Etching?...

sugarenie · #1 2006-11-09, 8:36am

How do you etch your beads?...Which products work best for you?...

squid · #2 2006-11-09, 9:03am

Try getting the "etch all" - you can find it at Michaels and other craft stors. works great.

Emily · #3 2006-11-09, 10:27am

String them on a piece of fishing line with a "stop bead" (size E seed bead) tied at the bottom, suspend in bottle of Dip 'n Etch tied to popsicle stick for 3 minutes, neutralize in solution of water, baking soda, and cheapo calcium-based antacid tablets (Tums-type), rinse WELL. Use colored nail polish for resist on areas to remain unetched.

Wear eye protection and be very careful. Etching solution is acid -- nasty stuff.

Lisi · #4 2006-11-09, 11:03am

Here's my etching tutorial for newbies. (or for anyone using this stuff for the first time!)

Get the Etch-All liquid, it's much better and a lot easier than the cream. I use a piece of fishing line about 8-12 inches long (depends on how many beads you want to string onto it), tie a knot on one end, string the beads and dip them with the other end of the line draping over the bottle. To get an even etch, you need to bob the beads up and down in the bottle every now and then.

For 104 COE opaque glass, it takes about 5-10 minutes, for the transparents, about 10-15 minutes. If you get an uneven etch (like small shiny spots near the holes because you didn't "bob" them!), you can go back in for another 5-10 minutes. But this stuff works so well, that rarely is a problem. But remember, while they are in there, bobbing and moving them around in the solution is very important.

After the time is up, transfer the strand into a solution of 1/2 cup water and 2 tsp baking soda (solution ratio doesn't have to be exact) and put them in there for a few minutes to neutralize the acid. It will bubble and fizz a little. Then take the strand out and wash with dish soap. In case of the small chance you may need to repeat, leave them on the piece of line and you will see the soft etched finish as they dry. Remember, they are kinda shiny when they are still wet, so don't let that fool you into thinking they didn't etch long enough!

If you find a chalky white substance on your beads, this does come off easily with a little scrubbing gently with a toothbrush and toothpaste. (yes, toothpaste!

) But don't use the "abrasive" kind if you can avoid it. You know, the toothpastes on the market now for "extra whitening".

Some glass is harder to etch, like Bullseye and some of the frits will etch faster or slower than the base glass that they are used on, so you may have to repeat. You supposedly can't etch boro in this product, but boro is usually etched with sandblasting or tumbling.

I bought 2 bottles three years ago, and I just started on my second bottle. The solution turns a yucky brown after a while, but it still works. Every now and then (make sure lid is on tight!) give the bottle a gentle shake.

Lisi · #5 2006-11-09, 11:05am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emily

String them on a piece of fishing line with a "stop bead" (size E seed bead) tied at the bottom, suspend in bottle of Dip 'n Etch tied to popsicle stick for 3 minutes, neutralize in solution of water, baking soda, and cheapo calcium-based antacid tablets (Tums-type), rinse WELL. Use colored nail polish for resist on areas to remain unetched.

Wear eye protection and be very careful. Etching solution is acid -- nasty stuff.

Oops, Emily, didn't see you there! Yours is excellent advice too! I never thought of using Tums too. Good idea, why not?

Emily · #6 2006-11-09, 11:23am

The Tums advice is from something that was posted on the ISGB forum a while back. There was a scientific explanation why -- I can't say I completely understood it, but I believed it. Apparently the baking soda neutralizes the acidic part but still doesn't make the etching solution completely non-hazardous. Something in the calcium tablets does. Unfortunately, the archives of the ISGB forum disappeared during the latest software change and I don't think they're going to reappear. The discussion was quoted over on WetCanvas in part, but WC search feature goes back only a year, so -- I can tell you that I think I have a good reason for doing it, but I can't tell you what my good reason is. Do we have any chemists here?

Is Etchall the same thing as Dip 'n Etch? I kind of think it is, but I'm not sure why I think that. Easy enough to find out, but I've lost my will to Google for the moment.

Your 10 to 15 minutes is way longer than I ever etch. My 3 minutes is on the low side, but that's because almost everything I etch has something on it that uses a resist (usually nail polish, but not always) and I'm nervous about the resist coming off. If I'm not using a resist, I'll etch for 5 minutes, and that seems to be enough for me.

Apparently etching solution will even work on boro if you soak it long enough. (Don't ask me how long "long enough" is.)

If you use nail polish as a resist, use decent quality polish. The ultra-cheap stuff comes off in the acid sometimes. The polish needs to be completely dry. Try to etch within a few days (or a week, say) after you put the polish on. I've put polish on and let the beads sit around so long that I can't remember how long it's been, and when I've etched them, the polish has come off. Don't do that. If you can't remember when you put the polish on, put new polish on.

sugarenie · #7 2006-11-09, 3:55pm

Thank you Stephanie and Emily...I'm going to give this a try once I get some Etch All liquid...