How exactly do electro etching stencils work?

M

mobiaxis

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Mar 4, 2015
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I have searched and searched but I cannot find a simple explanation of how electro etching stencils actually work (like the kind made by the famous 'Ernie'). I see people using fingernail polish as a resist, ironing photocopied designs onto steel, using electrical tape. I have all the parts to build my own electro etcher and I think I can get it wired up properly, but I just don't understand the whole stencil thing.

I saw a DIY for simply ironing a reverse image photocopy to the blade and I imagine the toner acts as a sort of resist, but as far as I can tell, the type of stencils Ernie Gropnik(?) sells are on a transparent film that you tape to the blade and then hold the solution dampened sponge on it. How does the electricity get through the membrane and into the blade? What am I not understanding here?
 
The membrane is 2 layers. There top layer is impermeable, and has your art cut into it. The second layer is permeable, and allows the solution and current through. The dual layer allows very intricate art that would fall apart if a single layer.
 
kuraki said:
The membrane is 2 layers. There top layer is impermeable, and has your art cut into it. The second layer is permeable, and allows the solution and current through. The dual layer allows very intricate art that would fall apart if a single layer.
Click to expand...

Thanks, now I understand why EVERYONE is not just ironing photocopies onto their blades.

Is Blue Lightning Stencil still the goto guy?
 
I have used Ernie's stencils and Tustech. I prefer Tustech. The last batch I got from Ernie were subpar IMHO. They curl badly the second you touch them with the etching pad.
 
To expand on what Kuraki said, the two layers are a) "negative tone photo resist" which will NOT pass current, and b) a micro mesh that your etching solution and thus the current CAN pass through. The photo resist portion is exposed to UV light (except for a copy of your stencil, maker mark etc...) which will block the UV light around those specific areas, and the UV light will polymerize, or chemically change the resist material so that the developer solution will not dissolve the UV light exposed areas. This means that the shape of your stencil which DID NOT get exposed to UV, will dissolve via a developer solution, and thus expose the micro mesh material underneath which allows the current to pass through and etch your stencil into that shape.
 
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