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Learn Garden Railroading Photo Etching |
Etch your own builders plates 1. Photo Etching 2. The Etching process 3. The Final Step 4. Examples of plates Additional information: Build a ive steamer Tips for model painter Build a Truss Bridge More resources: Family Garden Trains Model Train Garden Railway Primer Model Railroading by Donald Ray Burger: Getting Started in Garden Railroading [home] |
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1. Photo Etching |
Photo etching is a process that chemically burns details into metal. It can be used lightly to
create raised areas on a metal plate or it can be used heavily to totally burn through sections
of a metal plate. A photo sensitive material (Enchant® solution or 'Positiv 20' from Kontakt Chemie) is used to coat the metal before exposure.. It is a photo sensitive layer which when exposed to ultra violet light, and developed in Sodium Hydroxide, hardens and becomes impervious to the etchant used in the etching tank. First of all we need to make the brass photo sensitive so after giving it a rub over with fine sand paper to remove oxidization and a rub over with alcohol to get rid of any grease, it should be given a couple of coats of photo resist. Photo resist (and all the other chemicals used here) are readily available from electronic supply stores as they are also used in the production of printed circuit boards. Leave the photo resist in a dark place to dry. |
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