What can I do with a sheet of brass?

**jille** · 23-03-2010, 06:29 AM

This is sounding even more interesting, so lets see if I have my head round this...........if I puch out shapes from sticky labels with a craft punch and stick them to the sheet, use the battery technique it will etch the background. How long would this take, and do i have to clean the brass first?
What size battery?
thanks
jille

**ps_bond** · 23-03-2010, 06:47 AM

Originally Posted by jille

...do i have to clean the brass first?

Yes! Any deposits or tarnish on the metal will impede the etching. A scrub with a bit of Scotchbrite should be plenty, just so long as you get to the bare metal.

What size battery?

It was just a D cell they used in the article IIRC.

**jille** · 23-03-2010, 10:52 AM

I didn't know what a D cell was so i looked it up on google, it's one of those fat batteries, that's a non techy discription!
I have just discovered I have some lazer cut stickers, butterflies etc that i can use

now I need to find a battery holder.

I will want to use the etched brass sheet with my rolling mill so presumably the etching will have to be deep enough to make an impression. How long does it take to etch?

**ps_bond** · 23-03-2010, 11:09 AM

Originally Posted by jille

I didn't know what a D cell was so i looked it up on google, it's one of those fat batteries, that's a non techy discription!
I have just discovered I have some lazer cut stickers, butterflies etc that i can use

now I need to find a battery holder.

Ah, sorry!

Here's a battery holder though: D Size Battery Holders : All Products : Maplin

**CeliaDM** · 23-03-2010, 11:29 AM

Oh golly, how wonderful, I have some copper to practise on, can I use a similar etching technique with this? I really don't like the idea of caustic chemicals.

**jille** · 23-03-2010, 12:26 PM

I've discovered another way of making a texture sheet for the rolling mill, you probably all know this already but you can gluethick paper onto the metal sheet

texture on metal « Jane Cather Blog

**Dennis** · 23-03-2010, 08:56 PM

I have a selection of fabrics. For instance metal put through more than once with nylon net curtaining,but new each time, will have an attractive interference pattern, like waves. That stuff for cross stitch samplers, which comes in various degrees of coarseness makes a plaid-like pattern. The small squares can even be pierced out here and there with a saw. A bonus is that, if the fabric is wrapped around the metal so that you texture both sides together, the metal will be almost perfectly flat.
Here is my formed pendant, with pierced sqares and CZs, patinated.

**Lindyloo** · 23-03-2010, 09:41 PM

I found a free tutorial for etching with salt water, but it uses a different battery which has twiddly bits on the top for attching the wires (techincally speaking). So, as I haven't read the Art Magazine tutorial, I am a bit stumped about using the D battery and the battery covers mentioned. I can't see how to attach the wires.

How to Etch a Candy Tin

**ps_bond** · 23-03-2010, 10:27 PM

That article is talking about a 6V lantern battery - if you've already got one, don't worry about it. If not, the battery holders from Maplin have solder tags - and that's low temperature solder with a soldering iron, not silver solder!

If you're really scuppered on that, you could gaffer tape the wires to either side of the battery, that can work in a pinch.

**jille** · 24-03-2010, 06:09 AM

Dennis i love what you did, I'm a texture freak . i got a reasonably priced rolling mill off the internet, one of the ebay shops and i love it, i'm always looking for something new to put through it.
i enjoyed the youtube viedo as well,