site at:

Good Luck,
John Flynn

2

Thanks for the warning! The stuff I have designed at this point
doesn’t need to be pierced through, though, so the acid would be
attacking only from the front. I’m not sure how deep I need it- deep
enough to keep patination even in largish areas while I polish the
color off the flat tops- but I do recognize that undercutting may be
a big issue. That’s why I want to work with someone with a lot of
experience, or maybe explore the milling options a couple of people
have suggested.

Thanks so much for the contact info for the etcher you know! I’ll be
contacting them shortly.

-Amanda Fisher Electric Celt/Pixelations, Inc.