How to Make Etched Brass at Home
- 1). Scrub and clean a piece of brash flashing with a nylon dish scrubbing pad. This removes the dirt and oil the metal accumulated in the hardware store and during shipping. Rub down the brass with rubbing alcohol and a lint-free cloth until it gleams like a mirror. Set it aside.
- 2). Print the image of your choice onto glossy photo printer paper. Before printing the image, flip it in your photo manipulation program (i.e., Photoshop or Adobe) so you get a negative printing. Change the color to black and white (not grayscale) also.
- 3). Place the image face down on the brass flashing. Turn your iron on to its highest setting and place it over the paper and brass. Press down firmly and slide the iron over the paper and brass for about 3 minutes.
- 4). Roll over the still-warm paper and brass with a rolling pin for about 30 seconds. This ensures the toner is firmly sealed onto the brass.
- 5). Fill a plastic tub with warm water. Place the brass and paper assembly into the water and let it soak for about 30 minutes.
- 6). Remove the brass and paper from the water and gently peel away the paper. It will come off in layers; if some layers are stubborn, don't force them. Let the paper soak for an additional 5 minutes for each stubborn layer.
- 7). Empty the tub of warm water and fill it with about 2 inches of copper sulfate. You can get copper sulfate at chemistry supply shops or troll the cleanser aisle and read the ingredients to find a cleanser made mostly of copper sulfate.
- 8). Clip an alligator clip wire between the brass flashing and the positive node on your battery. Slip the brass flashing into the copper sulfate.
- 9). Clip a second alligator clip wire to the negative node on your battery. Slip the other end of the wire into the copper sulfate. The circuit this creates inside the plastic tub will systematically remove layers of brass from the toner-covered areas.
- 10
Allow the brass to soak for at least 1 hour. Remove the brass plate from the copper sulfate bath. Wear rubber gloves; copper sulfate is caustic. - 11
Hold the brass flashing under running water and scrub it with a dish scrubbing pad. All the places containing toner should be brown; they'll flake away as you scrub, leaving a lovely etched plate behind.
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