Simple Saltwater Metal Etching | How To

Simple Saltwater Metal Etching Using Just A Batterycharger

Step by step instruction:

1. Tape up your piece of metal and leave it exposed where you want to etch it.

2. Prepare your piece of metal (and a equally sized one) to hook it up to the batterycharger.

3. Add salt to water to give it more conductivity.

4. Put everything in a container and make sure the two metal
pieces don’t touch each other. (It helps for an even etch if the pieces are parallel)

5. Hook it up to the batterycharger (minus goes on the piece you want to etch)

6. Wait 10 - 40 minutes. It depends on how big the metal is and how deep you want to etch.

WARNING: Make sure you do this in a well ventilated room AND use a old batterycharger. The batterycharger is not made for this use and might take damage.

Music Used: Jens Kiilstofte - Dance Of The Pixies

Time Effort:
Working & Filming ~ 6hrs
Editing ~ 7 hrs 20 mins
Whole Video ~ 13hrs 20 mins

[ModernPioneer]

Does the amount of salt added to water matter?

[weldsupply]

I thought it was very interesting! I've worked with metal fabrication for years, but I have never etched anything. I know they make commercial etchers, but I've never seen the DIY version. I enjoyed seeing the whole video! I hate that there are Ppl that tell you how to edit your videos, when I want to see all the smoke and mirrors!

[mentalthinking]

This may be the most accurately named YouTube channel I've ever stumbled across. This video was very satisfying.

[muskokamike]

4. Don't know if this matters but: you say make sure 2 metal pieces don't touch each other. When you put the buts on top of the piece to be etched, you electrically connect the two with the steel nuts. Every other video I've seen they don't make any sort of contact. I'd try it with plastic nuts or something that don't conduct electricity....

[kargandarr]

Could try using a document printed from a laser printer to make a protect layer as well. A laser Printer uses toner as does a photocopier. You can transfer the image from the paper to the metal using lacquer thinner and then set up to apply the power for etching. As far as I know it should work. If it does that would give another demonstration you could film and post to your channel. Just a suggestion though.

[seanl]

Good music and good speed of video. 👍👍

[buddy]

So what if I wanted to eat all the way through the aluminum would that require more voltage salt or more time? I would like to make a back lit coffee table wrap around with words in the aluminum. Instead of etched the words would be all the way through the aluminum where the light can shine all the way through.

[mrshowtime]

Does this only work on bare metal? I have a black rifle lower that I want to etch, but I don't want to sand it down

[Zena-Zena-Art]

Very Nice Results!!
But how you did the black color on letters

[HOKITAROTLOVE]

Simple Salwater, , , hi, , , verry good vidio my friends

[ParaBellum]

A far simpler (albeit not electro-chemical etching) technique to achieve similar results is to print out the design on paper, glue it to the metal and then carefully go over the design with a hand-held engraver until it is obliterated. It takes a fraction of the time, is easier, and looks much the same.

[JohnsonArmsProps]

"From the high-desert, good evening"

[shanhannum]

Seems better than doing it by hand and q tips

[kidcremezoo]

i like the "simple" in the title..

[richardbalka]

You showed that you know how to do it but did not give info on how to do it.

[madenciufuk]

Can we make a branding iron with etching?

[Toby]

Does this also work with brass or copper?

[UltraProu]

You mean to say- "Antonym of Simple"😏

[navedkhan]

I know to made ss iching name.plate any body wnt to make cntk m

[Usman.Sanaullah]

not so simply, not so efficient method.