How To DIY Etching Machine - Electro-Chemical

J. Keeton

J. Keeton

Joined
Nov 15, 2005
Messages
1,201
So I just finished up a video tutorial on how to assemble your own etching machine for those just starting out. This tutorial is based off of Chris Crawford's written tutorial on his website from 2003. :thumbsup:

Chris' Tutorial - https://chriscrawfordknives.com/tutorials/written-tutorials/electro-etcher/page-1/

Full Item List in in the video description (Total cost is $80-100).

I get my stencils here - http://www.tustech.com/admin/home

This is the wiring diagram for the build - https://www.dropbox.com/s/s5h90beb5uen9oq/ElectroChemicalEtchingMachine.jpg?dl=0


These Timestamp links are in the first comment:

0:20 – Intro / Motivation / Links / Wiring Diagram
1:11 – Major Components
3:45 – Drilling
4:42 – Front Panel Install
7:20 – Power Cable Options
7:50 – Transformer Install
9:00 – Bridge Rectifier Install
9:57 – Power Cable Install
10:17 – Wiring it all UP!
16:52 – WIRING OVERVIEW FINISHED
19:44 – Closing up the box
20:25 – Making the Etching Tool / Electrode
22:13 – How to Use the Etcher
23:20 – AC vs DC etching
24:00 – AC vs DC after sanding (Deep vs Dark)

 
Nice explained how to make it , thanks J. Keeton :thumbsup: We should call it Greenish Plus :D I hope that now our members would realize how easy and cheap is to make one and that they not need to pay over 300$ for one ;) Can I send you this small guy for etch , it is your child , little shorter now but .... :)
RfwJnhH.jpg
 
Natlek said:
Nice explained how to make it , thanks J. Keeton :thumbsup: We should call it Greenish Plus :D I hope that now our members would realize how easy and cheap is to make one and that they not need to pay over 300$ for one ;) Can I send you this small guy for etch , it is your child , little shorter now but .... :)
Click to expand...

Hey man, looks great! Keep it and use it daily in my honor! Hope someone can get some value out of the etcher build. Save a few dollars. I think you can buy a personalizer for $200+S&H.
 
Natlek said:
they not need to pay over 300$ for one
Click to expand...

For what we charge for knives we should not complain at a couple hundred bucks for a machine that will make us 100x that.
 
AVigil said:
For what we charge for knives we should not complain at a couple hundred bucks for a machine that will make us 100x that.
Click to expand...

Consider it for the hobbyist then :D. 100$ is 100$. Guess I'm cheap. I bet you could source some of these components cheaper too.
 
AVigil said:
For what we charge for knives we should not complain at a couple hundred bucks for a machine that will make us 100x that.
Click to expand...

Some are hobbyists who do this for fun and may charge little to nothing. Everything I have ever made was given as a gift to a friend or family member (if it came out good enough, otherwise it was just kept by me). The cost of making the knives is just the cost of my hobby vs fishing tackle, golf greens fees, or any other expenses as would be needed for any other hobby. For folks like myself, having resources like this to find ways to try new things at a lower expense are a pretty big deal and shouldn’t be discouraged.

Thanks J. Keeton J. Keeton for putting this together. I haven’t watched it yet, but I added it to my list.
 
Those plans have been here for a long time for sure and hobbyist have been building them for years from Chris's site. There are much cheaper ways to do it as well.

Personally I am not an electronics guy nor want to mess around building one. I guess I am lucky in that all my knives sold from the second one to current and paying money to have a nice mark was worth it to buy one. I got mine from the Atlas Forge guy when he made them and his were just over $100 bucks.
 
J. Keeton said:
So I just finished up a video tutorial on how to assemble your own etching machine for those just starting out. This tutorial is based off of Chris Crawford's written tutorial on his website from 2003. :thumbsup:

Chris' Tutorial - https://chriscrawfordknives.com/tutorials/written-tutorials/electro-etcher/page-1/

Full Item List in in the video description (Total cost is $80-100).

I get my stencils here - http://www.tustech.com/admin/home

This is the wiring diagram for the build - https://www.dropbox.com/s/s5h90beb5uen9oq/ElectroChemicalEtchingMachine.jpg?dl=0


These Timestamp links are in the first comment:

0:20 – Intro / Motivation / Links / Wiring Diagram
1:11 – Major Components
3:45 – Drilling
4:42 – Front Panel Install
7:20 – Power Cable Options
7:50 – Transformer Install
9:00 – Bridge Rectifier Install
9:57 – Power Cable Install
10:17 – Wiring it all UP!
16:52 – WIRING OVERVIEW FINISHED
19:44 – Closing up the box
20:25 – Making the Etching Tool / Electrode
22:13 – How to Use the Etcher
23:20 – AC vs DC etching
24:00 – AC vs DC after sanding (Deep vs Dark)



Excellent video
I built this exact one a few years back. Great machine.
Click to expand...
 
Yes, a simple one power etcher can be made cheaply by someone familiar with electronics.

Adding variable current/voltage and tried and tested carbon pads and electrolytes is where the extra money is spent on buying a commercial unit like the Personalizer Plus.
 
Hey Guys,

I know this is an old thread. I just built the homemade etcher based off of Red Beard's plans and video. I've tested it and the machine works. Saved me almost $300 compared to personalizer plus. Thanks J. Keeton !!

My question is related to the sanding/ grit finish process in which most people use prior to and after etching the logo on steel. For example what grit finish are you sanding to prior to etch, and are you going through your surface conditioning belts prior to etching to? I plan on doing the AC and then DC etch. I assume the answer is different depending on what level of finish you are going for, but was hoping this may be a good place for starting point.

Thanks for any input. I'm new here, just got my first 2X72, and built the etcher last night.

S.M.
 
First - You do DC then AC. DC cuts into the metal ( etching) and AC marks the etch by leaving a dark oxide residue.
Second - the blade should be fully finished before etching. Only a light clean up sanding at the last grit or higher is needed after etching.
 
I made this and it worked really well, recently though it keeps blowing the 2amp fuse I have in there. Worked fine until just now. So I took it all apart, looked for burned spots and found nothing. Put it in a new box, rewired, and still the same blowing fuses. I checked the switches and ohmed them out and they are fine, led light wouldn't cause a blown fuse. I am guessing the transformer might be causing the issue? I don't know how to test it though.
 
Pulling too many amps. Check your voltage output, make sure everything has a good ground. Did your cord have a separate ground wire?
 
A.McPherson said:
Pulling too many amps. Check your voltage output, make sure everything has a good ground. Did your cord have a separate ground wire?
Click to expand...
Yes I do. Your standard 12/3 sow cord. Black, green, white. I did put a 5 amp fuse in and it flickered the led for a split second then blew again. I'm guess the transformer is shot. I don't know what else it could be.
 
I suppose you could disconnect the low side of the transformer, then try it again. That'll tell you if it's the transformer or not.
 
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