Thanks Thanks:  0
Likes Likes:  0
Needs Pictures Needs Pictures:  0
Picture(s) thanks Picture(s) thanks:  0
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 22
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Nth Qld
    Posts
    687

    Default More homemade metal labels

    I'm really getting the knack of making metal data plates and wanted to share some images of the latest efforts:


    The first project is a replica brass plate for an International Harvester hopper cooled engine for a Sth. Aust. machine restorer who has a project missing one of these. The original is shown first, which I have only seen in photographs:






    The second plates are for an antique Parks planer machine in the USA:


  2. #2
    Dave J Guest

    Default

    Very impressive and beautifully done
    Could I ask how they are done? Also do you do plates for anyone and what sort of price are they?
    Keep up the great work Graziano
    Dave

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    moonbi nsw Aus
    Age
    69
    Posts
    364

    Default

    Absolutely great work!!!!!!!!!!
    Your results are really good and is making my grey matter working on a plate for an old lathe that I have
    Just do it!

    Kind regards Rod

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    St Georges Basin
    Posts
    121

    Default

    Nice work Graziano, I'd be interested in hearing about the processes you use.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Nth Qld
    Posts
    687

    Default

    Hi Dave, Chambezio and Burraboy, I started off by using this guys website: Adam's PCB home page to make acid copper chloride, but you can use a number of acids to etch metals with. I use a pressure adhesive photosensitive film which is also mentioned at the link above. This film is stuck to a smooth metal surface, say 800 grit wet sanded minimum finish. At that point the film can be masked off with a transparency printed on the old inkjet printer and exposed to light for a few seconds.

    The film gets polymerised and goes hard wherever light hits it and stays soft where masked. At that point you can peel off the front protective film and wash unexposed film completely off the metal with weak caustic soda. This gives you film masking off the metal like in the pic below:



    At this point you mask off the back of the plate with duct tape and round the edges with either wax or silicone and then etch in the acid copper chloride solution. Once etched you strip the wax and tape and soak in metho for ten minutes and the film is stripped. Paint the whole plate with the auto acrylic of your choice and when dry give it a light sand with wet and dry on a glass plate until the letters are exposed through the paint. Finally clear coat it with acrylic to protect the bare metal from tarnishing.


    Edit: I do make plates, the details are over in the "Announcements" part of the Forum: http://www.woodworkforums.com/f12/en...plates-121349/ so far WA Pete and Groggy have taken me up on the offer and can comment on the results.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    9,088

    Default

    So its dead easy then
    Very nice work Graziano
    Was tempted to ask "Why did you spell harvester incorrectly?" But I thought my typing might let me down.

    Stuart

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Rural Victoria
    Posts
    358

    Default

    A very neat example of lateral thinking. Was it your idea to use PCB etching?

    Excellent work.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Nth Qld
    Posts
    687

    Default

    Stu......don't scare me like that!!!. It's easy if you keep control of ALL variables and stay consistent. I kept notes to iron out all the details involved.

    Gerbilsquasher, yes it was my idea, I already had most of the set up for making boards and just cut the process across once I had the right film.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    near Rockhampton
    Posts
    6,216

    Default

    You got the font wrong

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    9,088

    Default

    Did you check?
    Yes it "sounds" easy once someone else has done all the work and written it down for you.
    A great idea very well executed.
    Stuart

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Nth Qld
    Posts
    687

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Stustoys View Post
    Did you check?
    Yes it "sounds" easy once someone else has done all the work and written it down for you.
    A great idea very well executed.
    Stuart
    I work with a photo of the original scaled to size and perspective corrected, then draw the text on top to match the hand lettered spacing of the original which varies from word to word, also I have to spend time finding the correct font to match the original. If there's a mistake I guess I'd copy it to keep it original . Machinery makers used a very similar etching process to make their plates, apparently they would print the artwork on a brass plate with beeswax or pitch then etch in aqua regia or other acid cocktails.

    When I was working on etching my very first samples were made with beeswax and then written on with a ballpoint pen as a stylus. To give you some idea of the time frame I first started my etching notes in 2007. Also a note to the experimenter....any etching recipes you might find in metallugical textbooks which have nitric acid in them and have the vague instruction to not store the solution.....that's because it reacts to forms nitro based explosives less stable than nitroglycerin......you have been warned!.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Geelong Vic
    Age
    70
    Posts
    5

    Default

    Exxxxxxxxxxxxxxxcellent in my very best Monty Burns voice
    really nice work mate

    undies

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Canberra
    Posts
    490

    Default

    Those are really nice pieces, especially for people trying to hunt up non-existent spares for old machinery.

    If you are trying to get clean images to work with, I've found Vector Magic very handy. (assuming you work in vector art, that is)

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Nth Qld
    Posts
    687

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Master Splinter View Post
    Those are really nice pieces, especially for people trying to hunt up non-existent spares for old machinery.

    If you are trying to get clean images to work with, I've found Vector Magic very handy. (assuming you work in vector art, that is)

    Often the first thing pinched off old machinery would be the shiny brass badge or the nameplate so having a custom replacement is a plus. I'm using Corel Draw! which is vector based software so that vector magic would be very handy to have, I may have to wait until after that big engraving job though.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Canberra
    Posts
    490

    Default

    You get three free vectorisations per email address. Only takes a minute to create a single use Yahoo or Hotmail address...!

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •