Thoughts on Etching ( much delayed.)

Ething a metal can be used to add texture, transfer imagery, or deepen existing imagery.

Rule 1: Etchants will etch you. Take precautions. They will also etch clothing, tools, and surfaces.. Strong etchants like Nitric Acid will cause permanent scarring and blindness. Even weaker ones can stain skin and clothes. Wear appropriate protection for the strength of the etchant, my minimum protection is safety glasses, nitrilite gloves and a shop apron. I etch with ferric chloride... if you use plan to use a stronger then upgrade to chemical gloves, arespirator and a rubber apron If you are using an acid keep baking soda around to neutralize spills and splashes .

For an effective alternate etchant not as dangerous as Nitric... but supposedly more effective then Ferric see this indestructable:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Stop-using-Ferric-Chloride-etchant!--A-better-etc/

Rule 2: Store and etch in appropriate containers. I etch in a pyrex dish, used etchent goes into an HDPE bottle for later disposal. Since I don't know, how ABS or other plastics react to Ferric I avoided them.

Rule 3: Cleanliness is next to godliness. This mean you metal MUST be clean. Any surface contamination can act as a resist, which can cause result other then anticipated. This ALSO means clean up/neutralize your spilled etchant quickly to avoid staining/etching something other then the target piece.

Rule 4: Anywhere there is not a resist will be etched. Resists can be anything that prevents the etchant from touching the surface of the metal. Examples of etchant: PnP blue transfer paper, fingernail polish, tape (waterproof), and even sharpie mrkers.

Rule 5: Shake it like you aren't supposed to shake a polaroid picture! Okay...you don't actually shake it. But if you place the piece to be etched with the side to be etched face down and occasionally agitate the container there are two benefits. First the etched material will occasionally form a precipitate which can stick to the piece and slow down etching. Agitating allows that to follow away from your piece. The second advantage is it keeps fresh concentration of the etchant in contact with your piece.

Rule 6: Rinse! Rinse! Rinse! When the proper etching amount is reached you need to wash the piece or otherwise neutralize the etchant.

Here is a scenario of the steps I go through while etching.

Materials needed:
Tweezers (copper), Etchant, Electrical tape, Pyrex dish, needle probe (made out of heavy gauge copper wire), safety equipment, and the piece to be etched.

Step 1: Put on saftey equipment.
Step 2: Clean the metal.
Step 3: Transfer the image (either drawn on with a sharpie or PnP image whatever...)
Step 4: Cover every part Not currently being etched with a resist.

*whoops Time for Math test... To be continued...*

Ow... ow...

Normally at this point when I am complaining about pain it is because I have been chased around the dojo.

In this case I was stuck in a chair and tortured by the worlds most obnoxious dental hygenist. In addition to being completely oblivious to the amount of pain she caused the was on non-stop monologue of critiques of my past dentist, my brushing habits, the brushing habits of other people in the office, brushing habits of everyone else on campus. She delivered this in a shrill nasal whine that was every bit as much painful as cleaning.

You know it's bad when the dental tech who takes your x-rays afterward leans forward and whispers "I'm sooooo sorry."

I have never had an unpleasant dentist visit before this.

You get 50% off for using on campus dental services... I'm trying to decide if it's worth it...

Sorta Swamped...

School work is piling up.. there will be a post coming regarding etching I swear...

However, while working my way through the many Arch related photos I had to crop and color correct today I rand a cross this one of the Girl and I our roommate took right before we headed out to Friday Night Kilt meetup.

I don't have kilt down here and was woefully underdressed for the night.

Stuff rolls down hill.

So apparently my math class did not do so well over all, with our class average being 8 out 9 classes.

This appeared to have bothered my math professor as she managed to deliver in an hour 19 (by my count) passive aggressive NASTY slurs about our class while delivering them in a chipper cheerful voice.

I was a little flabbergasted.

For the record I did okay, not great.

Your thought for the day...

Sure... they're laughing now... but when I finish training my Alpaca Army they'll be sorry.

S.N. F.A. F.U.

So...

Yeah.

Remember how I said my finaid was sorta moving forward?

Forget that. Not only was the amount of the expected refund wrong (I.e. they quoted my the entire year's pell grant instead of this semester) so instead of a $2700 refund check today I got a bill for $200...

But also... my Alaska Student Loan still hasn't been submitted.

5 weeks after AKLoan sent the local finaid office the paperwork they haven't sent it back.

I hate life.

Details Matter...

In the course of my weekend reading I just discovered the mentor of my Arch History professor was the favored student, employee, and protègé of my second least favorite Architect.

So my Professor's Professor's Professor was someone who's designs I dislike greatly*.

This is important, because I am apt to bring up one of said Architect's buildings as an example of pretty but failed design.

However, not in this class.


*In fairness his ideas are frequently great, it's just the niggly little details that make the buildings usable for humans he kept screwing up.

Speak Like a Pirate! DO IT!

This is what is currently wandering around my house saying "Arr" a lot.

More pictures available upon request. Ohhh... okay here's one more for free.

Oh yeah... he'll go far.

Last post of the day, I swear.

A few minutes ago one of my Architecture classmates came over and made small talk about the Architecture History class we have together.

I was flattered he recognized me out of a class of 172 students considering we have never met previously, though in retrospect... I am one of two middle aged guys in the class and we both sit together at the top, whereas he looks just like all the other backwards ball cap wearing Gap clones that populate the campus.

ANYWAY.... the point being is he spent the better part of 15 minutes ranting about what a waste of time the class was, how boring the reading was etc...

When he finally wound down, the girl sitting at the table next to us leaned over (she is also apparently in the class...) and said "Do you know the phrase 'Those forget History are doomed to repeat it?"

"Yeah." He muttered in surly tone.

"Do you think by examining past mistakes and successes we stand a better chance of being better architects?" She raised one eyebrow and waited.

This clearly was to much for him. He muttered something under his breath and shuffled back to his group.

"Dumbass." She muttered as he left, and then turned towards me with one eyebrow raised, a fierce expression on her face.

"Don't look at me," I raised my hands in mock surrender "you said what I was thinking."

She snorted dismissively and returned to her reading.

In further retrospect I should have introduced myself before she got up that's the sorta person I'd rather work with when we start on the projects in a couple weeks.

I think I'm turning Emo-ese, I think I'm turning Emo-eze, I really think so...

So I'm sitting here at the student union listening to Pandora and a not entirely unpleasant song came on that I didn't recognize.

A quick jump to that active window revealed that I was grooving to Death Cab for Cutie.

Does that mean I'm turning Emo? Is there a treatment? What would be the antidote? Do I have to go suck down a bunch of Willie Nelson? Or is the treatment applications of eardrum shattering heavy metal?

Maybe if I just listened to all Johnny Cash the rest of the day I can prevent myself from developing a stupid haircut. Though given how short I keep my hair these days... it'll be while before I manage to get the bangs down to cover just one eye....