Tip for etchers

[Iain]

Something I picked up at the N Scale Convention:

When drawing the parts on the computer, don't connect them with sprue.
Etch one side, coat with rubber cement.
Etch the other side.
Drop the whole thing in lacquer thinner.
Pick the etched pieces out of the thinner and use.

The guy that told me all this showed me the etched numberboards, builder's plates, etc. he did for N&W steam, and they were fantastic.

[TrainCat2]

Iain,

There are some professional etchers using a similar method. Hope you don't mind me playing devils advocate here, but the description is maybe a little too simplistic. Here are some of my thoughts;

Are you exposing/developing one side at a time?

How is side registration being handled if exposing/developing one side at a time?

How are you going to protect side #2 from etching while doing side #1?

Undercutting will increase greatly since both sides are separate.

You will need a carrier of some sorts besides the rubber cement to fully keep all parts aligned and in their original location while etching side #2.


This is doable, I just think it needs more thought.

. . . . . . .

[DKS]

Just to add to the devil's advocate list...

This may be fine for personal use, but selling a little baggie full of loose tiny parts as a kit doesn't sound practical.

[Iain]

What I put down is basically what I understood from what the guy told me.  As I am not an etcher, much of what he said escaped me.  However, the idea is to provide some thought.

From what I understand, when done correctly the etched parts are ready to go as soon as they are out of the lacquer thinner and don't need to have the sprue cut away, leading to a slightly better finished product.

[Chris333]

I slice the parts off with a blade and wipe with a file. This seems much easier than coating each side with rubber cement and going through all that. But if it worked for him...

[Walkercolt]

After seeing and selling what the Czech, Ukrainian, and Polish do with photo-etching for 1/35th scale armour, I'm convinced some guys could do anything with photo-etch. Mutiple-layer etching, grills so fine they'd look great in N-scale, parts made to be layered up to provide even greater thickness, even parts designed to be layered up into three-diamentional objects(!). I'd bet some of their technology/technquies are from military sources, but it's amazing stuff, but not cheap. I don't know if "ordinary" etching can make their quality of products, they could be using high-powered lasers to help things along, but Eduard and some others are turning out some great stuff.

[Chris333]

Isn't etching pretty much how the inside of a computer chip is made?

[Iain]

Kindof

[TrainCat2]

You build intergrated circuits by depositing a layer of material at a time to create the gates and paths.

[Sokramiketes]

Just to add to the devil's advocate list...

This may be fine for personal use, but selling a little baggie full of loose tiny parts as a kit doesn't sound practical.

Detail Associates sells their HO etched tool set this way.  They leave them on a carrier sheet though, kinda like black electrical tape. 

[DKS]

Just to add to the devil's advocate list...

This may be fine for personal use, but selling a little baggie full of loose tiny parts as a kit doesn't sound practical.

Detail Associates sells their HO etched tool set this way.  They leave them on a carrier sheet though, kinda like black electrical tape. 

Yes, I have a couple of these sets, and it came to mind shortly after I made the post. They also used to sell detail parts like fan grilles this way, too, and the brass they used was quite a bit thinner than typical--also a real bear to get off the carrier. However, their technique seems to be the exception to the rule, from what I've seen anyway.