Ideas on etching dwarvish inscriptions?

ERen89

Active Member

• Mar 19, 2018

• #1

I am working on a prop at the moment and cannot determine how I want to go about this one piece. I would have to make sure the lines are absolutely straight. I am trying to avoid EVA foam. I am working with more rigid materials. I considered using sculpey and casting from that, i tried wood burning on some scrap but was not thrilled with the results, I am looking into etching metal. I can't determine which route would be the best. Unless anyone has alternative ideas? I can carve these straight lines into a material easily but it is worrying about making them as clean, even, and straight as possible. I do not want it to look like it was hand drawn. I drew up a template already for the design. Just looking on the approach.

 

ARKM

Sr Member

• Mar 19, 2018

• #2

Acid etching or electro-etching with saltwater (both using adhesive-backed vinyl as a resist), works extremely well for etching designs onto metal. However that method does require access to a die cutting machine to make the vinyl "sticker". There are plenty of home use, desktop die cutting machines on the market and plenty of etching tutorials on the net. I hope that helps.

 

Riceball

Master Member

• Mar 19, 2018

• #3

To recreate those designs you're going to need to look into engraving methods, not etching. Etching is (typically) done via a chemical process and is not really well suited for creating deep marks in any material. Depending on the material you use, you might be able to use a drill press as a make shift engraving machine, but to get perfectly straight lines you'll need something that will restrict the movement of your piece. Personally, I'd just do it freehand going very slowly since, in universe, this would have been hand made and if the lines were too even and straight it would lose that hand made look.

 

Strikerkc

Sr Member

• Mar 19, 2018

• #4

depending on exactly what you're after, you may also want to look at 3D printing as an option. you can print a copy of what you want, then clean up and cast in other materials after making a mold.

I'm a little confused as to what you're after. You say you've got a template drawn up, but your picture appears to be of a finished product. are you looking to replicate that depth of lines, on that type of material, just with a different pattern?

 

Darth Lars

Master Member

• Mar 19, 2018

• #5

You could look into laser-cut and/or laser-engraved acrylic. Many makerspaces have laser cutters. There are also a bunch of online stores where you upload a file (made in Illustrator or similar or a CAD program), choose options, pay and you get the result in the mail.
Besides acrylic, some also support wood, plywood, cardboard, felt etc. ... or black acrylic with a thin metal coating that can be engraved away. Your picture reminded me of the latter but it might not be the best option.

 

ARKM

Sr Member

• Mar 19, 2018

• #6

Riceball said:

To recreate those designs you're going to need to look into engraving methods, not etching. Etching is (typically) done via a chemical process and is not really well suited for creating deep marks in any material.

Click to expand...

Yeah depth can be an issue. You might get away with etching as deep as 1/32" or 1 mm (especially on brass at it etches extremely well) but I don't know if it would work well going any deeper than that.

 

Riceball

Master Member

• Mar 19, 2018

• #7

If you go the sculpting and casting route then it would be easy enough to just use cardboard, illustration board, or whatever and press them into the wet material to create your lines. That would be the easiest method by far and probably the cheapest too.

 

Creole

New Member

• Mar 19, 2018

• #8

Personally, I'd go the CNC route.

 

O

ozone

New Member

• Mar 19, 2018

• #9

I have a CNC router (stepcraft 840), which would be my choice. I'm assuming you don't have such a thing, but you might be able to find one in a maker space or find someone online you could get to do it.

 

Riceball

Master Member

• Mar 19, 2018

• #10

If getting access to a CNC machine is a problem a drill press would work, lots of people use drill presses to mill out their 80% AR lowers. It's not ideal but it would work in a pinch.