First Etched Complete Pen

[Les ELm]

Looks great from here.
Nicely done.

Les

 

[rowdyyates115]

Cheers Paul, Fred.

Just what I was looking for.....

 

[Dalboy]

A nice pen Paul but I am not sure about the bit on the wood I would have liked to see it without the feature

 

[paulm]

Paul what did you use as a shroud.

I did exactly what Fred said in his instructions except that I used a power source rather than a battery. A dish of salt water with a piece of copper at the - end and the bullet at the + end.

 

[Grump]

That's wheree the copper came from init?
You were electroplating mate.

 

[paulm]

Ohhhhhh!... I see, I think Brian... so did I have the terminals on the wrong way round?

Frankie... Ted pointed out what you were asking and I used a sharpie to cover the bits I didn't want to etch.

 

[Grump]

The - end to bullet and the + to the copper, in a good heavy salt solution.
The way way you did it depending on the catalyst I fancy you created a copper sulphate solution (solution turns a blue colour).
The sulphate crystals have coloured the shell case, not undesirable but nt strictly etching either.
Here's a good little instructable

 

[Dalboy]

I did exactly what Fred said in his instructions except that I used a power source rather than a battery. A dish of salt water with a piece of copper at the - end and the bullet at the + end.

Does it matter the result speaks for it's self

 

[Grump]

Does it matter the result speaks for it's self

Doesn't matter in the least aesthetically, it looks good even if not the intended result.
It only matters to me as the process is completely different.
Etching is eroding into the material taking it away to leave an effect the Anode is not necessary in etching as my link explains.
Plating is adding material to a surface to achieve a result.
Pedantic? Maybe!! This explains the chemistry of the process.

 

[paulm]

Thanks Brian.